The Chicago Red Stars’ New Beginning

The Chicago Red Stars finished the 2023 season dead last in the NWSL standings. Head coach Chris Petrucelli was let go days before the last game of the season, leaving assistant coach Ella Masar in charge for the interim. The front office was bare, operating without a General Manager for most of the season but amongst the ruins of the 2023 season, where the Red Stars gave up a league-leading 50 goals, there was hope. After continued revelations of scandals, and mismanagement under his ownership, former Chairman Arnim Whisler finally sold the Red Stars to Laura Ricketts and her investment group.

News of the pending sale hovered over the club like a fog all season. The impact was immediate. “It felt like a weight lifted off of us.” Alyssa Naeher said in a post-match press conference following the sale. Despite the failings of the season, players and coaches were leaving 2023 with hope.

A Front Office Overhaul

The new investment group purchased the Chicago Red Stars for 35.5 million, with an additional 24.5 million to be invested in the club directly. The team needed new executive leadership, and a vision for the future that would prevent the mistakes of the past. Who better to help that process than former U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer, Karen Leetzow.

Leetzow led U.S. Soccer through its own tumultuous period, striking an equal pay bargain with the USWNT, and commissioning the Sally Yates report after news of widespread abuse in the NWSL. It was a perfect match on paper, but Leetzow needed convincing to join the Chicago Red Stars.

Photo by Kristian Carreon/ISI Photos/Getty Images

“Laura is hard to say no to— in fact, I did say no to her at first!” Leetzow recalled in an interview. With the heavy work of the investigations in the rearview, and plans for the 2026 World Cup underway, it’s understandable why someone would want to stay in a comfortable position with the federation. “It was really Laura [Ricketts] passion for this particular team, and this project that I came out of those conversations thinking, I really want to be a part of this and see what we can do.”

Chicago offered an enticing challenge: rebuild the club’s culture and rebuild trust between the club, its players, and the community. The Red Stars organization under Arnim Whisler had cut corners on policy and procedure, (as detailed in the Sally Yates report) “This is a distressed business organization, and it’s long been neglected on many fronts.” Leetzow said. “I have a very demoralized staff that was neglected. They were under-utilized, and misunderstood.”

Changing the club’s culture was a priority for Leetzow. “When you walk into an organization of young people, who are often just starting out their careers, and that was their experience of our sport? It’s really just unacceptable.”

First, the club had important positions that needed to be filled. “I’ve never hired a head coach before. I’ve never hired a GM before.” Leetzow said. “I was looking for people who could help me build an organization that is built around excellence, transparency, and fun… I think you can win and have fun.” For a club devoid of the latter two, Leetzow would need to find a manager with the energy to match their needs.

On December 21st, the Club announced former Jamaica manager Lorne Donaldson as head coach. He led the Reggae Girlz to their best finish in last summer’s World Cup, while only conceding a single goal. “I met Laura, and Karen, and some of the people involved, and I thought this is my kind of stuff, and the ideas are aligned… let me just come give it a try.” stated Donaldson about his meeting with the new ownership.

Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

A New Vision

“Lorne has a vision of transparency… that’s one of the things I love about him.” Leetzow said of the hiring. “We have to be transparent in what we do. That’s what will build some kind of trust. At least the players will have a clear understanding of what we’re trying to do.” Lorne Donaldson explained his process.

Crafting this new team’s identity on the pitch would fall to Donaldson and new General Manager, Richard Fuez. Fuez was the latest hire of the offseason, joining the team after building Servette FCCF from scratch in Geneva, Switzerland. “In talking about a rebuild, I prefer the word Renaissance.” Fuez said, emphasizing the word’s French pronunciation. In a team rich with history, but poor on procedure and paperwork, Fuez will have to play Da Vinci, and create the processes and vision the club previously went without. “Winning comes from not only bringing the best people, the best staff, but also, bringing the process: striving to excel, and going into details… making sure we have a safe environment–not only our players, but our staff as well.”

