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91-809: The Chicago Red Stars ( Chicago Stars Football Club starting in 2025) are an American professional women's soccer team based in the Chicago metropolitan area that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, they have played in the NWSL since 2013. The Red Stars play their home games at SeatGeek Stadium . The Red Stars played in WPS in 2009 and 2010. After leaving WPS in December 2010 due to

182-838: A Paralympic event. The CONCACAF W Championship is a women's football competition organized by CONCACAF that often serves as the qualifying competition to the Women's World Cup and the Olympics. The CONCACAF W Gold Cup had its inaugural edition in 2024 . It featured 12 national teams (8 from the CONCACAF region, and 4 invited from the CONMEBOL region) and was won by the United States . European women's tournaments featuring national teams were held in Italy in 1969 and in 1979 as

273-586: A 2009–10 Red Stars player, was on the Waves). In 2012, the Red Stars joined the former WPS Boston Breakers and Western New York Flash to found the WPSL Elite League. Five other former WPSL teams joined the league: ASA Chesapeake Charge , F.C. Indiana , New England Mutiny , New York Fury , and Philadelphia Fever . The Red Stars finished fourth in the league, making the playoffs. They advanced to

364-754: A 5–1 scoreline. The 1939 competition was a more organised affair and the Edinburgh City Girls beat Dick, Kerr 5–2 in Edinburgh , following this up with a 7–1 demolition of Glasgow Ladies in Falkirk to take the title. The English Women's FA was formed in 1969 as a result of the increased interest generated by the 1966 World Cup . The ban in England was maintained by the FA for nearly fifty years, until January 1970. The next year, UEFA recommended that

455-496: A coach. Yates's investigation also found that Whisler neglected to run a background check on Dames before hiring him. On October 4, 2022, the day after Yates's report was released, Whisler resigned from the NWSL Board of Directors, giving up operational control of the Red Stars. On December 2, 2022, Whisler announced his intention to sell the team. On January 9, 2023, Whisler and the Red Stars were fined $ 1.5 million, and Dames

546-647: A curved marquee shape as a homage to the many theaters in Chicago, as well as the classic marquee of the Cubs' Wrigley Field stadium." During the team's membership in Women's Professional Soccer , the Chicago Red Stars played at Toyota Park. Now known as SeatGeek Stadium , it is a 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium which was the home of the Chicago Fire FC from 2006 to 2019. From 2011 to 2015, in

637-661: A final total attendance of 312,199. The first known World Cup tournaments for women's teams are the 1970 Women's World Cup in Italy and the 1971 Women's World Cup in Mexico, both of which hold attendance records and were organised by the international women's association FIEFF . Some other major tournaments were the Women's World Invitational Tournament in Taiwan (1978–1987) and the Women's Mundialito in Japan and Italy (1981–1988). FIFA effectively ignored women's football prior to

728-416: A penalty shoot-out and winning its fourth title in the competition. While a number of features continue to improve, this is not the case for female coaches. They continue to be under-represented in a number of European women's leagues. However, the popularity and participation in women's football continues to grow. In 2022, FC Barcelona had the two largest reported attendances for women's football since

819-431: A youth player Dames coached at Chicago Eclipse Select . The allegations went further, including multiple players claiming to have had a sexual relationship with Dames when they played for him at Eclipse. An accuser claimed that sex "felt almost expected". The verbal abuse also included constant name-calling. Dames' role in the founding of Elite Clubs National League , an elite group of youth soccer clubs of which he sat on

910-497: Is a competition for women's national football teams governed by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). India won the first 5 editions, beating Nepal four times and Bangladesh once in the final. Bangladesh is the current champion having defeated Nepal by 3–1 goals on 19 September 2022 in the final. The OFC Women's Nations Cup is a women's football tournament for national teams who belong to

1001-491: Is an international women's football competition held every two years and sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It was first contested in 1991, but was not held biennially until 1998. Nigeria is the most successful nation in the tournament's history with 11 titles. The CAF Women's Champions League is an international competition that involves the top women's club teams from countries affiliated with

