PREFACE: It was yet another disappointing Saturday night for soccer in Chicago. The Red Stars fell to Houston Dash, 1-0, while Chicago Fire FC were officially eliminated from playoff contention after blowing a 2-0 lead against Charlotte FC to lose 3-2. More will be said about the Fire at season’s end, but for now, let’s look at a couple of items–one from each team.
FIRE RE-SIGN GUTIERREZ: On Monday, the Fire signed midfielder Brian Gutierrez to a contract extension through 2026 with a club option for 2027. Gutierrez, 19, has appeared in 31 matches so far in 2022 and scored his first career goal on July 3rd against San Jose. He also has five assists to his name this season.
“It has been a dream come true representing my hometown club for the past three years and I’m thrilled for this opportunity to continue playing with the Fire,” said Gutiérrez. “I’m so grateful for all the support and confidence this Club has given me thus far. I am eager to continue to grow and develop here with the ultimate goal of bringing an MLS Cup to my hometown city of Chicago.”
RED STARS, WOLFSBURG ENTER ALLIANCE: The Chicago Red Stars and German FrauenBundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg have entered a strategic alliance that will see the two clubs collaborate and coordinate technical and business resources and create new global business opportunities for the organizations.
Wolfsburg have won the Frauen-Bundesliga title seven times including a run of four in a row from 2016 to 2020. They have also won the UEFA Women’s Champions League on two occasions (2013 and 2014).
“There are deep similarities between our clubs and we share many philosophies,” said Arnim Whisler, Principal Owner of the Chicago Red Stars. “We have been exploring a relationship for well over a year and are excited to announce it publicly. Various elements of this relationship will be rewarding for our players, our partners, our employees and our supporters.”
“In the fastest growing segment of the most popular sport in the world, ambitious clubs will need a global network to solidify their position among the best and to create the most sophisticated opportunities in terms of player development, compensation and commercial approaches”, said Michael Meeske, CEO of VfL Wolfsburg. “Therefore, today is an exciting day as we are embarking on a very unique journey that will create sustainable value and long-term growth for both organizations on and off the pitch.”
