Red Stars make trade for Pugh
US Women’s National Team forward acquired from Sky Blue FC
Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames has a habit of making big acquisitions around the time of the National Women’s Soccer League draft.
In 2018, the Red Stars acquired striker Sam Kerr as part of a three-team deal. Last offseason, they landed Kealia Watt from the Houston Dash.
This year’s big addition: U.S. women’s national team forward Mallory Pugh.
The Red Stars on Tuesday announced they acquired Pugh and midfielder Sarah Killion Woldmoe from Sky Blue FC in exchange for the Nos. 4 and 8 picks in the 2021 draft. In addition, the Red Stars sent a conditional 2022 first-round pick and an international slot for 2021 and 2022.
It’s a statement of intent from the Red Stars, who reached the NWSL championship game in 2019 and the Challenge Cup final this summer.
It also raises expectations for the team to end the 2021 season with a trophy.
“The expectation for us to try to compete to do that is always here,” Dames said during a conference call. “Moreover, the biggest thing is just for us to continue to get better. We want to make our players better, we want our team to get better.”
Pugh, 22, has made 63 appearances for the U.S. since making her debut in January 2016 at age 17. She opted to forgo playing college soccer at UCLA to turn pro, signing with the Washington Spirit in May 2017.
Sky Blue acquired Pugh last season from the Spirit, but injuries kept her out for most of 2020. She didn’t play in the Challenge Cup because of a hip injury and made just one appearance — playing only 29 minutes — in the league’s Fall Series. In three seasons with the
Spirit (2017-19), Pugh scored 10 goals and had four assists in 40 matches.
“This year has presented a lot of difficulties and different injuries,” Pugh said, “but it also has been a time where I’ve been able to heal my body and really take care of some lagging little injuries that I’ve been dealing with for the past two years. I’ve just been thankful that I’ve been able to take the time, heal and get ready for 2021.”
Woldmoe, a former No. 2 pick, has 11 goals and nine assists in 116 career appearances, including playing in every game in the Challenge Cup and Fall Series last season.
Woldmoe, 28, was Sky Blue’s captain the last two seasons.
“Sarah is very similar to Kealia for us last year where we’re bringing in a player with experience, we’re bringing in a player that was a captain of another NWSL team,” Dames said.
“Those attributes, you can’t quantify them.”
The Red Stars in years past have held on to draft picks and used them well, typically finding key contributors in nearly every round. But the uncertainty of this season’s draft — scheduled for Jan. 13 — because of COVID-19’s impact on the college season helped push the deal, Dames said. The Red Stars still have the Nos. 6, 25 and 35 picks.
“The draft for this year, with all the college players having the ability to take another year of eligibility, there’s a lot of unknowns,” he said. “We know that we have a good nucleus of players that have been here for a while and have been close.
“I think if you take Mal, Mal could basically be coming out of this draft or last year’s draft. I don’t know if there’s anybody of Mal’s level in the draft outside of maybe one player that would be coming. You take Mal’s experience internationally and in the league, there’s certainly nobody who matches that.”
The addition of Pugh and Woldmoe comes two months after the Red Stars dealt midfielders Yuki Nagasato and Savannah McCaskill to expansion team Racing Louisville FC.