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1092-563: Is with Paris Saint-Germain , with matches between the two teams sometimes referred as the "Classique féminin". Paris is OL's main contender for national titles, as they finished in second place of D1 Féminine seven times. Lyon had never lost the D1 title to PSG until 2021 when PSG finished ahead of Lyon, and won five Coupe de France finals against Paris. In 2017 both teams reached the Champions League final, with Lyon beating Paris after

1183-500: The 1893 World's Fair , and the 1933 World's Fair . Other names considered were Progress, Towers , Union, Blues , 1871 , and Wind . "Red Stars" was chosen by popular vote in a two-month fan poll. The Red Stars won their first game of the season, 1–0, at Saint Louis Athletica . They followed with two ties (1–1 at Washington Freedom and 0–0 hosting Sky Blue FC) and a 4–0 shutout of the Boston Breakers at Toyota Park. This

1274-532: The 1970 Women's World Cup in Italy, supported by the Martini & Rossi strong wine manufacturers, and entirely without the involvement of FIFA . This event was at least partly played by clubs and won by Denmark. A second edition, the 1971 Women's World Cup , was hosted by Mexico the following year. The final, also won by Denmark, was played at Estadio Azteca , the largest stadium in North America at

1365-590: The 1971 Women's World Cup final between Mexico and Denmark (110,000) at the Azteca Stadium , when they played Real Madrid (91,553) and Wolfsburg (91,648) at Camp Nou for the 2021–22 UEFA Women's Champions League . In April 2024, the 2023–24 A-League Women season set the record for the most attended season of any women's sport in Australian history, with the season recording a total attendance of 284,551 on 15 April 2024, and finishing with

1456-467: The 1999 final on penalties against China (with a competition-record crowd of over 90,000 in Pasadena ). Germany won consecutive world titles in 2003 and 2007, winning finals against Sweden and Brazil respectively. Japan became champions in 2011 , the country's first senior football world championship. The United States won the tournament again in 2015 and 2019 . Spain won the tournament for

1547-533: The 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft . The Red Stars also traded 2021 Iron women Sarah Gorden and the rights to USWNT player Julie Ertz to Angel City FC for expansion draft protection. The Red Stars also traded Nikki Stanton to OL Reign and backup goalkeeper Cassie Miller to Kansas City Current . The Red Stars drafted five players in the 2022 NWSL Draft and rostered three of the five: Ava Cook , Sammi Fisher and Sarah Griffith . The Red Stars welcomed back Yuki Nagasato from Louisville. Additionally, Kealia Watt

1638-655: The Laws of the Game , are used for both women's and men's football. After the "first golden age" of women's football occurred in the United Kingdom in the 1920s, with one match attracting over 50,000 spectators, The Football Association instituted a ban from 1921 to 1970 in England that disallowed women's football on the grounds used by its member clubs. In many other nations, female footballers faced similarly hostile treatment and bans by male-dominated organisations. In

1729-714: The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was launched with initial support from the soccer federations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In 2017, Liga MX Femenil was launched in Mexico and broke several attendance records. The league is composed of women's teams of the men's counterpart teams in Liga MX . On 20 March 2024, the league in collaboration with the NWSL , announced a new international competition named Summer Cup . This competition will feature six teams from Liga MX Femenil that will compete against teams from

1820-605: The North Carolina Courage in Cary with a goal in the 89th minute. For the team's tenth season and sixth in the NWSL, the team qualified for the fourth consecutive year for the playoffs and lost 2–0 in the semifinal to the North Carolina Courage. The Red Stars made the finals for the first time in NWSL history, clinching their fifth consecutive playoff spot on September 21, 2019, after defeating

1911-561: The Northwestern University women's soccer team and the Women's United Soccer Association 's Carolina Courage , was named as the Red Stars' general manager. On June 3, 2008, the "Red Stars" name was announced at a Toyota Park ceremony. The name refers to the four six-pointed red stars on the flag of Chicago . Each star represents a landmark event in Chicago history: Fort Dearborn , the Great Chicago Fire ,

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2002-692: The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). The competition has served as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women's World Cup since 1991. After the lifting of the FA ban, the Women's Football Association held its first national knockout tournament , the 1970–71 WFA Cup . Southampton Women's F.C. was the inaugural winner and became the Cup-winner eight times. From 1983 to 1994, Doncaster Belles reached ten out of eleven finals, winning six of them. As of 2023, Chelsea are

