CHGO Chicago Stars Podcast

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Chicago Stars are suddenly in crisis under Martin Sjögren, and the CHGO Stars crew breaks down why the offense has completely disappeared. After an emotional home opener win over the Kansas City Current, Chicago has scored 0 goals and conceded 6 in their last three matches, struggling badly in possession and raising serious questions about their attacking identity. Is improved defensive stability worth it if there’s no scoring threat, and is Sjögren doing enough to find answers? We also take a look around the unpredictable National Women's Soccer League table and discuss what’s standing out early in the season. Plus, the United States Women's National Team face Japan women's national soccer team in a crucial run of matches ahead of World Cup qualifying—what are we learning from Emma Hayes’ squad? Alex is joined by Tara from Scuffed’s Boots on the Ground podcast for expert insight on Chicago, the NWSL, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Two weeks into the 2026 NWSL season, the Chicago Stars have played two very different games! Opening weekend saw them embarrassed in LA by Angel City who put four past a Stars team that barely put up a fight. But in their home opener on a frigid and windy lakefront, the Stars defeated last year’s Shield winners the KC Current 2-1 behind first Stars goals for rookie defender Tessa Dellarose and new striker Jordyn Huitema. What do we make of these two polarizing results, as the team strives to improve on the field while off-field stadium drama continues to loom over the club. Alex is joined by Joe Chatz to recap a see-saw first couple weeks of 2026 on this edition of CHGO Stars

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THE 2025 NWSL SEASON IS UPON US!

The Chicago Stars will set off on a new campaign with a trip to take on Angel City this weekend. Things can only get better this year… right?

Alex is joined by Gal Pal Sports’ Lesley Ryder to analyze where the Stars’ squad stands ahead of opening day and what we think we can expect from a team that is still mostly a mystery under new head coach Martin Sjogren.

There are so many question: When will Mallory Swanson return? What role will Jameese Joseph play, and what will the tactical setup look like in general? Have the offseason roster changes resulted in a better squad? Will Sjogren give young players chances in a way they haven’t been in recent years? Where will the Stars be playing after this year??

Plus, what are the biggest stories to start this NWSL season?

We delve into the unknown on this season-preview edition of CHGO Stars Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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We’re back and boy is there a lot of offseason news to catch up on, as new head coach Martin Sjogren and his staff have been busy. The Chicago Stars said goodbye to a couple of mainstays but have made a whole bunch of new additions to replace them. Alyssa Naeher is back, Mallory Swanson is a mom, the Stars are building a new team headquarters and are also trying to stay in Evanston for the long-term.

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The good news is that the 2025 Chicago Stars season has finally come to an end. With just 3 wins in 26 games, it’s the worst year the club has had in it’s 17 years of professional existence. The team had more coaches than it had wins, which underscores the disfunction that plagued the year from start to finish. Are there any positives to take? What of this is fixable in the short term and what will take time? We recap the last few games of the season, including a farewell victory at SeatGeek Stadium, continue are player evaluations from last episode with the midfielders and forwards, and stare into unknown of an offseason that could be just as challenging as the 26 soccer games that preceded it. Alex is joined by Joe Chatz and Lesley Ryder for this season finale of CHGO Stars

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Well, this mostly mess of a season is almost over for the Chicago Stars. They did show well in their debut at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston (their temporary, probably, home next season) as they smashed a reeling Orlando Pride team 5-2 with goals from five different players.

But since? No more wins and and stuck at the bottom of the NWSL standings.

The team though feels already on to next year with interim coach Andres Jacobsen (the 4th different person in charge this year) now settled in. What have we learned from this recent series of games? Is there anything to be learned over the next three? Alex is joined by CHGO Stars emeritus host from CBS Sports and The Attacking Third podcast Sandra Herrera for her perspective

Also, we begin looking back on the season starting with the goalkeepers and defenders.

An ALLCITY Network Production

PARTY WITH US: https://bit.ly/3SRS03z

ALL THINGS CHGO: https://linktr.ee/chgosports

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Empire Today: Schedule a free in-home estimate today! All listeners can receive a $350 OFF discount when they use the promo code CHGO. Restrictions apply. See https://empiretoday.com/chgo for details.

Ray Auto Group: Get into your next vehicle with Ray Auto in Fox Lake!

Ray Chevy: https://www.raychevrolet.com/

Ray CDJR: https://www.raycdjr.com/

Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door with Instacart by going to https://coorslight.com/CHGOGoal. Celebrate Responsibly. Coors Brewing Company, Golden, Colorado.

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CHGO for $20 off your first purchase.

When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions.

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.

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