2024 Chicago Red Stars in Review: Julia Bianchi

Minutes were tough to come by for Julia Bianchi in her second season with the Chicago Red Stars, as the midfielder was often the odd player out when Chicago dispatched its matchday lineup.

Bianchi, 27, didn’t have the same success in 2024 as she did when she collected five assists in 2023 after joining the Red Stars from Palmeiras in Brazil. Mallory Swanson’s return to the lineup took away Bianchi’s opportunities on corner kicks and set-pieces, limiting the Brazilian midfielder to a role she didn’t occupy in her first, more successful, season in Chicago.

Bianchi’s lone goal contribution of the 2024 NWSL regular season came in Chicago’s home-opener when she scored before halftime as the Red Stars took down Seattle Reign 2-1 at SeatGeek Stadium in March. The midfielder made 17 appearances (10 starts) for Chicago in 2024 and also featured in their playoff loss to Orlando. Her minutes did go down from over 1,300 in 2023 to under 800 in 2024.

2024 was Bianchi’s final season with Chicago. The team and her agency have made that clear on social media, and it will be crucial for Bianchi to find a team where she can get consistent playing time. She’s shown the ability to create chances for teams at the top levels of women’s soccer, and a good run of play could be enough to reinsert herself into Brazil’s national team fold.