We continue our daily previews of every WPS club for the 2010 season. Keep in mind, we’re beginning from the bottom of 2009’s standings. Check out yesterday’s FC Gold Pride preview here.

The Chicago Red Stars began the 2009 Women’s Professional Soccer season with much promise. The club had a solid midfield comprised of seasoned Women’s National Team stars Carli Lloyd, Lindsay Tarpley and Megan Rapinoe. They had a young and dynamic coach in Emma Hayes, who made a name for herself with the storied Arsenal Ladies side. They also had the beautiful Toyota Park to call home, complete with a very active fan base mobilized in part by then-General Manager Peter Wilt. And perhaps most significantly, they had the best-looking kits in the league.

But that promise largely went unfulfilled, at least until the tail end of the season when the playoffs were a mathematic impossibility. Kate Markgraf’s pregnancy ruled her out of the entire 2009 season which meant that the backline would lack that experienced defensive anchor that’s so crucial in blocking shots, organizing the defensive unit from the back and providing a garrison for Swedish goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson. Compound the shaky, piecemeal defense with long goalless droughts from traditionally red-hot goal scorers and a shocking disciplinary record. 5 wins, 28 yellow cards, a winless streak lasting nine games and a league-worst Shots on Goal average of 4.6 per match later and you have the 2009 Chicago Red Stars.

When the Red Stars were on their game, they played some of the most exciting, free-flowing, passing soccer the league had to offer. But when the Red Stars went down a goal, it looked nearly impossible for the team to muster the offensive power needed to equalize (incredibly, nine of their ten losses featured the Red Stars getting shut out).

It looks like Coach Hayes will have the necessary parts again to deploy the same philosophy in 2010. Both Carli Lloyd and Lindsay Tarpley have left the Windy City but perhaps it’s not all bad. Lloyd had an infamously disappointing season, particularly after coming off scoring the Gold Medal-winning goal in the 2008 Olympics. The midfielder only registered two goals and one assist all season and also led the team in yellow cards with five. Lindsay Tarpley was effective with linking up play with the forwards (she led the team in assists with four and also scored four goals) but her offseason has been blighted by a knee injury.

However the Red Stars were successful in holding on to Brazilian spitfire Cristiane, who led the team with seven goals (including this hat trick). Megan Rapinoe will also return to provide more width to the attacking line. English international Karen Carney will likely continue to utilize her pace and tenacity in playing off the main striker. Ella Masar and Brittany Klein have each been included in the WNT in the offseason and will be back to provide the midfield with more consistency.

Rookies Casey Nogueira (who is a bit of a wildcard but has always had that reputation and it doesn’t seem to bother her) and Jessica McDonald can also provide attacking options off the bench. Coach Hayes will hope that the pair can successfully reproduce the same rich goal-scoring partnership that they had at University of North Carolina. Another youngster, Swedish international Kosovare Asllani, also promises to have goal-scoring boots (she recently put four past the University of Illinois in a preseason match).

The midfield will also look a bit different with the addition of Katie Chapman, another ex-Arsenal player and a former colleague of both Emma Hayes and Karen Carney. The English international is back after giving birth to her second son and can provide another shade of leadership (as well as contribute goals) in the midfield. Julianne Sitch is also incoming from Championship-winning Sky Blue FC and can play in the center of midfield as well as in defense.

Speaking of defense, Kate Markgraf will be making her Red Star debut in the center of defense. Perhaps she’ll be alongside yet another UNC rookie, 4th overall draft pick Whitney Engen. Engen will likely be groomed into playing as a center back so to provide some the consistency that was so lacking last year. Natalie Spilger, Marian Dalmy and Ifeoma Dieke will also be back to fill out the back line.

Caroline Jonsson was at the center of debate for many Red Stars fans over just how effective the goalkeeper really was. But debate will no longer be necessary as Jonsson has returned to Umea IK. Inheriting her gloves with be Jillian Loyden (acquired in the trade with Lindsay Tarpley). Loyden didn’t earn too many minutes last year in Saint Louis but that’s what happens when you’re behind arguably the world’s #1 goalkeeper in Hope Solo. However she made the best of her opportunities when she received them.

Much of the 2009 Red Star’s core will return to Toyota Park this year. Though it may seem as if there was a diaspora of big names that have vacated the club, the women who will be stepping into their places will be more than capable. Coach Hayes must strike the perfect balance between a strong back line and a dynamic and creative offense. Now she has the right players to accomplish that.

Next to the Sol, the Red Stars could boast about having the second-best attendance in the league with 7,959 people showing up to their penultimate match of the season. If they can parlay this fan interest with a more consistent goal scoring record, a solid defense and a better disciplinary record, the Red Stars will be just fine.

The Anorak:

Chicago had the worst disciplinary record in the league. The team averaged a yellow card a game, had 11 players earn yellow cards (with each of those players having earned an average 2.5 yellow cards), was the only team in the league with two player ejections (Carney and Ostberg) and committed the most total of fouls of any team with 212 (the league average is 168).

Of Chicago’s six different goal scorers last year, four will be returning.

Brittany Klein started all 20 games last season and played the most minutes out of all outfield players at 1678.

Four out of five of the Red Star’s wins last year included multiple goals.

In six preseason games, the Red Stars have had six different goal scorers. (Masar, Cristiane, Sitch, Weissenhofer, Klein and Asllani)

Outgoing: Danesha Adams (12th overall pick in Philadelphia Independence Expansion Draft), Heather Garriock (Released, now plays for Sydney FC), Chioma Igwe (Signed with Boston as a Free Agent), Nikki Krzysik (5th overall pick in Philadelphia Independence Expansion Draft), Carli Lloyd (Signed with Sky Blue FC as a Free Agent), Jill Oakes, Frida Ostberg, Lindsay Tarpley (Traded with Saint Louis for Jillian Loyden), Michelle Wenino (Released, now plays for Freiburg), Caroline Jonsson (Opted out of contract, returned to Umea IK).

Note: Lydia Vandenbergh returns as a Developmental Player

Incoming: F Kosovare Asllani (Sweden, formerly of Linkopings, International pick), M Katie Chapman (England, formerly of Arsenal Ladis, International pick), GK Kelsey Davis (24th overall pick in 2010 WPS Draft from Portland), D Whitney Engen (4th overall pick in 2010 WPS Draft from UNC), M Formiga (Brazil, signed as free agent from FC Gold Pride), GK Jillian Loyden (Acquired in trade from Saint Louis for Lindsay Tarpley), Kate Markgraf (Returns from maternity leave), F Jessica McDonald (15th overall pick in 2010 WPS Draft from UNC), F Casey Nogueira (8th overall pick to Los Angeles Sol in 2010 WPS Draft from UNC….4th overall pick in Dispersal Draft), D/M Julianne Sitch (Signed as free agent from Sky Blue FC)

Developmental Players:

F Michelle Weissenhofer (33nd overall pick in 2010 WPS Draft from Notre Dame)

D Lydia Vandenberg

GK Meghann Burke (Previously played for W-League side Boston Renegades)

M Jackie Santacaterina (60th overall pick in 2010 WPS Draft from Illinois)

View Original Post at allwhitekit.wordpress.com

• Filed Under:  
• Soccer, Sports, WPS

• Tags:
• WPS
• Chicago Red Stars
• Emma Hayes
• casey nogueira
• Younguns
• Foreign Internationals
• Season previews

This post is related to the following ongoing stories:

• 2010 WPS Season Kickoff