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FC Gold Pride forward Tiffeny Milbrett watches as Red Stars defender Kate Markgraf wins the ball out of the air.

Kate Markgraf laughs that she goes to bed early, that her almost four-year-old son Keegan doesn’t like to eat his vegetables, that he got put in timeout for punching one of her soon to be one-year-old twins in the face, and her kids are likely watching Dora and Diego if the TV is on.

This all seems quite normal for a mother of three, except for the part about bringing home an Olympic Gold Medal in 2008 and becoming the only professional athlete to come back from giving birth to twins.

“Giving birth to twins is a whole new dynamic,” said Markgraf of daughter Carson and son Xavier. “I don’t think any professional athlete has actually ever done that so there is no formula to it. I’m taking it really, really slow. You can’t really listen to your body; you just have to listen to your trainers.”



Markgraf was one of the Chicago Red Stars’ U.S. Women’s National Team allocations in 2008, but due to her pregnancy, the defender was unable to join the team until 2010. Her absence was felt in Chicago last season, as their backline struggled to keep balls out of the net. In fact, their then goalkeeper, Caroline Jönsson, faced the most shots on goal in 2009.

Even though the Red Stars currently don’t boast a winning record (2-4-1, 7 points), the likes of Markgraf, 2010 WPS Draft addition Whitney Engen, and Marian Dalmy have been a bright spot for Chicago this season. In fact, Markgraf proved she was back on track to Pia Sundhage and earned a call-up for the U.S. National Team’s friendly against Germany in May.

“Playing against Germany was an unexpected surprise,” said Markgraf. “It was a great opportunity. I had so much fun. It’s always an honor to play for your country, it’s always an honor to be asked to train with you country, and I never take it for granted.”

The center back made her first appearance with the national team in 1998 and has since played in three World Cups, three Olympic Games and now two professional soccer leagues.

With just seven weeks of WPS games under her belt, things have already drastically changed on the Red Stars.
Amid early criticism for their talent-filled roster producing lack-luster results, the Red Stars relieved Emma Hayes of her head coaching duties. The team sat near the bottom of the WPS Standings for most of the 2009 Inaugural Season and the beginning of 2010. The week of the coaching change the Midwest-side was able to bring down the first-place FC Gold Pride in a 1-0 decision this past Saturday.

“I think the big thing for us is continual team improvement on organization,” said Markgraf. “I think that is something we lacked in the first four or five games and this last game we put all the pieces together. That allowed our individual talent and creative flair to come out.”

On Sunday, the club will play under newly appointed head coach Omid Namazi in a tough match. In a Fox Soccer Channel televised game (6 pm ET/3 pm ET) the Red Stars will face a newly designed Atlanta Beat squad.

Certainly concerned with their one point to date (0-5-1) and last-place standing headed into the eighth week of play, the Beat took to the helm of acquiring free agents out of Saint Louis. Thus, Sunday not only presents Chicago with an opponent desperately craving a win, but one stacked with Hope Solo, Tina Ellertson, Lori Chalupny and Eniola Aluko.

“The Beat is not the same team,” said Markgraf.   “They have half of the Saint Louis team. Saint Louis was a great team and Atlanta has taken the best that they had. So we just have to stay together and focus in on our game.”
With defense tightened up in Chicago and players added in Atlanta, a cranked-up offense on each side will be crucial for a win.

Notes:

• The league has approved the following Atlanta Beat player signings of former Saint Louis Athletica players: forward Eniola Aluko, midfielders Carolyn Blank and Lori Chalupny, defender Tina Ellertson and goalkeeper Hope Solo.  However, before they can suit up for their new club, their registrations must be process by U.S. Soccer.  An update on their availability will be available on the Roster Report Friday evening.
• Atlanta’s player signings reunite 2009 Saint Louis Athletica center back pairing Kia McNeill and Tina Ellertson, along with Angie Kerr and Lori Chalupny in the midfield.
• New Chicago Head Coach Omid Namazi’s last match with the San Diego Spirit in WUSA featured an overtime playoff loss to the WUSA’s Atlanta Beat. He now opens play with the Red Stars against WPS’s Atlanta Beat.