This Chicago Red Stars season marks a milestone in women’s professional soccer history as the oldest running team from the United States sets forth in its 10th anniversary season. We take a look back on the monumental time starting from the beginning.
On June 3, 2008, Chicago gained yet again another great sports team when the naming of the Chicago Red Stars was announced. The name pays tribute to the iconic emblems on the city’s flag, representing a landmark event in Chicago history: Fort Dearborn, the Great Chicago Fire, the 1893 World’s Fair and the 1933 World’s Fair.
The next year, the Red Stars began its inaugural season in the seven-team Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league. Chicago joined a league with the Boston Breakers, FC Gold Pride, Los Angeles Sol, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC and the Washington Freedom.
The Red Stars fielded some of the greatest women’s soccer players in the world that year, jump-starting some of their world-class career, including Brazilian Cristiane, England’s Karen Carney, and U.S. Women’s National Team members Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Lindsay Tarpley.
The first ever match was played on April 4 against the Athletica, where Chicago came out with their first win after captain Tarpley scored the lone goal of the game.
To honor the tenth season, the Red Stars will show off a new identity throughout the season: a simple “X”; the roman numeral for ten. You can see this symbol on posters, social media posts and specialty merchandise during the season.
The 10th anniversary season starts on the road in Houston on March 25. The Red Stars will kick off their home campaign on Saturday, March 31, against the Portland Thorns. The match will take place following the MLS-side Chicago Fire and Portland Timbers game, as part of a doubleheader event at Toyota Park.
Tickets for all 2018 Chicago Red Stars home games are available here.
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