2093-520: The UEFA Women's Championship was then dominated by Germany , who won eight titles, including six in a row from 1995 to 2013. The only other teams to win, as of 2022, are Norway in 1993 , the Netherlands at home in 2017 , and England at home in 2022 . The UEFA Women's Champions League is an international competition that involves the top women's club teams from countries affiliated with

2184-812: The Women's Premier Soccer League , Women's Premier Soccer League Elite league and National Women's Soccer League , the Red Stars played at the 3,000-seat Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex . During the club's 2012 WPSL Elite season, some matches were played at the Concordia University Chicago Athletic Complex in River Forest, Illinois and the Lakeside Athletic Field at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois due to renovation at Benedictine University. In December 2015,

2275-803: The Xtreme Soccer League and the third version of the MISL . The team is currently a member of the Major Arena Soccer League . Milwaukee also hosted the 2003 and 2006 MISL II All-Star Games. Keith Tozer was the team's coach for 21 years before leaving to become United States national futsal team head coach. While with the Wave, he was the all-time winningest coach in North American indoor soccer, with six league championships and more than 700 wins. The Wave played in

2366-608: The 1970s, international women's football tournaments were extremely popular, and the oldest surviving continental championship was founded, the AFC Women's Asian Cup . However, a woman did not speak at the FIFA Congress until 1986 ( Ellen Wille ). The FIFA Women's World Cup was first held in China in 1991 and has since become a major television event in many countries. Women may have been playing football for as long as

2457-535: The 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament in China. FIFA's first officially-recognised women's international match is France–Netherlands (1971), albeit a retroactive recognition decided in 2003 . The first FIFA Women's World Cup was held in China in November 1991 and won by the United States . The runners-up, Norway , became the 1995 champions, beating Germany in that final, in Sweden. The United States won

2548-533: The 2014–15 season began, the Wave replaced their traditional green artificial turf with a black turf to match the team's colors and marketing strategy. Reception by fans and the press was mixed but generally positive. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. * Regular season ended early due to

2639-401: The 2024–25 offseason. In 2006, it was announced that Chicago would field a team in a new women's professional soccer league. The team joined six others ( Washington Freedom , Boston Breakers , Los Angeles Sol , FC Gold Pride , Sky Blue FC , and Saint Louis Athletica ) in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) for the league's inaugural season in 2009. Marcia McDermott , former head coach of

2730-706: The African governing body CAF . The AFC Women's Asian Cup is a quadrennial competition in women's football for national teams which belong to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It is the oldest women's international football competition and premier women's football competition in the AFC region for national teams. The SAFF Women's Championship , also called the South Asian Football Federation Women's Cup ,

2821-463: The Best XI while Tatumn Milazzo was named to the 2nd Best XI. The Red Stars finished the year with a record of 11W, 8D and 10L. The club's original primary logo combined two Chicago images; the shape of the shield is taken from its equivalent in Chicago's city seal. The colors, stripes, and stars in the logo are inspired by the symbolism of Chicago's municipal flag, with the blue stripes representing

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2912-537: The Board of Directors, and his role with the Chicago Red Stars and NWSL , played a role in players not speaking up, according to accusers. Players and parents were afraid Dames "could ruin the chance at a scholarship or a spot in the professional league" if they spoke up. An accuser said that "the monopoly over Chicago soccer, our belief that his connection to the college world was the only connection we would have — he used all of that to get away with doing and saying whatever

3003-536: The Chicago Red Stars announced their return to Toyota Park for their 2016 NWSL home games. FC Indiana owners Gary Weaver, Dale Weaver, and Shek Borkowski began the idea for what started as "Chicago Professional Women’s Soccer” and evidentially became the Chicago Red Stars. The FC Indiana owners brought in Peter Wilt to lead their efforts in establishing the team, and they assembled a broad ownership group. The Chicago Professional Women's Soccer investor group owned

3094-549: The European Competition for Women's Football . They were not recognized as "official" by UEFA, which opposed women's football until the 1970s. The UEFA championship began in 1984 under the name European Competition For Representative Women's Teams . Now, it is also commonly referred to as the UEFA Women's Euro. The 1984 tournament was won by Sweden . Norway won the 1987 edition. Between 1987 and 2013,