Aside from the difficulties of building a team off the field, the roster needed an overhaul. The team lost eleven players to free agency over the last two offseasons.

Lorne Donaldson’s search for the new Red Stars came after a careful look at what the previous roster offered. “As a staff, we decided we needed players to come in with a different bite.” Donaldson said. “You know, a lot more resilience, and relentless in their play.”

Free agency brought defender Natalie Kuikka to the squad from the Portland Thorns. Draft day deals brought veterans like the tenacious midfielder Shea Groom, and defensive stalwart Sam Staab, into the organization. The draft itself yielded the NCAA National Champion LeiLanni Nesbeth. These new players injected the young Red Stars squad with a history of winning.

The Red Stars opened preseason with an ambitious 36-player roster. That number had to come down to 26 by the end of camp. “The main thing we’re looking for is consistency.” Richard Fuez said on finding the right fit for the final roster. “We wanted to take this time and give at least eight weeks to the staff to see the players on the pitch to make the decision as objective as we can.“

A preseason trip to Florida galvanized the squad. “It was a blast,” forward Ally Schlegel said “It was a huge moment in time for us because when you’re together in that environment for ten days, it’s such a different experience. We were together all the time, and I think that really helped the group bond together.”

Red Stars newcomer Sam Staab agreed. “We’re getting to know each other, and it’s nice to be able to do it our way, and figure it out.”

“Everyone meshes really well together,” said Ava Cook “We’re gonna surprise a lot of people and I’m really excited for that.”

For some players, preseason camp with Lorne Donaldson was a reunion. “He really knows how to get the best out of you.” Mal Swanson said during the team’s media day. Swanson is one of three Red Stars who are reuniting with Donaldson after playing for him for Real Colorado. Sami Feller, and Ally Schlegel are the others.

“In any sport you have structure, but you want players to express themselves.” Donaldson explained. “We don’t want to hold them back. So their creativity and individuality can come out, and they can be themselves.

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A new culture takes time to build, but Feuz had faith in the work done in preseason. “I think the identity will be clear,” he said, describing what fans might expect to see from this new squad. “Eight weeks is impossible to build a new methodology. It’s something we’re going to build together from wins, from losses, from everything that is going to happen on the pitch. Our goal is to find consistency: being a team who manages the ball, who controls the ball. and has strength in transitions.”

Donaldson echoed Fuez’s sentiments on creating a new culture within the club. “We have to move this group forward, and get something sustainable. If that comes with wins and success, then we’ll take it.”

A New Beginning

Still, Fuez stays away from making any bold promises. “Obviously it would be great if we could win a trophy,” he laughed. “But we have seen many good things…I think we are going to surprise a few teams.”

The hard work from preseason camp was on display Saturday night as the Red Stars played spoiler in the Utah Royals’ NWSL homecoming. Ally Schlegel broke free to head a Sam Staab lob for the first goal, and Ava Cook buried the loose ball after a long Maxi Rall run for the dagger for a 2-0 victory. The Red Stars appeared to be in control for most of the match, despite having less time in possession. Players pressed and challenged for the ball in ways not always seen last season.

Fans will see a new team on the pitch, but they’ll notice a few changes around the stadium on game day as well. “There are things we cannot change, like where we play, but we can change the feeling of when you arrive at a game, and how you feel about being there.” Leetzow said, teasing the new Red Stars experience. “There’s some nuggets you’ll find about the way we structure our pre-events, some of the things you’ll see on the video board, and some things you’ll hear at the event.”

It’s a welcome sight to see the club actively seek ways to improve after its scandal-ridden past. The best way forward is to acknowledge the failings of the past, and to work continuously to ensure a better future. With Karen Leetzow, Richard Fuez, and Lorne Donaldson at the helm, working in harmony, the Red Stars are re-introducing themselves to the NWSL. The club’s always been known for their grit and resilience, but with this newfound freedom and joy in their play, we could one day see the title trophy that has eluded the Chicago Red Stars all these years.