Photos by Don Mac Gregor
BRIDGEVIEW, IL–In their regular season finale, the Chicago Red Stars defeated the Washington Spirit, 3-1, to clinch third place in the NWSL. The crowd of 3,712 at Toyota Park on Saturday night ensured that the final average attendance was just over 3,000 at 3,005. The win ties the record number of wins for the club at nine (9-5-6).
The Red Stars got off to a fast start as Vanessa DiBernardo played a thru ball to Christen Press. Press then turned Estelle Johnson and then curled her shot past Kelsey Wys for the opening score after just six minutes.
Twenty minutes later, the lead was doubled as Cara Walls from 16 yards out shot past two defenders and Wys. One of the goals of the season was scored just under a minute into the second half as Cara Walls shot from an acute angle and beat Wys far post.
Crystal Dunn of the Washington Spirit.
The Spirit responded a minute later through Crystal Dunn after missing the target on several shots in the first half. The visitors kept pushing to get back into the match where victory would have clinched the NWSL Shield. However, the closest they would get was Ali Krieger heading a ball off the crossbar in stoppage time.
After the match, Red Stars head coach Rory Dames was asked about the positive signs going into the playoffs.
“It’s positive to go in off of a win,” said Dames. “We got a lot of work on box defending tonight. That was something we have been putting time into so I thought we were better and more organized there. And we came out of it with no injuries.”
The Red Stars opponent will be determined after Sunday’s match in New Jersey between Sky Blue FC and Portland (6pm, YouTube). If Portland get at least a point in the match, the Red Stars will travel to Washington on Friday at 7pm. If Portland lose, then the Red Stars will be at Portland on Sunday, October 2nd at 4pm. Either way, the match will be on FS1.
SCORING SUMMARY:
CHI-Christen Press (DiBernardo) 6
CHI-Cara Walls (Huerta) 26
CHI-Sophia Huerta (unassisted) 46
WAS-Crystal Dunn (unassisted) 47
BOOKING SUMMARY:
None
CHICAGO RED STARS (4-4-2): #18-Michele Dalton; #3-Arin Gilliand, #8-Julie Johnston, #16-Samantha Johnson, #6-Casey Short; #24-Danielle Colaprico, #10-Vanessa DiBernardo (#5-Katie Naughton 890, #11-Sophia Huerta, #7-Taylor Comeau (#4-Alyssa Mautz 67); #23-Christen Press (C), #12-Cara Walls (#2-Jen Hoy 80)
Subs not used: #1-Alyssa Naeher, #13-Amanda DaCosta, #14-Sarah Gorden, #15-Courtney Raetzman
WASHINGTON SPIRIT (4-3-3): #18-Kelsey Wys; #11-Ali Krieger (C), #5-Whitney Church, #24-Estelle Johnson, #3-Caprice Dydasco; #15-Joanna Lohman (#10-Estefania Banini 81), #23-Tori Huster, #7-Christine Nairn; #19-Crystal Dunn, #12-Katie Stengel (#14-Francisca Ordega 61), #8-Diana Matheson (#20-Cheyna Williams 61)
Subs not used: #1-Stephanie Labbe, #22-Alyssa Kleiner, #4-Megan Oyster, #27-Line Sigvardsen Jensen
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 11-4 WAS
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 8-4 WAS
FOULS: CHI 8-0 WAS
OFFSIDES: CHI 4-3 WAS
CORNER KICKS: CHI 3-3 WAS
SAVES: CHI 3-5 WAS
Referee: Matthew Franz
Referee’s Assistants: Adrienne McDonald, Maggie Short
Fourth Official: Edgar Osorio
Attendance: 3,712
Woman of the Match: Sophia Huerta (CHI)
Chicago Red Stars
