Christen Press of the Chicago Red Stars (Photo Credit: Don MacGregor).
BRIDGEVIEW, IL—The Chicago Red Stars maintained their unbeaten run by making it back-to-back wins over the defending champion North Carolina Courage with a 3-2 win at Toyota Park on Saturday. The win moves the Red Stars to within two points of the top of the table Courage with a match in hand.
Danielle Colaprico opened the scoring in the 27th minute collecting a ball in front of the six-yard box and creating space for a shot to beat Sabrina D’Angelo from point-blank range.
However, the Courage equalized just before halftime when ex-Red Star Abby Erceg headed in a corner kick from Samantha Mewis.
Alyssa Mautz restored the Red Stars’ lead nine minutes into the second half after getting on the end of a chip pass from Christen Press. The Courage appealed for offside on the play, but the goal stood.
Five minutes later, Vanessa DiBernardo pounced on a blocked shot from Press and scored her second in as many matches to put the Red Stars up 3-1.
Abby Erceg of the NC Courage.
A goal line clearance by Colaprico in the 74th minute loomed large as the Courage pulled one back in the 82nd minute when Debinha scored off a free kick. However, the Courage could not find the equalizer and dropped their third match in the last four—two of which to the Red Stars.
“My role on corner kicks is to be on the post,” said Colaprico on the goal line clearance. “As the ball goes across, I kind of stay on the line until Alyssa (Mautz) releases me and she communicated to me that she wasn’t going there so she called me to get it and I just headed it off the line.”
Earlier this week, the Red Stars signed Japanese midfielder Yuki Nagasato. Nagasato, 29, was part of the 2011 Women’s World Cup winning team for Japan and has had spell at German sides FFC Turbine Potsdam, VfL Wolfsburg, and FFC Frankfurt; and English side Chelsea.
Also, Press, Julie Ertz, Alyssa Naeher, and Casey Short were called to the US Women’s National Team for friendlies at Sweden on June 8th (12:30pm CT, ESPN2) and at Norway on June 11th (noon CT, FOX). All four players will head for Scandinavia after the June 4th match at home against Seattle.
Kickoff is at 2pm on the go90 app.
SCORING SUMMARY:
CHI-Danielle Colaprico (DiBernardo) 27
NC-Abby Erceg (Mewis) 45+4
CHI-Alyssa Mautz (Press) 54
CHI-Vanessa DiBernardo (unassisted) 59
NC-Debinha (unassisted) 82
BOOKING SUMMARY:
CHI-Danielle Colaprico (caution, tactical foul) 39
CHICAGO RED STARS (4-1-4-1): #1-Alyssa Naeher; #3-Arin Gilliand (#7-Taylor Comeau 46), #5-Katie Naughton, #16-Samantha Johnson, #6-Casey Short; #8-Julie Ertz; #11-Sofia Huerta, #4-Alyssa Mautz (#2-Jen Hoy 77), #24-Danielle Colaprico, #10-Vanessa DiBernardo (#13-Morgan Proffitt 87); #23-Christen Press
Subs not used: #18-Michele Dalton, #19-Summer Green, #9-Stephanie McCaffrey, #30-Lauren Kaskie
NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE (3-4-3): #1-Sabrina D’Angelo; #13-Abby Dahlkemper, #6-Abby Erceg, #20-Yuri Kawamura (#10-Debinha 32); #11-Taylor Smith, #5-Samantha Mewis, #26-Sam Witteman (#14-Jessica McDonald) 46), #15-Jaelene Hinkle; #9-Lynn Williams, #7-McCall Zerboni, #3-Makenzy Doniak (#23-Kristen Hamilton 72)
Subs not used: #99-Katelyn Rowland, #12-Ashley Hatch, #8-Rosana
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 8-9 NC
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 4-5 NC
FOULS: CHI 8-7 NC
OFFSIDES: CHI 6-0 NC
CORNER KICKS: CHI 4-9 NC
SAVES: CHI 3-1 NC
Referee: Rebecca Pagan
Referee’s Assistants: Deleana Quan, Joshua Haimes
Fourth Official: Rachel Smith
Weather: Sunny and 72º
Attendance: 2,618
Woman of the Match: Danielle Colaprico (CHI)