3185-611: The European governing body UEFA . The Copa América Femenina is the main competition in women's football between national teams that are affiliated with CONMEBOL . The Copa Libertadores Femenina , formally the CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina , is the international club competition for women's teams that play in the CONMEBOL region. The competition started in 2009 in response to the increased interest in women's football. The Women's Africa Cup of Nations

3276-422: The FA stating that "the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged." Players and football writers have argued that this ban was due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted, and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game. Dick, Kerr Ladies player Alice Barlow said, "we could only put it down to jealousy. We were more popular than

3367-532: The NWSL. The inaugural edition is scheduled to kick-off in July 2024. A 2014 FIFA report stated that at the beginning of the 21st century, women's football was growing in both popularity and participation, and more professional leagues were being launched worldwide. From the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup tournament held in 1991 to the 1,194,221 tickets sold for the 1999 Women's World Cup , visibility and support of women's professional football had increased around

3458-542: The Red Stars announced further additions to the club's ownership group, including Aimee Garcia , Josh Dixon, Bela Bajaria , Channing Dungey and spouse Scott Power, Keli Lee, Devin Johnson and daughter Carys Johnson, Ken Kaufman, Nora Mabie, Kim Vender Moffat, Stephen Moffat, Todd Vender, Nick Coleman, Jon Moonves, Jim Allen, Graham Allen, and Kirk Allen. On August 18, 2022, the NWSL announced that it had hired Haddon as chief marketing officer, and that Haddon had divested from

3549-707: The Red Stars announced that head coach Rory Dames had resigned effective immediately. Later that day, The Washington Post sports reporter Molly Hensley-Clancy reported that prior to resigning, The Post had approached the Red Stars Front Office with allegations from players, both previous and current, of abuse by Dames. The Post also provided documentation of reports made to United States Soccer Federation by players such as Christen Press as far back as 2014, detailing abuse, harassment, and inappropriate use of his power as head coach to manipulate players. “Three former Red Stars players, including one who played on

3640-405: The Red Stars finished 6th to clinch the final playoff spot and move on for the 7th consecutive season. This was decided after a 2–0 victory over Angel City FC. In the playoffs, the Red Stars traveled to San Diego and lost 2–1 in extra time after Alex Morgan scored her 16th goal of the regular season. Mallory Pugh finished as the team's leader in scoring (11 goals) and assists (6). She was named to

3731-697: The Red Stars from 2009 to 2010, during the team's membership in Women's Professional Soccer . The team's 2009 management group was Gary Weaver, Jim Willett, Arnim Whisler, and Peter Wilt. The teams's 2010 management group was Gary Weaver, Jim Willett, and Arnim Whisler. The Illinois Women's Soccer League (IWSL) was a partner. In addition to the IWSL, the team ownership included shareholders John (Jack) Cummins, Robert and Susan Morrison, Jim and Kathi Willett, Dale Weaver, Gary Weaver, Pin Ni, Dong Li, Arnim Whisler, Dean Egerter, Stephen Ritchie and Peter Wilt . Arnim Whisler took over

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3822-400: The Red Stars prior to taking the job. On October 10, 2022, Red Stars players called on Whisler to sell the club. The letter followed the publication of reports of his role in the 2021 NWSL abuse scandal . Whisler announced on December 5 that he would sell the team, and that investment bank Inner Circle Sports would facilitate the sale. On September 1, 2023, Whisler and all minority owners of

3913-466: The Red Stars received Shannon Boxx , Amy LePeilbet , and Keelin Winters ; only Boxx had limited playing time that season. The Red Stars began the season with two draws and four losses. The mid-season arrival of Germans Sonja Fuss and Inka Grings revived the team somewhat, but not enough to qualify for the playoffs. The Red Stars played 22 matches with eight wins, six draws, and eight losses to finish

4004-530: The Red Stars sold their stakes to an investment group led by Laura Ricketts and including Angela E.L. Barnes, Traci P. Beck, Pittsburgh Penguins partner Debra Cafaro , Laura Desmond, Sidney Dillard, Megan Murphy, Editha Paras, Jennifer Pritzker , Hilary Rosen , Jessica Droste Yagan, Tom O'Reilly, and the Engelhardt family. The transaction valued the team at $ 35.5 million and included an additional $ 25 million in investment into club operations. It

