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60-671: The Chicago Fire entered Major League Soccer as an expansion team in 1998, playing its first four seasons at Soldier Field in Chicago, which they shared with the National Football League (NFL)'s Chicago Bears . Beginning in 2002, the club moved to Cardinal Stadium (now Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium ) in Naperville for two seasons while Soldier Field was renovated, leading to calls for a soccer-specific venue . The Fire received several bids before announcing Bridgeview as

120-525: A brick facade and stone entry archway, and first rows placed fewer than three yards from the field. It includes 42 executive suites, six larger party suites, the Illinois Soccer Hall of Fame, and the Fire club offices, as well as a large stadium club/banquet room measuring over 9,000 square feet (840 m). A practice facility with two fields (one natural grass; the other artificial turf) for

180-474: A closed franchise system of league membership. The term refers to the expansion of the sport into new areas. The addition of an expansion team sometimes results in the payment of an expansion fee to the league by the new team and an expansion draft to populate the new roster. In North America, expansion often takes place in response to population growth and geographic shifts of population. Such demographic change results in financial opportunities to engage with

240-593: A defeat against Germany; all four goals for the team came from Carolina Morace. Italy advanced to the quarter-finals, where they were defeated by Norway 3–2 after extra time. The 1993 European Championship was hosted in Italy. After defeating England in the final play-off match, Italy overcame Germany in the semi-finals after a penalty shoot-out . In the final, played at the Manuzzi Stadium in Cesena , Italy

300-453: A generous expansion draft, the team defied all odds and advanced to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals in their first year of existence, and later won the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals in just their sixth season. The National Football League (NFL), despite being considered the most generous in its revenue sharing and the strictest with its salary cap, has had far more difficulty bringing expansion teams up to par with their more established brethren. Of

360-545: A policy that the league as of 2017 has no intention of stopping. Cities and regions with large populations that lack a team are generally regarded to be the best candidates for new teams. In rugby league , the United Kingdom-based Rugby Football League 's Super League has added teams from France and Wales to cover a great demographic spread. The operator of Super League, England's Rugby Football League , has also added teams to

420-495: A potential franchise in the UK , with a target date some time in the early to mid-2020s. When an expansion team begins play, it is generally stocked with less talented free agents , inexperienced players, and veterans nearing retirement. Additionally, prospective owners may face expensive fees to the league as well as high startup costs such as stadiums and facilities. The team is also at a disadvantage in that it has not been together as

480-537: A team as long as its opponents and thus lacks the cohesiveness other teams have built over years. As a result, most expansion teams are known for their poor play during their first seasons. Expansion teams must also compete with any expansion rivals for available talent, a common problem since leagues often expand by two or four teams in one season. Expansion teams are not necessarily doomed to mediocrity, however, as most leagues have policies which promote parity, such as drafts and salary caps, which give some expansion teams

540-468: A team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also hope that the expansion of their competition will grow the popularity of the sport generally. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues but is applied to sports leagues in other countries with

600-511: Is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for football in Italy. Formed in 1968, Italy took part in various unofficial international tournaments, hosting the first unofficial European Competition in 1969 and World Cup in 1970. Italy qualified for both the first World Cup in 1991, where they reached the quarter-finals, and the first European Championship. While Italy were runners-up in

660-453: Is currently operated by Spectra . In July 2016, two large-scale murals were designed and painted by artist Tony Passero on the east and west walls of the stadium's stage suites. The murals measure 14 feet high by 27 feet in length, and are named "Offense" and "Defense". On November 27, 2010, SeatGeek Stadium was the venue for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification match between USA and Italy ; USA defeated Italy 1–0 and advanced to

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720-615: Is done so that the history of the team stays with the original city, to be assumed a few years later by a revival of the franchise after a period of inactivity. The league expands in the season corresponding to the original franchise's revival, and holds an expansion draft for the revived franchise. For examples, see the notes below on the NFL 's Baltimore Ravens (relocated in 1996 from the Cleveland Browns , which were revived in 1999), NBA 's New Orleans Pelicans (relocated in 2002 from

780-482: Is not an expansion team. If it moves, it is known as a relocated team , and if the name changes, the team is known as a renamed team . Relocated teams may change their name, colors, and mascot at the same time as the move; however, because the roster is the same and the league does not expand as a result, they are not regarded as expansion teams. A handful of franchise relocations are officially recognized by their respective leagues as creation of expansion franchises; this

