CHICAGO – Two days after guiding the team in the National Women’s Soccer League championship game, Rory Dames Monday stepped down as head coach.

Dames resigned only hours before Washington Post report detailed years of allegations of emotional abuse by Red Stars players.

Seven players including U.S. women’s national team forward Christen Press, who played for the Red Stars from 2014-17, was quoted by the Post that Dames berated and emotionally abused players and sought inappropriate relationships with some.

“I think Rory emotionally abuses players,” Press wrote in a formal complaint obtained by the Post. “He doesn’t have a safe distance between himself and his players. He uses his power and status as the coach to manipulate players and get close to them.”

The National Women’s Soccer League Players Association essentially said good riddance to Dames.

“This type of coaching has no place in the NWSL, youth soccer or anywhere else,” the NWSLPA said in a statement. “We stand with Christen Press, Jen Hoy, Sam Johnson and any player who comes forward to speak out against abuse of any kind.

“We have said it before and will say it again now: the system has failed us. Through our investigation, we will seek out the root causes of these systematic failures to prevent this from happening to future generations.

“Nothing short of a complete transformation of our league will suffice.”

Earlier in the day, Dames resigned as head coach of the team, which lost to the Washington Spirit in the NWSL final, 2-1, in Louisville, Ky. on Saturday.

Dames, 48, took over the Red Stars in 2011 and was the longest tenured coach in the NWSL, which played its first season in 2013.

“For 11 years, I have dedicated myself to help build the Chicago Red Stars into one of the top international clubs,” Dames said in a statement. “Effective today, I’m refocusing my attention to my family and future endeavors, and I am resigning as coach of the Chicago Red Stars. I’d like to thank the Chicago Red Stars organization, the fans and the players who I have had the opportunity to work with in their professional soccer careers. I look forward to watching the Chicago Red Stars and the NWSL continue to grow and evolve while supporting their players.”

The Red Stars said it would start looking for a successor and give Dames’ responsibilities to the assistant coaches and others.

The team did not address the allegations.

“Under Rory’s leadership we have been a remarkably consistent and excellent club on the field,” the Red Stars said in a statement when Dames resigned. “We continually evaluate our team and front office environment, and given the dynamic change underway in the league, it is time to begin the next chapter of the Red Stars with a search for new leadership of the team.”

The NWSL has been beset several male coaches who had abused players for years. Two of the most promiment coaches who were sacked this year were the North Carolina Courage’s Paul Riley and the Spirit’s Richie Burke.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.