4095-552: The Red Stars' 2010 squad. The team was coached by Chicago native Rory Dames, and continued their activity in the Chicago soccer community through their soccer camps. The Red Stars finished the regular season with a 10–1 record, hosting the playoff semifinals and championship matches. Defeating Tampa Bay Hellenic 2–1 in their semifinal, they lost in overtime by the same score in the final to the Orange County Waves (another WPSL team with WPS connections; Brittany Klein,

4186-575: The Washington Spirit 3–1. Forward Sam Kerr scored her 18th goal of the season in that game, breaking the record for goals scored in an NWSL season which she had set with Sky Blue FC in 2017. The Red Stars defeated the Portland Thorns 1–0 in a semifinal home game, and lost 4–0 to the North Carolina Courage in the final. Their season record was 14 wins, two draws, and eight losses. Chicago ended their season in fourth place, becoming

4277-483: The Women's National Football League. The Indian Women's League was launched in 2016. The country has held the top-tier tournament, Indian Women's Football Championship , since 1991. In 1985, the United States women's national soccer team was formed. Following the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup , the first professional women's soccer league in the United States, the WUSA , was launched and lasted three years. The league

4368-642: The club's September 25 match against Portland Thorns FC on WXFT-DT and WRTO AM . On November 22, 2021, The Washington Post published an article with allegations from players, both previous and current, of abuse by head coach Rory Dames. The Post provided documentation of reports made to the United States Soccer Federation by players, including Christen Press , as far back as 2014, detailing abuse, harassment, and inappropriate use of power as head coach to manipulate players. "Three former Red Stars players, including one who played on

4459-406: The club's financial issues, the club joined the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) for the 2011 season. In 2012, the Red Stars co-founded and played in Women's Premier Soccer League Elite (WPSL-E): a one-year league which bridged the WPS and the NWSL. The club became a founding member of the NWSL, which was financially supported by U.S. Soccer , in 2012. In October 2022, they held the record for

4550-454: The final, where they lost to the Flash in a 2–4 penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw at the end of extra time. Red Stars Ella Masar and Lori Chalupny were injured on the same play in the 33rd minute. WNY scored the equalizer in regulation with a 40-yard goal in the 97th minute to reach overtime. The Red Stars won the 2012 National Women's Cup with half their roster, since the cup final was played at

4641-509: The first competition in the spring of 1922. The winners were Stoke Ladies who beat Doncaster and Bentley Ladies 3–1 on 24 June 1922. In 1937, the Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. , who had lost to Scotland's Rutherglen Ladies in 1923 but continued to be proclaimed as "world champions", played the Edinburgh City Girls in the "Championship of Great Britain and the World". Dick, Kerr won the competition with

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4732-427: The first recorded "national" women's football event, known as the "Kartini Cup", took place in 1981. The competition was held on an amateur level. Later competitions were also held in an amateur and semi-professional level, including the 1982 appearance of the first women's league, Galanita. The Pertiwi Cup , which drew contestants from throughout all of Indonesia, was first played in 2006. The first professional league

4823-814: The first round proper getting more than the women's winners. Milwaukee Wave The team plays their games at the UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena . The team colors are black and yellow. The team has won 7 league championships in their history, three in the NPSL, three in the MISL, and one in the MASL. The team was founded on August 3, 1984, as a member of the American Indoor Soccer Association and played in every season and incarnation of that league (see MISL ). They have also played in

4914-403: The first season of the Xtreme Soccer League in the 2008 – 2009 season, but moved to the new Major Indoor Soccer League for the 2009–2010 season. After the 2013–2014 season, the team announced that it was leaving the MISL along with five other teams and join the MASL. In 2014 the ownership group ROC Ventures, headed by Mike Zimmerman, became a partner in the team's ownership. Just before

5005-534: The first team in the NWSL to make the playoffs for six consecutive seasons. At the end of the regular season, the Red Stars named defender Sarah Gorden the team's first Iron Woman, an honor awarded for playing every minute of the season. The Red Stars faced the Washington Spirit at the NWSL Championship, held in Louisville, but lost 2–1 on overtime. On Monday, November 22, 2021, just after midnight,

