Red Stars anxious to debut before Chicago soccer fans
Peter Wilt has been working toward this weekend so long, he can feel in his soul just how special Sunday will be.
"I compare Sunday to Christmas, and we're the parents, working behind the scenes to get everything ready," Wilt said about the Chicago Red Stars' first home game as a franchise in Women's Professional Soccer. "We kind of know what's inside that box, and on Sunday the kids are going to open it up - the kids are the fans - and they're going to see it and we're going to be the excited parents to see how they like what we've delivered."
Wilt signed on as Red Stars president and CEO three years ago, but don't let the fancy title fool you. He's been doing the grunt work, waking up early on weekends to meet with youth coaches and others in the Chicago soccer community trying to build a following. The players have begun to follow suit, going to club practices and making other appearances to spread the word.
"It builds a stronger message and builds a stronger bond than a TV ad. And it's cost efficient," Wilt joked.
It's working, even in this economy. The Red Stars lead the league in season-ticket sales, and they've sold about 6,000 tickets for Sunday's 5 p.m. home opener at Toyota Park against Sky Blue FC, the New York-area team that features Elk Grove native Jen Buczkowski and Oswego's Julianne Sitch. With a break in the weather, Wilt thinks the crowd could reach 8,000.
What fans will see is a team built to entertain, starring attacking players such as Brazil's Cristiane and U.S. national team players Lindsay Tarpley and Carli Lloyd.
The Red Stars have scored only a goal in each of their first two road games, a win and a tie, but coach Emma Hayes isn't worried.
"The attacking part of our play, it takes the most work and the most chemistry and the longer you're together the better it will become," Hayes said. "It's natural for where we're at at this point in the season."
Cristiane has played sparingly so far because of a minor knee injury. Her playing time likely will increase Sunday.
"I'll leave it to the coach and doctors from the team," Cristiane said through a team translator before Tuesday's practice. "I know my conditioning and how much I can do, but the team had been training way before me. I got here and they were in better shape than I was, so it was hard to catch up. But I'm getting better every day."
Cristiane is considered one of the top three women's players in the world, and she's played all over the world. Already, even on a windy, 43-degree day, she says she likes Chicago and WPS.
"It's the first time that I'm happy where I'm at," Cristiane said. "I've been all over the place, many other countries, and I really feel happy. Everything that I can look for I can have here.
"On the field I'm struggling a little bit, but I'll get used and adjust to it. The team, the girls made everything easier and the environment they created for me to help me adapt."
Now Cristiane must add her own special style of play.
"It's a different style of play," Cristiane said. "It's like with happiness. It's the style that we play. We're always smiling and laughing and giggling and doing what we call the ginga. Ginga is how the body moves. Quick feet and skills and all that."
Christmas morning is almost upon the Red Stars, and proud papa Wilt can't wait to see a little ginga on the Toyota Park sod and in the stands.
oschwarz@dailyherald.com