840-724: The 1969 draft and acquiring Oscar Robertson from the Cincinnati Royals before the 1970–71 season began. In the NHL, the Florida Panthers made the Stanley Cup Finals in their third season even though, like MLB, the league then had no salary cap; a cap was established in 2005. However, the Vegas Golden Knights quickly emerged as one of the NHL's best teams in its first season. Thanks to

900-469: The 2009 edition , with Italy defeating both England and Russia , advancing to the knock-out stage as second-placed in the group behind Sweden who had defeated them. In the quarter-finals, Italy faced Germany, where they lost 2–1; Germany would ultimately win their seventh continental title. Having failed to qualify for the 2003 and 2007 editions of the World Cup, Italy also failed to qualify for

960-569: The 2011 edition in the intercontinental two-legged play-off between UEFA and CONCACAF . The United States won the first leg 1–0 in Padua with a goal by Alex Morgan in the fourth minute of added time, while they also won the second leg by a score of 1–0 in Bridgeview with a goal by Amy Rodriguez in the first half. Italy qualified for the 2013 European Championship in Sweden by winning

1020-536: The 2015 World Championship : despite eight victories out of ten games, including two record victories against Macedonia (11–0 and 15–0), they finished in second place in Group 2 behind Spain, sending Italy to the play-offs. In the first round of the play-offs, Italy defeated Ukraine 4–3 on aggregate, but were defeated by the Netherlands 3–2 on aggregate in the final round of the play-offs. Italy qualified for

1080-473: The 2017 European Championship second in its group behind Switzerland . At the European Championship, Italy finished in last place in Group B behind Germany, Sweden and Russia, despite the victory in the third game against Sweden. On 8 June 2018, twenty years since their last participation, Italy qualified for the 2019 FIFA World Cup , winning its qualifying group with a game in hand. In

1140-783: The Charlotte Hornets , which were revived in 2004 and were initially named the Charlotte Bobcats), and NHL 's Utah Hockey Club (relocated from the Arizona Coyotes in 2024, revival of the Coyotes expected in 2029). The National League had an eight-team lineup established in 1900, mirrored by the eight charter franchises of the American League in 1901. This list enumerates franchises added since this "Classic Eight" era. Eight charter franchises of

1200-585: The European Championship in 1993 and 1997 , they are yet to replicate similar success at the World Cup . In 2019 , after a 20-year drought, Italy qualified for the World Cup where they equaled their previous best performance, reaching the quarter-finals. The women's national team played its first game on 23 February 1968, in Viareggio against Czechoslovakia . However, the national team

1260-549: The European Competition , winning Group 4 of the qualifiers . In the final stage organized in Norway, Italy were defeated in the semi-final against the host nation , but achieved third place by defeating England, with goals by Carolina Morace and Elisabetta Vignotto . Italy were also confirmed in the 1989 edition , having passed the qualifying phase with a play-off win against France . Italy finished fourth in

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1320-559: The Los Angeles Sparks , New York Liberty , Phoenix Mercury , and Utah Starzz (now Las Vegas Aces ). AFL Women's, launched in 2017 with 8 teams, is operated by the Australian Football League, with all teams fielded by AFL clubs. The league expanded to 10 teams prior to the 2019 season and 14 prior to the 2020 season. In 2023, the remaining four AFL clubs launched women's sides. Originally known as

1380-575: The NISA announced that they had selected SeatGeek Stadium as their home. Nevertheless, in 2022 , because of Soldier Field availability, the Fire played late-season matches at the stadium and may still play other matches there in future seasons while it solves its Chicago stadium situation. Moreover, its MLS Next Pro affiliate Chicago Fire FC II is based out of Bridgeview. Incorporating traditional stadium features from American and European facilities, SeatGeek Stadium includes predominantly covered seating,

1440-473: The Netherlands , Italy's World Cup journey came to an end on 29 June 2019. The following year, Italy advanced to the final of the 2020 Algarve Cup (and the first Algarve Cup final of their history) but Italy had to withdraw the match due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and Germany were declared as winners. In the 2022 Algarve Cup , Italy managed to reach the final again but lost against Sweden 6–5 at