5096-404: The first time in 2023 . Since Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament , a Women's Football Tournament has been staged at the Olympic Games . Unlike in the men's Olympic Football tournament (based on teams of mostly under-23 players), the Olympic women's teams do not have restrictions on professionalism or age. The participation of Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic tournament

5187-436: The first women's international matches against a French XI team in 1920, and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0. Despite being more popular than some men's football events (one match saw a 53,000 strong crowd), women's football in England was halted in December 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches,

5278-410: The game has existed. Evidence shows that a similar game ( cuju , also known as tsu chu ) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu . Annual matches being played in Midlothian , Scotland, are reported as early as the 1790s. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardized rules to prohibit violence on

5369-509: The globe. However, as in some other sports, women's pay and opportunities are lower in comparison with professional male football players. Both national and international women's football have far less television and media coverage than the men's equivalent, but also generally have far lower average attendances. This discrepancy is on-going, while research indicates some viewers are not even able to distinguish between professional women's and men's football. Olympique Lyonnais main rivalry

5460-513: The hell he wanted to us." Initially, Arnim Whisler, the owner and chairman of the Red Stars, denied any knowledge of or complicity in Dames's abuse, claiming that "I have always strived to ensure that everyone hired in our environment is of high character and shares our positive values." However, an investigation by former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates revealed that not only had Whisler known about Dames's abusive behavior for years, but he had chosen to ignore it, given Dames's successful record as

5551-420: The late arrival of international stars, at the end of May the team had six wins, one draw, and two losses; its performance was aided by rookies Julie Johnston , Vanessa DiBernardo , Hayley Brock , young players Jen Hoy , Rachel Quon , veterans Lori Chalupny and Michelle Wenino , and goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc . With a mid-season slump (one win in 11 matches during June and July), the team did not qualify for

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5642-489: The league's funding requirements for the 2011 season; the league folded in 2011 for financial and legal reasons. The Red Stars joined the Women's Premier Soccer League in 2011. They played their home games at Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex , in west-suburban Chicago. The roster consisted of players from the women's national team U-20 and U-23 pools and collegiate players. The first players announced included three with WPS experience, including two from

5733-494: The longest active playoff streak (2015–2022) in the NWSL. It was announced on August 15, 2023 that a group of Chicago business leaders led by Laura Ricketts had agreed in principle to purchase the Chicago Red Stars. On September 1, 2023, it was announced that the club had been acquired for $ 60 million by the group led by Ricketts. On October 23, 2024 the team announced a name change to "Chicago Stars Football Club", dropping "Red" and adding "Football Club", to take effect during

5824-507: The men and our bigger gates were for charity". Despite the ban, some women's teams continued to play. The Northern Rugby Union did not follow the FA ban, so the short-lived English Ladies Football Association (1921–1922) played some of its matches at rugby grounds. In other countries, women's football was further debilitated by nationwide bans which often resembled the English FA's measures. The German Football Association banned women's football from 1955 until 1970. Women's football

5915-478: The national associations in each country should manage the women's game. In 2002, Lily Parr of Dick Kerr's Ladies was the first woman to be inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame. She was later honoured with a statue in front of the museum. It was not until 2008 (87 years later), that the FA issued an apology for banning women from the game of football. In 1970, the Torino-based Federation of Independent European Female Football (FIEFF) ran

6006-449: The national team were training for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup during weeks five and six. Rookie Sofia Huerta scored multiple goals in two matches, and was named the NWSL Player of the Week for weeks five and six and the May NWSL Player of the Month . The team was in first place from week four to week 13 of the regular season, ultimately finishing second. In the playoffs, they lost the semi-final to FC Kansas City . The team ended

6097-424: The pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play. The first match of an international character took place in 1881 at Hibernian Park in Edinburgh , part of a tour by Scotland and England teams. The Scottish Football Association recorded a women's match in 1892. The British Ladies' Football Club was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. Honeyball and those like her paved

6188-426: The playoffs and ending the season in sixth place. The Red Stars finished second in league attendance in 2009, behind the LA Sol. Agreeing to see the Red Stars through their first season, Peter Wilt stepped down as CEO at the end of 2009 to become general manager of the Milwaukee Wave (his hometown NISL team). General manager Marcia McDermott assumed many of Wilt's responsibilities, although he continued to support

