CHGO Chicago Stars Podcast

At long last, a nightmarish season for the Chicago Stars is almost over. This coming Sunday the team will travel to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Spirit and look to avoid losing a sixth straight to conclude the year. The losses have continued to pile up as the club can’t get to the offseason soon enough where the real work will begin for Vlatko Andonovsky to overhaul the roster and leadership to work on making progress off the field. But Andonovsky has already been active in the transfer market, and Mallory Swanson scored for the United States Women’s National Team so it’s not all bad… right? Lesley Ryder is back to join Alex in smiling because it’s over and the end of crying because it happened… wait. An ALLCITY Network Production Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. #ChicagoStars #Stars Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It actually happened! After his surprising departure from the Kansas City Current, former United States Women’s National Team head coach and two-time NWSL Champion Vlatko Andonovski has joined the Chicago Stars as their new Chief Soccer Officer to lead the organization’s soccer staff going forward. How did they pull this off, and what’s top of the to-do list for Vlatko as he looks to clean up a mess of a team. Speaking of which, a 3-2 victory over Racing Louisville at the end of August remains the team’s only win since July 7th, and they followed that up by becoming the first team in league history to concede 6 goals in consecutive matches. But does the rest of the season even matter? CHGO Stars Host, Alex Campbell is joined by Lesley Ryder to welcome the arrival of Chicago’s new women’s soccer overlord. An ALLCITY Network Production Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. #ChicagoStars #Stars Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What hasn’t changed for the Chicago Stars: they still can’t win games and even lost to former cellar dwellers Racing Louisville to drop into last place. What has: lots of other things! Martin Sjogren is OUT as head coach along with his top assistant Anders Jacobson. Former head coach Lorne Donaldson is back, not as the coach but as the… director of coaching? Assistant Karina Baez is the new interim head coach, with former Spokane Zephyr FC boss Nicole Lukic brought in as well. How did the Stars end up back in the same place again, and what happens next? Also, despite not having a general manager, the team keeps selling players and signing new ones. Who’s making those decisions and is there any hope for results on the field to improve? Or will the team’s injury struggles make that a moot point? And hey what happened with that plan to build a training facility? Lots of questions, few answers. Such is the existence of the Chicago Stars! Alex is joined by Joe Chatz of On Tap Sports to mark yet another changing of the guard for this beleaguered organization. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Chicago Stars returned to NWSL action earlier this month with a 3-2 win over Utah, creating hope for a much better second half of the season. They then lost 2-0 to both Boston and Angel City and have now also lost big-money signing striker Jordyn Huitema for the remainder of the season due to a ruptured ACL. What now for the struggling Stars? Then, Alex is joined by Andre Carlisle of Diaspora United + Hey Spirits + more to discuss a very competitive race for the Shield involving his Spirit, a free-spending Gotham FC, a run-and-gun San Diego Wave and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Chicago Stars are spiraling after another brutal stretch, suffering their second three-game losing streak of the season while failing to score a single goal. After a 2-0 home win over expansion side Boston Legacy, losses to Gotham, Portland, and Kansas City have exposed major issues with the lineup, tactics, and execution under Martin Sjogren. With just three matches remaining before the World Cup break, can the return of Mallory Swanson — now back in full training — actually save the Stars’ season? On this episode of the CHGO Stars Podcast, host Alex Campbell is joined by Lesley Ryder of GalPal Sports to break down what’s gone wrong, what needs to change, and whether there’s any hope left for Chicago. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.