The 2024 NWSL season isn't fully in the books, but the Chicago Red Stars are already running full-tilt into 2025 with a brand new look.
On Wednesday, the club launched their major rebrand, revealing a new name — Chicago Stars FC — as well as a new crest and secondary logo.
An NWSL crest inspired by the city
Last week, Red Stars CMO Kay Bradley told JWS that plans for the rebrand began after the club's 2023 sale to a group led by Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts.
"We gathered input and inspiration from our athletes. We gathered inspiration and input from current fans, our supporters clubs, as well as prospective fans," she said.
In an effort to raise brand awareness around the city, the club explained that dropping "Red" from the name shifts the focus to the word "Chicago." The soccer ball imagery and FC tag help new fans associate the team with the sport.
The curve at the top of the crest is modeled after classic Chicago marquees. The team took inspiration from the Chicago Theatre and Wrigley Field — home to this year's record-breaking Wrigley Field Takeover match. The adjoining shades of blue are a nod to Lake Michigan, with the press release saying they symbolize "meeting between the land and lake."
Limited-edition Chicago Stars FC merch now available
"As the stewards of this club, Laura Ricketts, the ownership group and the leadership team believe it is time to evolve our identity as a symbol of this new chapter," said Karen Leetzow, Chicago Stars FC president. "It is our intent going forward to honor the legacy made by past players, fans and associates, while carving a new path for the club and representing Chicago more authentically on and off the pitch."
As a part of the rollout, Chicago Stars FC is also dropping a limited-edition retail collection highlighting the new name and logo. The gear will be available via Chicago's online team store. In addition, fans can also purchase items at SeatGeek Stadium during the team's November 3rd match with Kansas City.
The original Red Stars name dates back to the club's 2008 founding, though the crest was refreshed in 2017. The team will continue using the Red Stars name and crest for the remainder of the 2024 season, with the full transition coming at the start of the 2025 season.
The Paris Olympics wrapped up over the weekend, with the USWNT reclaiming their place atop the major tournament mountain after earning their fifth gold medal on Saturday. USWNT forward Mallory Swanson scored the game's lone goal in the 57th minute to lead the team to their eventual 1-0 win over Brazil.
The US never trailed at the 2024 Olympics and became the first women's team in tournament history to record shutouts through all three knockout rounds.
Second-half adjustments secured USWNT win
Brazil looked the better of the two teams in the first half, bypassing the USWNT's midfield to pressure their backline with probing, vertical play. Recent Chicago Red Stars signing Ludmila spurred chaos among the USWNT defense, striking what would have been the game's opening goal if she hadn't been ruled offside.
The US held fast to a 0-0 scoreline at the half, then worked their way back into the match. A well-weighted pass from Korbin Albert ultimately split Brazil's defense and slotted Swanson in on goal.
USA's World Cup rebound streak kept alive
The victory represents a monumental bounce-back after a disappointing 2023 World Cup — not to mention an early indication of new manager Emma Hayes's future with the team.
To date, the USWNT has consistently walked away either one — but never both — of the international women's soccer cycle's two major titles, keeping alive their streak of capturing Olympic gold the year after losing a World Cup.
As for Hayes, the new boss is 9-0-1 in her first 10 games with the USWNT, making an immediate impact in the team's ability to get the job done on the biggest of world stages.
Joy caffeinates USWNT's frontline
The USWNT's "Triple Espresso" frontline trio — Swanson, Sophia Smith, and Trinity Rodman — contributed at least three goals each to the USA's 12-goal Olympic tally, including a game-winner apiece in the knockout stages.
France's Marie-Antoinette Katoto finished as the tournament's leading scorer with five goals overall, followed by Swanson's four.
"I think most importantly, you’re probably hearing it, we’re playing with joy," Swanson told reporters after the match. "We’re having so much fun. I’m just so happy."
Hayes, who joined the team in May, echoed Swanson's sentiment, saying, "I'm so excited about what we can do together. It's been 75 days, baby!"
The 91st, your one-stop-shop for all things USWNT at the 2024 Paris Olympics is back and breaking down the Olympic semifinals.
The United States Women's National Team is back on top of the soccer world following a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the 2024 Olympic Gold Medal match. Hosts Jordan Angeli, Duda Pavao, and Jess McDonald breakdown Alyssa Naeher’s incredible performance, Mal Swanson’s soccer intelligence, and this team’s legacy amongst the great US squads of the past.
Later, the hosts also debate the importance of Olympic lifeguards, track tiaras, and Despicable Me socks.