6279-441: The playoffs and was edged out by head-to-head results with the Washington Spirit . The Red Stars began the 2015 season with three home games: a 3–2 win over the previous season's Supporting Shield winner Seattle Reign FC , a 2–2 draw with Portland Thorns FC , and a 1–0 win against Sky Blue FC. Christen Press scored four of the club's first five goals, and was named the April Player of the Month . Red Stars who were also members of

6370-409: The regular season in third place, and advanced to the playoffs. They played the semi-final at Boyds, Maryland against the Washington Spirit on September 30, losing 2–1. The Red Stars returned to Toyota Park for home games for the first time since their 2010 WPS season. For the third consecutive season, the Red Stars made the post-season playoffs. They were eliminated in the semi-final, losing 1–0 to

6461-483: The same time as their final WPSL Elite regular-season match against the eventual third-place New York Fury . In November 2012, the Red Stars co-founded and was one of the original eight teams in a yet-to-be-named women's professional soccer league in concert with United States Soccer Federation , the Canadian Soccer Association , and the Mexican Football Federation . The league began competition in spring 2013. All NWSL teams received an allocation of USWNT players, and

6552-506: The season in sixth place. In 2014, the Red Stars finished in fifth place. The club was waiting for United States international player Christen Press to join after completing her commitment to a European club, and the Canadian international player Melissa Tancredi to gain full fitness after college. The team signed two other internationals, Abby Erceg and Emily van Egmond , in May. Despite

6643-797: The team after the 2010 season, and continued to operate it for the 2011 season in the WPSL while helping to reorganize the WPS. Whisler remained its sole owner until 2021. On March 1, 2021, the Red Stars announced a new ownership group led by co-founder (and majority owner) Arnim Whisler and his family. In addition to Whisler, the ownership group is led by founding members Dean Egerter and Steve Ritchie and includes additional members Jessie Becker, Julie Haddon, Israel Idonije , Jordan Levin , Abel Lezcano, Colleen Mares, Michael Raimondi, Kendall Coyne Schofield , Michael Schofield , Sarah Spain , Marie Tillman, Brian Walsh, Kevin Willer, and David M. Zapata. On May 4, 2021,

6734-477: The team at the time of the investigation, told The Post that they had wanted to speak to U.S. Soccer investigators but had never heard from them," reported Molly Hensley-Clancy. "Two had left the team because of Dames's abuse, they said." In February 2022, the Washington Post published a follow-up story reporting claims of misconduct dating back to the late 1990s, including a 1998 police report involving

6825-433: The team at the time of the investigation, told The Post that they had wanted to speak to U.S. Soccer investigators but had never heard from them,” reported Hensley-Clancy. “Two had left the team because of Dames's abuse, they said.” A busy offseason saw the Red Stars trade Makenzy Doniak , Katie Johnson and 2021 college draftee Kelsey Turnbow who never played in a Red Stars uniform to San Diego Wave FC for protection in

6916-591: The team on the league's board of governors and as president of the Chicago Red Stars Charitable Foundation. The Red Stars began their second season with high hopes and new faces. They lost their first game at Sky Blue FC 1–0, after dominating much of the game. A 1–1 home tie in their second game earned the Stars their first point of the season. After a successful season, the team left WPS on December 13 because they were unable to meet

7007-470: The time of the First World War , female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men fifty years earlier. A team from England played a team from Ireland on Boxing Day 1917 in front of a crowd of 20,000 spectators. The Irish side of this match was dramatised in the play Rough Girls in 2021. Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England played in one of

7098-510: The time, in front of crowds estimated at 110,000 or 112,500 attendees. During the 1970s, Italy became the first country to have professional women's football players on a part-time basis. Italy was also the first country to import foreign footballers from other European countries, which raised the profile of the league. Players during that era included Susanne Augustesen (Denmark), Rose Reilly and Edna Neillis (Scotland), Anne O'Brien (Ireland) and Concepcion Sánchez Freire (Spain). Sweden

7189-482: The title holders and Arsenal are the club with a record 14 wins. Despite tournament sponsorship by some companies, entering the cup actually costs clubs more than they get in prize money. In 2015, it was reported that even if Notts County were to win the tournament, the £8,600 winnings would leave them out of pocket. The winners of the Men's FA Cup in the same year received £1.8 million, with teams that did not even reach