1500-724: The World Cup . SeatGeek Stadium was the venue for the 2006 MLS All-Star Game , in which the MLS side defeated Chelsea F.C. 1–0. The stadium also hosted the 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup 's final, in which the Chicago Fire defeated the LA Galaxy 3–1. SeatGeek Stadium hosts annual friendly matches between Chicago Fire and the popular European and Mexican clubs, which in the past included Tottenham Hotspur F.C. , A.C. Milan , Everton , C.D. Guadalajara , Club America , Santos Laguna , and others. SeatGeek Stadium hosted four matches during

1560-557: The penalty shoot-outs after the 1–1 draw after the extra-time. However, Italy failed to produce the same form in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 , finishing bottom with only one point and one goal scored, though much blames were taken for the Serie A having not gone professional until the end of the tournament. After that failure, Italy qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup by winning two games against Moldova and Romania with

1620-402: The qualifying group with nine victories out of ten matches. At the tournament, Italy was drawn in Group A with hosts Sweden, Denmark and Finland . With one win, one draw and one defeat, Italy advanced from the group stage to the quarter-finals in second place, but were defeated 1–0 by Germany. In the following two years, Italy, led by Antonio Cabrini , was involved in the qualification for

1680-413: The 2019 Fire season. The naming rights agreement signed in 2018 was the first such agreement SeatGeek entered into. It was reported that as part of the deal, SeatGeek would also serve as the venue's primary ticketing service starting in 2019. The company reportedly promised that they would work to "bring more live programming, including premier concerts, music festivals and international sporting events" to

1740-522: The AFL of the 1960s were expansion teams in that league. Both joined the AFL after the merger with the NFL was agreed to, but before it was finalized. The NHL had a six-team lineup established in 1942. This list enumerates the teams added since the " Original Six " era. Six of the seven charter franchises from 2018 remain active. The WNBA began in 1997 with eight charter franchises, four of which are still active:

1800-718: The Celtic League, and later as Pro12 and Pro14. The League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) and the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) initially fielded teams from eight organizations when they began operations in 2013; both leagues expanded to a total of ten teams in 2015. LCS expansion teams LEC expansion teams Italy women%27s national football team The Italy women's national football team ( Italian : Nazionale di calcio femminile dell'Italia ) has represented Italy in international women's football since their inception in 1968. The team

1860-572: The Fire club and its youth programs lies next to the stadium. The stadium's design allows expansion of 50% more seating at negligible expense. Its 120-by-75-yard (110 by 69 m) natural grass field's $ 1.7 million turf management system comprises full heating, drainage, and aeration capabilities. A permanent stage allows the stadium to host concerts and quickly change configurations. A typical conversion from soccer to stage takes no more than 18 hours. The field accommodates 8,000 additional chairback seats for concerts and other stage events. SeatGeek Stadium

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1920-704: The Mundial in Mexico in 1971 where they achieved third place. In 1979, Italy hosted, and participated in the unofficial European Competition , reaching the final again, which took place at the San Paolo Stadium in Naples , and in which Denmark triumphed again. Between 1981 and 1988 there were five editions of the Mundialito , an international invitation-only tournament, one of the most prestigious events in

1980-681: The NBA (founded in 1950 via merger of the BAA and NBL ) are still active. There was only one expansion team in the whole history of the ABA. Only extant teams are listed. Two charter franchises, the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals ) and Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears ), are still active. Starting in 1960, the NFL held an expansion draft for new franchises. Two teams from

2040-420: The existing franchises can pocket more revenue from expansion fees. Indoor American football leagues are notorious for doing so: the leagues can double the number of teams and have many new teams fail within a year or two. Major League Soccer , after spending most of its first decade of existence with relatively stable membership and struggling finances, adopted a policy of continuous expansion beginning in 2005,

2100-456: The game in their 9th and 21st seasons of existence) playing in the game. In 1996 , the Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars each made it to their respective conference championship games in their second season in the league. Expansion teams are usually considered as such in their first season and sometimes in their second season. A team that moves to another location and/or changes its name

2160-557: The group advancing to the knockout stage. In the semi-final Italy beat Spain 2–1, but in the final, were defeated 2–0 by Germany. In 1998, Italy qualified for the World Championship for the second time. The 1999 edition took place in the United States, with Italy being drawn in Group B along with Brazil , Germany and Mexico . After a 1–1 draw against Germany in the debut match, Italy lost 2–0 to Brazil, and ended