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The USWNT's record remains perfect after two matches of Olympic group play, taking down Germany 4-1 on Sunday in a performance that put the rest of the field on notice.
Sophia Smith scored a brace while Mallory Swanson and substitute Lynn Williams added individual tallies to give the US their biggest win over Germany since 2010.
USWNT set to advance to Olympic knockouts
The win guarantees the USWNT a place in the quarterfinals with one group stage match still to play, a feat only mirrored by reigning world champions Spain after a wild second day of Olympic women's soccer action.
A win or a draw against Australia on Wednesday would see the US finish atop Group B, though the team's +6 goal differential could also land them in first even if they lose. Along with their goal differential, the USWNT leads the field in scoring with seven goals in their first two matches.
Rising above European soccer expectations
The US entered Sunday as a slight underdog, facing a higher-rated team in the FIFA rankings for the first time since 2015. However, the US found the back of the net first on a well-worked attacking sequence that featured a goal by Smith, an assist by Trinity Rodman, and a savvy dummy move by Swanson.
Germany then equalized on a nicely orchestrated strike from outside the box by Giulia Gwinn, but the US piled on the goals to end the half. Swanson scored on a ball deflected by German keeper Ann-Katrin Berger, and Smith benefitted from a heavy deflection just before halftime to make it 3-1.
The US managed to keep the momentum flowing through the second half, an effort punctuated by Williams's second career Olympic goal in the 89th minute.
Elsewhere in the Olympic soccer tournament
Colombia leads on goal differential in Group A after defeating New Zealand 2-0, while embattled defending gold medalists Canada kept their Olympic dreams alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over host country France.
Japan bolstered their hopes of advancing from Group C with a comeback 2-1 win over Brazil, while Spain took hold of their destiny with a 1-0 win over Nigeria.
Australia notched a four-goal comeback to win a wild match against Zambia 6-5, one that saw Zambia striker Barbra Banda become the all-time leader in Olympic women's soccer hat tricks with her third.
Who does the USWNT play next?
Next up, the US squares off against Australia on Wednesday, July 31st at 1 PM ET, with live coverage across NBC networks.
The USWNT earned a comfortable win in their opening match of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday, defeating Zambia 3-0 behind a trio of first-half goals.
Opting to keep her starting XI fairly the same as the team's send-off matches, head coach Emma Hayes's USWNT got their attack flowing early, scoring all three goals before the 26-minute mark.
Trinity Rodman opened the scoring off an assist from Lindsey Horan, before Mallory Swanson scored a brace in the span of 66 seconds, with assists by Horan and Sophia Smith. Zambia played the majority of the match a player down, as defender Pauline Zulu was shown a red card in the 34th minute for denying a clear and obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
USWNT alternate Croix Bethune now Olympics medal-eligible
The day began with a big switch, as Hayes tapped her newly sanctioned ability to temporarily activate an alternate in place of Jaedyn Shaw, who was deemed out with a lower leg injury. Recent call-up Croix Bethune took Shaw's place on the bench, becoming medal-eligible should the US take home any hardware.
If her fitness allows, Shaw will be allowed to return to the USWNT's official 18-player roster before the team's second group stage match on Sunday.
Second-half subs spotlight USWNT defense
After a knock to the ankle, Smith was subbed out of the match just before the halftime whistle blew. Rose Lavelle was also substituted at halftime, as she continues to return to full fitness following a late scratch in the team's final tune-up match.
With substitution patterns somewhat disrupting the flow of attack, US center-backs Naomi Girma and Tierna Davidson successfully fended off talented forwards Barbra Banda and Rachael Kundananji to secure the clean sheet.
Ultimately, after the USWNT's dominant first half, the front line appeared to stall, allowing the defense to take centerstage as they crossed off that crucial first step toward the knockout stages.
The USWNT’s first match of the Emma Hayes era went off with a bang as the team beat South Korea 4-0 on Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.
In the game, forward Mallory Swanson had a brace, scoring her first two goals for the US since returning from a torn patellar tendon suffered last April. Defender Tierna Davidson also found the back of the net twice, with both goals coming off set pieces.
"Thirty percent of all tournament goals are scored from (set pieces), so it was an opportunity," Hayes told reporters after the game. "I’ve seen, historically, this program be good at it. I want to return to that, so we have to excel. And for me, that demand won’t decline."
The match also saw the return of Catarina Macario to the starting lineup for the first time since 2022. Macario has slowly been returning to action following an ACL tear, and had a hand in one of Davidson’s set piece goals on Saturday.
