Chicago doesnāt do free transfers anymore. Itās six figures or HARD pass.
Writer, Soccer talker and Pal @GalPalSports.bsky.social bylines: @allforxi, @defectormedia LesleyRyder.54 on Signal š³ļøāšāæļø
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Chicago doesnāt do free transfers anymore. Itās six figures or HARD pass.
āWe are the 5th community to raise this banner, created by Austin supporters after Uvalde. We're united with all those communities in mourning for all tof those we've lost - and in the outrage that this banner will surely be needed again.
so you're telling me 5'10 forward Lake Forrest, Illinois native, NWSL-experience-having Elyse Bennett was available and Orlando managed to make that happen as well??
#FREEDC
Nice touch at full time from Spirit Squadron, leading a chant for Sam Staab (who wasn't fit to play last year when Chicago came to town)
Such is what happens when the wealth is distributed evenly. No one team should have more goals than the other.
you can kill the red stars but not the idea
Ludmila with 9 goals on the season jumps to 3rd place in the Golden Boot race š
Chicago Stars get the comeback draw for the fifth game in a row!
Iām not strong enough for this life.
Nesbeth and Cook on, Maitane and Angel off. Interesting spot for Ava Cook.
LUDMILA EQUALIZES!!!!
Weāve seen some angry Naeher this season, but holding the ball after that goal might take the top spot.
Down 1-0, Chicagoās got āem right where they want āem.
Chicago hung in there to keep the first half scoreless, but theyāve struggled to come out of the gate strong in the second half. Big girl pants moments ahead for the Stars!
Ally Schlegel gets Chicago first shot on target in the 45th minute.
Chicagoās backline completely pocketed by Croix Bethune.
Scoreless half hour between Washington and Chicago but itās been fun for neutrals tuning in. āWhat you mean youāre not having a good time, yall invited us hereā feels like the right for the Stars at this point in the season lmao
On this team, Alyssa Naeher scores goals and Sam Staab stops them š¤š¤š¤
I do not enjoy watching a struggling Trinity Rodman!
The replays on this Sam Staab goal line clearance š®āšØ
Hell yeah @spiritsquadron.bsky.social šš©·š¤
This could be a very long game for Chicago!
Anders Jacobson names his first Starting XI! Jacobson arrived in-market on Thursday, and got a training session in before the team travelled to DC.
Itās so painful!!!
Oh that looked Achilles-y for Saliba š©
The pomp and circumstance of Formula 1 is camp
This silent replay lounge for the podium winners is so awkward!
The previously frugal Chicago Stars reportedly paid ā¬500k to trigger Ivonne ChacĆ³nās release clause from Levante. ChacĆ³n scored 11 goals for Levante last season. Comparatively, in 2024, Barcelona paid ā¬500K for the UWCL and Frauen Bundesliga-leading scorer, Ewa Pajor.
In coordination with @freedcproject.bsky.social, the supporters section will chant āFree DCā when the clock strikes 51:00 at tomorrowās Washington Spirit game. We hope you join in wherever you are in the stadium!
A sign sighting did make it in the slow-mo shot of Labontaās ripper off the crossbar.
It would appear the broadcast is working every angle possible to avoid a āBerman Outā sign sighting. Theyāve gone from the usual GK close-ups to only wide shots of corner kicks on Casey Murphy this half.
Why, what happened
(Requests to see the manual were not answered)
A āBerman Outā sign was confiscated in NJ last weekend. Per Gotham and the NWSL, it was confiscated because it wasnt submitted for approval in advance, required for any displays in designated supportersā section as per section 17.2.3 of the NWSL Operations Manual The ops manual isnāt public.
This amazing fan in the KC supporter stand has a "BERMAN OUT" sign in full view behind the KC goal, in front of the cameras on the NWSL broadcast on ION tonight for the game between KC Current vs. NC Courage
Oh?
The previously frugal Chicago Stars reportedly paid ā¬500k to trigger Ivonne ChacĆ³nās release clause from Levante. ChacĆ³n scored 11 goals for Levante last season. Comparatively, in 2024, Barcelona paid ā¬500K for the UWCL and Frauen Bundesliga-leading scorer, Ewa Pajor.
USA SURVIIIIIIIIIVE!
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod
USA RUGBY SAID SCREW THE KICKS WEāRE SCORING TRIES
Oh god now a double doink for USA rugby
Oof tough break for USA rugby. Scored the try to get within two points of Australia, but a gust of wind blew the ball off the tee as the kick clock wound down on the conversion kick.
On impressions of the team so far: "Just positive. I mean, the climate in the in the team is very good, even if we have had some results over the year that hasn't been that happy... but I think everyone is looking forward, ahead, and that's my sense, my feeling, and it's really nice to see"
On hopes for this interim period: "I want to see some changes in our defense so we get more compact. And offensively, the distances between our players is too wide. So we're going to, we're going to make the team a bit more compact as well offensively to find better relations"
Anders made it to market on Thursday, and got to have training with the club before they travelled to DC. "I can tell you for sure, I am jet-lagged."
the Chicago Stars pre-match media availability with new interim head coach Anders Jacobson and Bea Anderson is about to begin!
Iām just saying that when it happens Iām jumping out of bed, running to my window, and tossing a coin to a boy to buy the biggest goose in town
So the broadcast wires seemed to be crossed! The San Diego-Seattle broadcast is actually Portland vs Utah, and The Portland-Utah broadcast started with this:
Bring your heartiest windbreaker
!!!!!!!!!
If Portland beat Utah tonight, Orlando falls to 5th place š³ The race for the playoffs, and home field advantage is WIDE open.
If you told me at the beginning of the season that the next time Orlando and Chicago meet, the Pride would be the team on a six-game winless streak?????
