If anyone hears of day, time, location and opponents of any Red Stars pre-season games coming up once they start training, please post them. If the games are within driving distance and not during work, I wouldn't mind taking a sneak preview of our team before the official season starts.
Some information on Red stars preseason from Luis's blog: http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/soccer_redcard/chicago_red_stars/ The Red Stars players will come together for the first time next week for player orientation at Toyota Park. Here is a closer look at the Red Stars pre-season schedule: Training in Florida. Nice. Feb. 23-25: Players arrive Feb. 27: Player orientation at Toyota Park March 1-9: Indoor training at Max McCook March 7: Scrimmage vs. Purdue and Northwestern March 10-20: Training in Sunrise, Fla. March 18: Exhibition vs. Boston Breakers
I just want to say well done RED STARS! You didn't think any Illinois talent was good enough except for one player. They must know what the other teams don't know about them as players. This league should never have started without the players having representation.
Here's the full Preseason Schedule, and more info at: http://www.womensprosoccer.com/newsitem_ektid9302.aspx?team=chicago CHICAGO RED STARS PRESEASON SCHEDULE March 1 – First day of preseason training– maximum roster size 28 players March 7 – Pick Your Seat Day at Toyota Park March 7 – 3-team round robin competition with Northwestern and Purdue - Site/Time TBD March 9 – Individual game tickets go on sale March 10 – Red Stars travel to Florida for Preseason Camp March 12 –Practice game vs. Miami University, Site/Time TBD March 13 – USWNT players return from Algarve Cup; WPS rosters cut to 24 players March 15 – Training game; Opponent/Site/Time TBD March 18 – Practice game vs. Boston Breakers, at the Sunrise Holiday Inn soccer field, Time TBD March 20 – Red Stars return from Florida March 21 – 2009 Illinois Youth Soccer Expo Schaumburg Sports Center, 1141 W. Irving Park Rd. 9-10 am – Autograph signing 12 noon – 1 pm – Chicago Red Stars Town Hall Meeting 1-2 pm - Autograph signing 2-3:30 pm – Team training session March 24 – Final roster announced March 28th – Red Stars vs. University of Notre Dame - Site/Time TBD March 29 – WPS Inaugural Match – Washington Freedom @ Los Angeles Sol on Fox Soccer Channel 4:30 PM CT March 31th – Red Stars vs. University of Illinois in Champaign, IL –Time TBD April 4th – Chicago Red Stars begin WPS season @ Saint Louis Athletica
Any news on where the scrimages on the 7th will be? My bet is on Northwestern since they have field turf. But since I'm going to be down at Bridgeview for the "pick your seat" , I'm hoping that they play at the high school just up the street on Harlem. Can't remember the name, but they also have field turf.
I was at the Chicago Storm game Sat night where a couple of Red Star players were signing autographs and asked the rep that was with them where the round robin games on the 7th are going to be and he said at the new Barrington indoor facility. The season ticket holders have a pick your seat thing at Toyota Park sometime around 11:00 that day, from what I understand, and after that I'm going to go to Barrington to see if I could watch a game or two. From what I understand, this may be a charity event so there may be a donation asked at the door. That's fine with me.
Yeah, I will also be making that trip from Bridgeview up to Lake Barrington. With the weather we have been having, it will be good to watch the scrimage indoors.
Call the Red Stars office and get your ticket(s) reserved because there will be limited amount sold from what I've heard.
Red Stars to play Notre Dame and Univ. of Illinois in preseason. http://www.womensprosoccer.com/newsitem_ektid10142.aspx?team=chicago
I was at the IYSA thing in Schaumburg, IL today where the Red stars had a training session in front of fans in an indoor facility. I was very impressed with some of the players. I was very impressed with the goalkeeping of Caroline Jonsson. She is every bit as sound as Hope Solo. A beast in goal and I mean it in every compimentary way. I was also surprised at her quickness. She took canon shots from megan Rapinoe and Ella Masar and smothered them like picking apples from a tree. I'm curious to see how she positions herself in a game and how she reads it. Great pick for the Red Stars. It looks like everyone was there except Christiane who is supposed to come in this weekend. Karen Carney has skills! Ella Masar has a canon shot and so does Loyd and Tarpley. Freda Ostberg plays tough as nails and so does Natalie Spilger. I also like Brittany Klein. She's not big, but she's all over the place. Many of you know I was wishing that the Red Stars would pick Britney Bock with the first pick and I still think she will be a great player in the WPS, but after watching one practice, I have seen something special about Megan Rapinoe. She seems unlike anyone else on the team. She seems to have a style about her that I think Red Stars fans will come to like and enjoy. I'm actually looking forward to watching her play. She had some precision ROCKET shots on goal that drew loud applause from the good crowd that was watching practice. Am I right on my observation Portland fans? I have a feeling that she will leave her mark on Chicago soccer and our fans before she is done in this city. And that's from what I've seen in just one practice.
MRAD, you are absolutely right. She loves to play, loves physical contact, has a rocket shot, fights for everything, has talent, the whole deal. And, she's got charisma! Plus, she'll get better and better. As I've said before, she was the steal of the draft -- and I know she was picked #2.
That's it. That's the word I was looking for. Charisma. That's part of the something special about her I mentioned. When the crowd gave her an ovation for a brilliant shot that left the outside of her right foot like rocket and curled around the keeper in the upper left, she kind of laughed and took a bow to the delight of the fans. So it seems to me that she has a sense of humor and is not wound up too tight. Which I like.
With the regular season fast approaching, how do you think the Red Stars will line up? I know Hayes has said she wants to play an offensive style (I remember her saying something about wanting to use a 3-4-3). And why not? We are absolutely stacked with offensive talent. ---------------Jonsson----------- ---Dalmy-----Ostberg------Krzysik---- ------------Klein-----Garriock------- --Tarpley----Lloyd-------Rapinoe--- --------Carney----Cristiane---------- Subs: Adams, Masar, Igwe I love the creativity on this team. Cristiane, obviously, has mad foot skills (sometimes more impressive than Marta, IMO). Carney is a workhorse and has tremendous speed. Rapinoe should have gone #1 in the draft, and her style is refreshingly unique in the way Carli Lloyd was unique and exciting when she first arrived on the national team scene. To have them on the field at the same time will result in some great combinations. And of course, you have Tarpley's consistency, poise, and finishing ability. Geez, I had to put Garriock as a defensive midfielder simply because they are so loaded offensively! Maybe I am biased as a Chicago resident, and I understand its too early to make any serious predictions, but I like our chances (at least on paper) to finish at the top of the table. My only concern is that we will be exposed defensively.
That's a good line-up, but man it's hard to tell right now. Maybe we'll get a glimse in the next couple of scrimmages against Notre Dame and Illinois. However, it's supposed to rain/snow tomorrow evening in the Chicago area, which would suck cause I'm planning on going. I'm hoping they will get the game against ND in.
From the Red Stars web site: The game against University of Notre Dame tomorrow has been CANCELLED due to bad weather expected in the Rockford/Chicago area. http://www.womensprosoccer.com/chicago/?team=chicago