The Red Stars are not worried about being in last place in the NWSL.
Or at least that was how they felt before giving up three goals in a loss to 11th-placed Racing Louisville for the third straight loss Friday night.
Their 1-5-1 record marks one of the worst starts in franchise history. Still, the Red Stars made it clear they weren't worried.
Want to know how that is possible when things look dire? They know the NWSL tables can be flipped. All it takes is a few strokes.
“(The table changed) so quickly,” said Ella Stevens. “Not too low if you are not in a great position and not too high if you are at the top of the table.”
The Red Stars have a lot of work to do if they are to make their way up the table, let alone earn one of the six playoff spots.
They have been dealing with a near complete overhaul, and the results reflect their search for identity. While they wanted to rebuild themselves beyond what the previous Red Star team had achieved, they knew they also had to come back to take a proper step forward.
“There are a lot of players in the team who are part of the past,” said coach Chris Petrucelli. “You can't ignore it. You can't forget it. It's there, and we know it's there. But that's a different team. There are new teams every year and a new season every year. Each team can write their own story, and we're just in Chapter 1.”
The Red Stars' first chapter of the season also includes the uncertainty of an impending new owner.
Red Star majority owner Arnim Whisler began the process of selling the team, which was one of the league's original eight teams. The sale came at the request of the players in a statement which read in part, “We look forward to finding a new majority owner who can help us realize the full potential that we as players always knew there was for this club.”
The club is still looking at offers, and conversations about sales are being kept at high levels. But the weight of sales is unavoidable for the players.
“This is an interesting time for us,” said Petrucelli. “We are in a transition period. But we're not sure what that transition will look like. It's on everyone's mind as to what's happening and how we're going to move forward.
Petrucelli continues to say that the daily focus of his players is on training and executing the game plan. But he admits their time off the pitch is where conversations about the future of the franchise are taking place.
The success of the Red Star organization depends on its sales.
Not only future success. While Petrucelli is adamant that his players have been able to share their performance on the pitch from the business involved, the sales impact extends beyond the team.
The franchise without a general manager after sacking Michelle Lomnicki last week, added to the uncertainty over the club's future.
Without a majority owner who can help the organization “realize its full potential,” or at least a general manager, Red Stars will not be able to muster big-name free agents. Fans have witnessed the exodus of past stars, but there are a few others that the Red Stars may still lose to.