2220-548: The group stage of the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship . SeatGeek Stadium hosted its first international rugby match in 2007, with the United States Eagles losing 6–10 to provincial side Munster . In June 2008 the stadium hosted three matches of the Churchill Cup , including United States vs Canada , England Saxons vs Scotland A , and Ireland Wolfhounds vs Argentina Jaguares . On June 6, 2009,

2280-416: The group stage of the tournament, Italy won Group C , recording two victories against Australia (2–1) and Jamaica (5–0), which guaranteed advancement to the knockout stage, with Italy's defeat to Brazil (0–1) irrelevant to the final table. In the round of 16, Italy won 2–0 over China , advancing to the quarter-finals for the second time in their history. However, with a 2–0 defeat to European Champions

2340-589: The group with a 2–0 victory over Mexico; Italy finishing third in the group and were eliminated. With the beginning of the 2000s, a decline in the performance of the Italy national team began. At the 2001 European Championship , Italy, coached by Carolina Morace , were eliminated in the group stage due to a worse goal difference compared to Norway. Four years later, at the 2005 European Championship , Italy finished last in its group with zero points, losing all three of their matches against Germany , Norway and France, conceding twelve goals overall. Redemption came in

2400-517: The highest international women's competitions became equivalent to the men's competitions. After its debut in 1968, the Italy national team took to the field to compete in other non-official international friendlies and tournaments, such as the European Competition in 1969 that saw it win the final over Denmark , the World Cup in 1970 that saw it lose the final against the aforementioned Danish national team, competitions both organized in Italy , and

2460-449: The latest match of the national team, but were called up for an A-level match within the last 12 months. Source: FIGC (26 May 2023). "Classifica Presenze" . Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio . Retrieved 24 July 2023 . The following table shows Italy's all-time official international record per opponent: Last updated: Italy vs South Africa , 2 August 2023. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only. Below

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2520-551: The lower levels of its league pyramid, specifically the Championship and League 1 , from both France and Wales, and most recently Canada . In rugby union , the competition originally known as the Celtic League and now as Pro14 , which began with sides only from the Celtic nations of Ireland , Scotland , and Wales, has added teams from Italy and more recently South Africa . The U.S.-based NFL has been laying groundwork for

2580-413: The measures that MLB took was to expand by four teams in 1961 and 1962. Over the past four decades, MLB expanded further, to its current 30-team membership. In the context of MLB, the term "expansion team" is also used to refer to any of the 14 teams enfranchised in the second half of the 20th century. Leagues that are new and/or financially struggling may also admit large numbers of expansion teams so that

2640-433: The new market as consumers of sports demand local teams to support. Major League Baseball (MLB) was limited to 16 teams located north and east of St. Louis, Missouri for the first half of the 20th century. During that time, the United States population doubled and expanded to the south and west. Rival interests explored the possibility of forming a rival league in the untapped markets. To forestall that possibility, one of

2700-478: The opportunity to win championships only a few years after their first season. In Major League Baseball (MLB) The Arizona Diamondbacks won the 2001 World Series in their fourth season, and the Florida Marlins won the 1997 World Series in their fifth season. In the NBA, The Milwaukee Bucks won the 1971 NBA Finals in their third year of existence, greatly helped by drafting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in

2760-600: The other two editions it lost the final against England . In 1984, UEFA organized the first European Competition . Italy won Group 3 of the qualifiers , being one of four teams to qualify for the final round. Italy faced Sweden , being defeated both in the first leg, played at the Flaminio Stadium in Rome in front of 10,000 spectators, and in the return match in Linköping . In 1987, Italy again gained access to

2820-549: The semi-final against the German hosts and the final for third place against Denmark, although even with the fourth-place finish, gained access to the first edition of the World Cup organized by FIFA in the same year. The world championship was organized in China, as Italy was drawn into Group 3 together with Germany, Chinese Taipei and Nigeria . Italy ended the group in second place with two victories against Taipei and Nigeria and

2880-601: The six teams to have been added to the NFL since the AFL–NFL merger , the fastest turnaround between an inaugural season and the team's first Super Bowl victory was 27 seasons (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , established in 1976, won Super Bowl XXXVII in the 2002 season); none of the four teams to hold expansion drafts since 1995 have ever won that contest, with only one, the Carolina Panthers (who reached