Despite the USWNT's success, there was one glaring omission from Saturday's lineup: Alex Morgan remained on the bench, with Hayes noting that she chose to rest the decorated forward as a precaution.
"[Morgan] felt yesterday — this is an important issue to raise — maybe stretching a little bit her pelvic area," she said. "I told her yesterday I'm not going to take any risks today, because I want her to play Tuesday."
As the team looks to cut the roster down to 18 players in preparation for July's Paris Olympics, a lot will have to be decided. But with her first game as head coach in the books, Hayes is looking confidently to the future.
"I don’t feel relief. I feel re-energized," Hayes said. "I want to coach this group and they want to be coached. You can see we’re building something.
"There’s lots of work to do. There’s lots of holes in our play, no question, but it was a good start."
USWNT regulars Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson furthered their cases for Olympic inclusion with their respective club victories on Saturday and Sunday.
After a roller coaster of a week that saw former Thorns head coach Mike Norris reassigned and a flurry of last-minute roster reshufflings as Friday's trade window closure loomed, the NWSL sprung to life over the weekend with standout performances from ninth-place Portland and third-place Chicago, among others.
After her blocked attempt at goal set up a volleying sixth-minute opener from veteran Christine Sinclair — now the only player in history to record a goal in all 11 NWSL seasons — Smith swiftly netted her own in the 27th minute off a breakaway run that eluded Houston's backline. The goal represented Smith's third of the season as well as her 35th for the Thorns, ultimately leading to the home side's first win of the season in a 4-1 routing of the Dash.
But that wasn't Smith's only stat of the evening. The star forward also lapped former Chicago Red Star Sam Kerr to become the youngest player to reach 50 NWSL goal contributions across all games, chalking up 40 goals and 10 assists at the age of 23 years and 254 days.
"Obviously it feels good to get a win," said Smith in a post-match press conference. "But this is the standard the Thorns have always had. So a win is great, but a win is the expectation — we're hungrier than ever after the way we started."
170 miles up the road, Lumen Field similarly showcased some promising Olympic prospect footwork on Sunday. In Chicago's 2-1 victory over the lagging 13th-place Seattle Reign, striker Mallory Swanson racked up an impressive counterattack assist on fellow forward Ally Schlegel's fourth-minute goal. Swanson went on to find the back of the net herself before halftime, lacing an explosive ball into the top corner in the 31st minute, her second of the season after returning from a lengthy sidelining injury.
Speaking of injuries, fellow USWNT favorites Alex Morgan and Tierna Davidson were not as fortunate as their national squad teammates this weekend. Each exited their club matches early, Morgan with an ankle knock in San Diego's loss to Orlando and Davidson with an apparent hamstring incident early on in Washington's win over Gotham.
Mallory Swanson has re-signed with the Chicago Red Stars on a record-breaking deal.
The free agent will remain in Chicago on a five-year contract, which is the longest in league history. And while the terms of the deal have not been disclosed, it’s also reportedly the largest in NWSL history.
“I am excited to be back with the Red Stars! These last few years have been such a blessing in Chicago, even with the ups and downs, and I can’t wait to be back,” said Swanson in a release. “I am looking forward to getting to work and helping the team win championships. See everyone soon!”
It’s the latest in what has been a number of record-breaking signings for some of the league’s best players. Previously, Maria Sánchez had signed the largest contract in league history in December, signing a three-year contract worth nearly $1.5 million with the Houston Dash. In 2022, Trinity Rodman signed a four-year deal worth $1.4 million with the Washington Spirit.
“The Red Stars could not be more excited that Mallory Swanson has decided to extend her career with us here in Chicago,” said Chicago Red Stars president, Karen Leetzow. “Mallory exemplifies the grit, focus and resiliency of our franchise and is an anchor for this team. Mal is a born leader on and off the field and I look forward to working with her to make the Red Stars a championship team.”
There had been reports that Swanson had intended to re-sign with the Red Stars, despite receiving significant offers from other clubs. Swanson has been the Red Stars’ primary offensive asset since she signed with the club in 2021. She began 2022 as such, scoring two goals for the Red Stars early in the NWSL season before tearing her patellar tendon in April 2023.
Swanson has been back training without any brace or support on her injured knee, indicating that she may be healed and ready to play by the beginning of the NWSL season in March.
She’ll do so with a new head coach, as the team’s new ownership group opted to hire former Jamaica national team manager Lorne Donaldson. He also was president of elite youth club Real Colorado, where he helped develop Swanson and fellow USWNT star forward Sophia Smith.