Gotham FCās first league win in 69 days. Nice.
HOUSTON WE HAVE A SOLUTION
Okay maybe itās a lot of doom
Passing balls on a dime like they were loaves and fishes š
Losing Banda and Gautrat in consecutive weeks feels a little doomy for Orlando
Sorry sorry sorry to Stars fans but it would be so very cool to see Ovalle in person next weekend!
New Chicago signing Ivonne Chacon scored 11 goals on on 9.28 xG last season with Levante, 13th highest xG total in Liga F (That's Good!). But Chacon also didn't finish in the Top 30 of Liga F for xG per 90' (That's Bad!).
Here's my piece on Louisville, and how Bev Yanez's search for marginal gains has made them the story of this NWSL season (so far). For @equalizersoccer.bsky.social: equalizersoccer.com/2025/08/28/w...
Iāll save this one for the day she gets home
be serious and add a zero
Okay, Emilyās leaving for a week: what should I do to the house while sheās gone?
āDo not offer thoughts and prayers as you systemically enable such tragedies. Do not claim prayers are sufficient when children die as they pray. Do not pretend you do not understand.ā ā Lydia, 16, Minneapolis
A truly transformational moment!
I think my Flabbers are just gasted by this Chicago transfer. A year of frugal scrooging and this is how they start throwing stacks of money?
If we entertain the SoccerDonna value, the Stars may have overpaid to trigger Levanteās 500,000 release clause. The NWSL is a league of perpetual hope and possibility! If ChacĆ³n can link up on the attack with Ludmila and put Chicago in the win column? Maybe worth it! bsky.app/profile/lesl....
This is valid!
I stand: corrected bsky.app/profile/lesl...
I stand corrected! ChacĆ³n got the call for the CONCACAF W Gold Cup in 2024 and the SheBelieves Cup in 2025. She was a late-match substitution for most of those matches, and started one game in the W gold cup.
The website that I co-own Defector.com is hosting a RARE sale where you get three months of blogs for just $5! Thatās something like 600 blogs for FIVE AMERICAN DOLLARS. Pretty good deal imo and you get to support worker-owned media.
The tipping points keep tipping for Jessica Berman.
Happy to see Chicago spend money, but breaking the transfer fee record for a player who hasn't had an international call-up in two years feels like an overcorrection by Chicago.
The Stars have a transfer! Ivonne ChacĆ³n reportedly joins the stars on a ā¬500,000 transfer feeāa total higher than her compatriot, Mayra Ramirez. galpalsports.com/db/stars-fc-...
Your out of context Alyssa Naeher update, courtesy of Maitane:
Thanks to @abigailsegel.bsky.social @lesleyryder.bsky.social @galpalsports.bsky.social for bringing attention to this. No medical professionals? NEAT.
ITāS OUR TIME NOW YOU CANāT STOP GRIMSBY TOWN AND THE MIGHTY MARINER WITH HIS INFLATABLE FISH CALLED HARRY THE HADDOCK
MY BOYHOOD CLUB GRIMSBY TOWN!!!
COME ON YOU GRIMSBYS
For what itās worth the vast majority of union contracts have a similar clause. Federal labor law requires bargaining on demand by the union over wages, benefits, and working conditionsā¦ unless the union effectively waives that right, which is the general intent and effect of this clause.
In a special edition of Anatomy of a Goal, @casconearianna.bsky.social breaks down Ludmila's hat trick from Friday. Three goals for the price of one!
Itās also an interesting clause given the leagueās response to the lawsuit against them filed by former Wave FC employees. They can change take exclusive control of their teams, but they have no duty of care for club employees. www.theguardian.com/football/202...
A tip of the cap to @zavcurrent.bsky.social for bringing it up! bsky.app/profile/zavc...
The tipping points keep tipping for Jessica Berman.
An internal change to a league policy that you admit you neither then implemented nor told the players association about despite the fact that such policies are supposed to be collectively bargained? Congratulations to the NWSLPA's lawyers for the alley-oop they were just thrown #nwsl
The NWSL quietly updated its public-facing extreme heat policy since the Aug 16 delay in KC. The league says the edits aligned the external doc with a change that was implemented internally in 2023; the NWSLPA says it was not aware of the removal of a key clause. My report for the Guardianā¬:
This is a good catch, and just to back it up, I referred pretty extensively to the old language in this piece written literally during the delay
Bella Chow
your english teacher and your gym teacher are getting married
NEW EPISODE! Alex is joined by @lesleyryder.bsky.social of @galpalsports.bsky.social to once again ponder the eternal question about the Chicago Stars: Uh, what the hell? New coach (kind of), Ludmila, Naeher, chaos! #nwsl #withthestars allchgo.com/chgo-stars-p...
LIVE SHORTLY! The Stars are... something! Unbeaten in 4 but with no wins, getting a new coach eventually and maybe another interim?? They make no sense. @acampbellsports.bsky.social and @lesleyryder.bsky.social are gonna talk about it, join us! #withthestars #nwsl youtube.com/live/PXelMjZ...
Inbox: Ludmila is your NWSL player of the week, AND winner of goal of the week for her top bins banger in the 76th minute.
One of the Boade sister's will have now been rostered by 35% of the teams in the league
Michelle Laflamme, the International Paralympic Committeeās Senior Manager for World Para Ice Hockey, shares why the āopen genderā label intended to encourage participation hasnāt helped with the development of womenās para ice hockey players. Full episode: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g...
CRISPY MORNING WEATHER TIME???
Inbox: Chicago Stars sign Meg Boade to a roster relief contract. Boade began her season with the Washington Spirit. The Stars play the Spirit on the road this weekend.
Yay Louisville! Has to feel nice to close one out after their last few results.
