SANDY, UT—The offense for the Chicago Red Stars finally came alive and then the defense held on as they defeated Sky Blue FC, 3-2, to advance to the NWSL Challenge Cup Final on Sunday (11:30am CT, CBS). After the last five knockout stage matches produced all of two goals in regulation, this match became the highest-scoring since the third match of the Challenge Cup when Houston and Utah played to a 3-3 draw.
The Red Stars had scored just two goals in five matches this competition. By the 11th minute of Wednesday, they had scored two in a span of three minutes. Bianca St. Georges collected a pass from Katie Johnson in the eighth minute, turned Gina Lewandowski, and then beat Kailen Sheridan far post for the opening score and her first profession goal that surprised even her.
“Obviously getting a goal on early gave me confidence,” St. Georges said, “But, I think I was more surprised than anything.”
Three minutes later, a poor clearance in the box went to the feet of Rachel Hill who would score from close range for her first goal as a member of the Red Stars.
Sky Blue was not about to give up just yet. In fact, they came close before halftime when Paige Monaghan struck one off the bar. Sky Blue was the initial aggressor at the start of the second half, but a counter at the hour mark by the Red Stars led to Savannah McCaskill making it 3-0.
Sky Blue would still make a game out of things, though, with two goals in a five-minute span. Evelyne Viens headed in from a flick-on header by McCall Zerboni to pull one back. In the 77th minute, Midge Purce’s run led to a cross that was knocked in by Julie Ertz for an own goal.
“I mean, we made it a lot harder on ourselves than we needed to,” Red Stars head coach Rory Dames said of that span. “And I’m sure we’ll pay the price for that part of the game on Sunday from the effort we had to put at the end. But that’s how you learn.”
The stage was set for a grandstand finish, but Sky Blue could not find a third to send the match to penalties at least and the Red Stars moved on to their second consecutive NWSL Final.
“We were playing well after that sorta first spell,” Sky Blue head coach Freya Coombe said after the match. “After we conceded the two goals early, we started to play really well and we were certainly possessing well and dominating the game, but just couldn’t put that final connection, that final piece together.”
So the stage is set for the NWSL Challenge Cup Final Sunday at Rio Tinto Stadium. The Houston Dash, who defeated Portland, 1-0, in the first semifinal, will face the Red Stars with kickoff at 11:30am CT on CBS.
SCORING SUMMARY:
CHI-Bianca St. Georges (Johnson) 8
CHI-Rachel Hill (unassisted) 11
CHI-Savannah McCaskill (St. Georges) 60
NJ-Evelyne Viens (Zerboni) 72
NJ-Julie Ertz (own goal) 77
BOOKING SUMMARY:
CHI-Katie Johnson (caution, tactical foul) 42
NJ-Ifeoma Onumonu (caution, reckless foul) 74
CHI-Kealia Watt (cautoin, tactical foul) 87
CHICAGO RED STARS (4-3-3): #1-Alyssa Naeher; #32-Zoey Goralski (#28-Kayla Sharples 81), #29-Bianca St. Georges, #8-Julie Ertz, #11-Sarah Gorden; #24-Danielle Colaprico, #10-Vanessa DiBernardo, #9-Savannah McCaskill (#15-Makenzy Doniak 79); #33-Katie Johnson, #5-Rachel Hill (#7-Michele Vasconcelos 67), #2-Kealia Watt
Subs not used: #23-Julia Bingham, #21-Emily Boyd, #13-Morgan Gautrat, #28-Tierna Davidson, #30-Hannah Davison, #19-Sarah Leubbert, #38-Carissa Miller, #14-Zoe Morse, #12-Yuki Nagasato, #22-Zoe Redei, #25-Cassie Rohan, #6-Casey Short, #18-Ella Stevens
SKY BLUE FC (4-3-3): #1-Kailen Sheridan; #23-Midge Purce, #24-Estelle Johnson (#8-Erica Skroski 10), #12-Gina Lewandowski, #15-Sabrina Flores (#28-Imani Dorsey 67); #16-Sarah Woldmoe, #6-Jennifer Cudjoe (#19-Elizabeth Eddy 79), #7-McCall Zerboni; #4-Paige Monaghan (#20-Evelyne Viens 67), #25-Ifeoma Onumonu, #9-Nahomi Kawasumi
Subs not used: #5-Nicole Baxter, #18-Cassidy Benintente, #22-Mandy Freeman, #13-Dijana Haracic, #35-Megan Hinz, #21-Amanda McGlynn, #17-Dominique Richardson, #2-Kaleigh Riehl, #26 Chantelle Swaby
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 7-11 NJ
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 4-1 NJ
FOULS: CHI 9-11 NJ
OFFSIDES: CHI 2-2 NJ
CORNER KICKS: CHI 2-3 NJ
SAVES: CHI 0-1 NJ
Referee: Lukasz Szpala
Assistant Referees: Deleana Quin, Walt Heatherly
Fourth Official: Danielle Chesky
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and 75º
Woman of the Match: Bianca St. Georges (CHI)