2940-453: The stadium hosted a 2009 mid-year rugby test series match between United States and Wales in a warmup match for the US in its campaign to qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup . SeatGeek Stadium served as the home site for Roosevelt University men's and women's soccer matches from 2010 until 2019, when the team moved their matches to Illinois Institute of Technology 's on-campus stadium. It

3000-521: The stadium. From 2006 to 2015, SeatGeek Stadium has been the host venue for Chicago radio station B96 's annual summer concert, The B96 Pepsi Summer Bash . The Crossroads Guitar Festival was held on July 28, 2007, and again on June 26, 2010. Pace operates the #387 SeatGeek Stadium Express nonstop from the Midway Orange Line Station for Chicago Fire matches and special events. A $ 2.475 million transit center operated by Pace

3060-411: The stadium. The Fire and Bridgeview began negotiating a re-evaluation of the stadium lease in 2018, shortly after Joe Mansueto acquired his stake in the team. In early April 2019, several media reports emerged about a potential contract buyout that would allow the Fire to move back to Chicago, playing temporarily at Soldier Field once again. On May 8, 2019, Fire president Nelson Rodriguez confirmed that

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3120-492: The team now fully recognised professional, finishing top of the group in the qualifiers, ahead of Switzerland , which was rather an irony after the men's team fell victim to the same Swiss opponents in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers .    Win    Draw    Loss    Fixture Caps, goals and player numbers are correct as of the 18 July 2024 match against Finland . The following list of active players were not called up for

3180-452: The team was negotiating a tentative deal with the village to terminate their lease, which was slated to run through 2036, at an estimated cost of $ 65 million. The terms of the deal were confirmed on July 9, 2019. In consideration for releasing the Fire and MLS from the lease, the Fire will put money toward a "multisport recreation and entertainment center" at the site. The Red Stars have no plans to move. On January 27, 2021, Chicago House AC of

3240-412: The tournament, having lost the semi-final against West Germany after a penalty shoot-out , as well as in the third place match against Sweden after extra time . In the 1991 European Championship , Italy was once again admitted to the four-team finals, after having won the qualifying play-off against the Sweden. In the final tournament, Italy repeated what had happened two years before, losing both

3300-540: The winner in 2003. Construction on the Bridgeview venue began on November 30, 2004, and was completed on June 11, 2006. In 2006, Toyota entered into a ten-year naming rights agreement and renamed the new stadium Toyota Park. In 2016, it was reported that Toyota had opted against renewing their naming rights. Despite this, the stadium continued to be known as Toyota Park through the 2018 season. Afterwards, new sponsor SeatGeek assumed stadium naming rights starting with

3360-531: The women's football scene before the advent of the World Cup. Apart from the first edition in 1981 that was organized in Japan , the next four were organized in Italy, where the Italy national team obtained three victories and two second places overall. The triumphs arrived in 1981, winning the group, in 1984 overcoming West Germany in the final and in 1986 overcoming the United States in the final, while in

3420-674: Was announced in December 2019 that the Chicago Blitz of the Extreme Football League would play their inaugural season at SeatGeek Stadium. The first college football game at the stadium took place on September 7, 2013, between DIII schools John Carroll and Saint Norbert, a game which John Carroll won 41–0. For their 2021 season, the Chicago State Cougars men's and women's soccer teams played at

3480-405: Was constructed at the east end of the stadium's parking lot in 2014. The Fire had also provided bus transportation from nine different bar locations in the city to and from the games. However upon moving back to Soldier Field that service is no longer offered for SeakGeek Stadium. Expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted

3540-465: Was defeated 1–0 by Norway. Norway also denied Italy a place at the 1995 European Championship , with a 7–3 aggregate loss in the qualifying play-offs . Consequently, Italy also didn't qualify for the 1995 World Cup . Italy participated in the 1997 European Championship , with the number of teams participating in the competition increasing from four to eight. In Group B, Italy defeated Norway and drew against Denmark and Germany, still achieving first in

3600-628: Was not yet part of the Italian Women's Football Federation, which was founded on 11 March in Viareggio. From the beginning, they took part in various continental and international tournaments in Europe and in the world, also achieving good successes. With the birth of the European Competition for Women's Football ( 1984 ), organized by UEFA , and later the Women's World Cup , organized by FIFA ,

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