7280-464: The two branches of the Chicago River . In 2017, the club's primary and secondary logos were updated with a design created by Julie Rochelle. In October 2024, the team announced they would be adopting a new crest and colors in conjunction with the change in team name to "Chicago Stars Football Club". The new crest has only one red star instead of four, includes two shades of blue, and "includes

7371-490: The way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations, and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of the game. In August 1917, a tournament was launched for female munition workers' teams in north-east England. Officially titled the "Tyne Wear & Tees Alfred Wood Munition Girls Cup", it

7462-420: Was a bone of contention because England and other British Home Nations are not eligible to compete as separate entities. Eventually, both the women's and men's Great Britain teams fielded some players from the other home nations, but without their associations' active support. Although there are women's teams of blind football (5-a-side) and cerebral palsy football (7-a-side), women's football has never been

7553-607: Was also banned in France from 1941 to 1970. In Brazil, the Vargas regime and the military dictatorship legally prohibited women and girls from playing football from 1941 to 1979. Following the FA ban on women's teams on 5 December 1921, the English Ladies' Football Association was formed, with 58 affiliated clubs. A silver cup was donated by the first president of the association, Len Bridgett. A total of 23 teams entered

7644-563: Was also known as "The Munitionettes' Cup". The first winners of the trophy were Blyth Spartans , who defeated Bolckow Vaughan 5–0 in a replayed final tie at Middlesbrough on 18 May 1918 in front of a crowd of 22,000. The tournament ran for a second year in season 1918–19, the winners being the ladies of Palmer's shipyard in Jarrow , who defeated Christopher Brown's of Hartlepool 1–0 at St James' Park in Newcastle on 22 March 1919. At

7735-415: Was announced on April 17, 2019 that NBC Sports Chicago would be the Red Stars' new regional broadcaster, televising all regular-season matches (beginning with their second match of the 2019 season). Seven 2019 matches were scheduled to be carried on its overflow channel, NBC Sports Chicago Plus. On August 23, 2021, the Red Stars announced that Univision Chicago would simulcast Spanish-language coverage of

7826-515: Was banned from ever coaching in the NWSL again. Bold denotes active players. Former members of the team who have represented a senior national team are: Women%27s association football Women's association football , more commonly known as women's football or women's soccer , is the team sport of association football played by women . It is played at the professional level in multiple countries , and 187 national teams participate internationally . The same rules, known as

7917-544: Was coming off of an ACL injury, and later announced she was pregnant, Sarah Woldmoe was pregnant and it seemed like it would be a long season for the Red Stars. The new head coach was announced as Chris Petrucelli . In the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup the Red Stars finished 2nd in the Central Division behind the Kansas City Current and did not move on. In the 2022 National Women's Soccer League season

8008-524: Was held in 2019 under the name Liga 1 Putri . In Australia, the W-League, now known as A-League Women , was formed in 2008. In 2015, the Chinese Women's Super League (CWSL) was launched with an affiliated second division, CWFL. Previously, The Chinese Women's Premier Football League was initiated in 1997 and evolved to the Women's Super League in 2004. From 2011 to 2014, the league was named

8099-485: Was spearheaded by members of the World Cup-winning American team and featured players like Mia Hamm , Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain , as well as top-tier international players like Germany's Birgit Prinz and China's Sun Wen . A second attempt towards a sustainable professional league, the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), was launched in 2009 and folded in late 2011. The following year,

8190-544: Was the best starting record of any team in the league except season champions Los Angeles Sol , seeming to live up to preseason predictions. The team was then winless for its next nine games (with three away draws), including a 451-minute scoring drought. The Washington Freedom , scored first in their next game, indicating that the streak would continue. However, the Red Stars came from behind to win 2–1. They defeated last-place FC Gold Pride 3–1 in their next game before losing four of their last five games, eliminating them from

8281-653: Was the first to introduce a professional women's domestic league in 1988, the Damallsvenskan . In 1989, Japan became the first country to have a semi-professional women's football league, the L. League – still in existence today as Division 1 of the Nadeshiko League . In 2020, Japan established the first-ever women's professional league in Asia, the WE League , which started on fall 2021. In Indonesia,

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