The first two games of Chicago Stars FC’s Martin Stadium era could scarcely have gone better.
For a team that finished bottom of the National Women’s Soccer League in 2025 while drawing the second smallest crowds in the league at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, the move to Northwestern’s campus brought two precious wins, rejuvenated attendance and a glimmer of hope that the franchise might finally begin to reap some benefits from the league’s recent surge in popularity.
Then, on a temperate Wednesday evening, the Orlando Pride waltzed into Evanston and brought the Stars’ honeymoon period to a grinding halt. Three first-half goals killed the game before Chicago could even find its bearings, and the Pride spent the majority of the second half in cruise control.
This was an inevitable reality check for a side that won just three of its 26 league fixtures last season. It didn’t dare sour anyone’s view of Martin Stadium’s potential to help turn the club’s fortunes around.
“I really think it’s a nice stadium to be at, and the location is beautiful,” first-year Stars manager Martin Sjögren said postgame. “In the first game, it wasn’t that nice because of the weather, but tonight, with the nice temperature, occasion by the lake and all … it’s a good location.”
When the Stars announced their plan to play the 2026 season in Evanston in September, the consensus reaction among those associated with the club was one of relief. The club called it a “transformational move” in a news release, praising the location’s easy accessibility via public transportation for fans throughout the Chicagoland area.
And, when they played a test run at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in September, it was a resounding success.
Chicago thrashed Orlando 5-2 on a picturesque afternoon by the lake, earning only its second win of an otherwise miserable campaign and drawing a crowd of 10,127 fans, more than double the highest attendance mark at SeatGeek that season.
“It just felt like a celebration,” Stars midfielder Julia Grosso told The Athletic after the game. “It was, like, finally. We can breathe and we could enjoy the ball and not be stressed out.”
When asked after Wednesday’s defeat how the experience of playing at Northwestern Medicine Field compared to SeatGeek Stadium, Stars forward Jenna Bike noted the transition from playing on natural grass to artificial turf.
“Nothing will ever compare to playing at SeatGeek,” Bike said, before pausing to offer a sarcastic laugh. “It takes a little bit to get used to it being so slick, but I think one good thing is it’s flat and there’s no bumps, and that’s something that we’re used to.”
Even fans for whom SeatGeek was more geographically convenient characterized the move as a welcome shot in the arm for a stagnating club.
Larry George, a season ticket holder since 2019 who lives in Western Springs, Illinois, said he supported the move to Martin Stadium despite it extending his commute to games.
“(SeatGeek) is 20 minutes from my house and this one’s 50, but I want the team to do well, so I’m happy we’re here and we’re going to get a lot more attendance,” George said before kickoff Wednesday. “As the season goes on and people get used to us being here, you’re gonna get more and more people signed up.”
Leslie Gelander, who has been a fan of women’s soccer since she began playing in the Illinois Women’s Soccer League in 1977, also said her commute became significantly longer as a resident of Chicago’s southern suburbs.
However, Gelander added that playing at SeatGeek had become “unsustainable” due to declining attendance. She said she would prefer the Stars move to Evanston in a bid to boost viewership rather than relocate to a different city.
“I figured I’d give it a try,” Gelander said on attending games at Martin Stadium. “I had friends who live way north who trekked down to SeatGeek every year, so I’m trying it this year for the first time. Traffic is no fun.”
Martin and Gelander may have made the trip north, but their commitment evidently wasn’t shared across the fanbase Wednesday night.
Attendance for the 3-0 loss to Orlando came out at just 1,821, narrowly above Chicago’s lowest attendance mark of the 2025 NWSL season, which was 1,806.
If the Stars moved to Martin Stadium to attract more fans, Wednesday’s dismal showing demonstrated just how much work they still have to do. Orlando’s three early goals didn’t help the noise levels, but even before the game got out of hand, only a distant drone from the supporters section behind Chicago’s goal distinguished the occasion from a typical NU soccer game.
“Hopefully we will get more people in the stands,” Sjögren said. “We can make this to feel like our real home stadium, but I think it will take a little time.”
Whether Evanston will serve as a long-term — or even medium-term — home for the Stars remains an unresolved question. As of now, the club has only committed to playing out the 2026 season at Martin Stadium.
In January, the Stars filed a unique-use permit application to play up to five seasons at Ryan Field, NU’s new 35,000-seat football stadium set to open this fall. Stars President Karen Leetzow said she viewed Ryan Field as a “lifeline,” and the club referenced a poll claiming that 82% of Evanston residents supported the Stars playing there.
Seventh Ward residents did not all agree. With local community opposition building up to the club’s proposal, the Stars backed down. On March 18, the club issued a statement announcing the withdrawal of its permit application for the time being, leaving its stadium plans beyond this season in limbo.
While Wednesday’s result and meager attendance dealt the Stars a minor setback, for now, Martin Stadium might be the best hope they have.
“We keep building for a better future,” Bike said. “I think this is a step in the right direction.”
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