Author: Dan Gaichas of Windy City Soccer
The 2015 Chicago Red Stars season came to an end on Sunday afternoon as the fell to FC Kansas City, 3-0, in the NWSL semifinals at Toyota Park. It was the first playoff appearance for the Red Stars in a top flight women’s soccer league while FC Kansas City gets a chance to defend their NWSL title against the winner of the semifinal between Seattle Reign FC and Washington Spirit on Thursday, October 1st, in Portland.
Chicago Red Stars’ Christen Press on the attack against F.C. K.C. (photo credit: Don MacGregor)
The Red Stars had a bright first ten minutes of the match with the best chance from Christen Press just grazing the bar in the 8th minute. But in the 12th minute, things went pear-shaped as Lauren Holiday blocks Michele Dalton’s clearance and it went to Amy Rodriguez who put it into an open net for the opening score.
Nine minutes later, FCKC doubled their advantage as Heather O’Reilly crossed the ball to Erika Tymrak who was given space and beat Dalton far post. Four minutes after that, Rodriguez got behind the Red Stars defense and rounded Dalton and shot between two defenders on the line to make it 3-0 to the visitors.
Chicago Red Stars forward Sofia Huerta in a 50-50 challenge with an F.C. K.C. defender (photo credit: Don MacGregor)
FC Kansas City would see the rest of the match out by absorbing the Red Stars’ pressure as the Red Stars were denied twice more by the woodwork and by Nicole Barnhart who made nine saves on the day.
“I’m very happy with the performance of the team,” said FC Kansas City head coach Vlatko Andonovski, “especially with the first half. We scored three goals in the first half. We came out with intensity. We wanted it more and we capitalized on out opportunities.”
Chicago Red Stars midfielder Danielle Colaprico looks to breakaway from F.C. K.C. forward Lauren Holiday (Photo credit: Don MacGregor)
Forward Lauren Holiday will get one more match in Portland before retiring from pro soccer, but that’s the last thing on her mind right now.
“I’m not thinking about it,” said Holiday. “I really want to win [the NWSL title]. That’s been my goal the whole season. My goal is to win last year, win the World Cup, and if we can win [the title]again this year, it would be the best send-off I can ask for. So my focus is winning and I will get emotional after that.”
“I think we’re upset that we lost and maybe by the goals that we lost as well,” said Johnston. “We thought that we did some good things. [FCKC] is completely world class and if you give them slight opportunities, they definitely know how to put those away.
For Red Stars head coach Rory Dames, it was a matter of FCKC putting away their chances and the Red Stars not doing the same.
“I actually thought we played fairly well,” said Dames. “The first ten minutes we created two or three good chances. We had them pinned. We apparently like to make SportsCenter’s Not Top Ten when we’re on [Fox Sports 1], because it’s the second time we’ve given away a goal that’s unusual for us.
“The biggest difference in the game is we got into a lot of dangerous spots. We just lacked the quality to do anything about it. They had better players in those spots and when got into those spots they punished us for it.”
Despite that, Dames feels it was a great season and the future looks bright for his team.
“I think the team had a great year. I don’t think a single game destroyed the work of the whole season. We have a lot of young players, not just [Arin Gilliand, Sophia Huerta, and Danielle Colaprico], but when [Cara Walls] was called upon earlier this season, she was good for us. People forget [Julie Johnston] is a second year player.
“So I think [FCKC] is coming to the end of a cycle and I think we are starting to be in the front end of a cycle. There are more teachable moments and mistakes that we made in the first half that we can go back to watch to learn from and probably 75% of the games we played this year. So we’ll get it right.”
Reserve goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc did not see action in her final match with the Red Stars. She had announced her retirement last week. She thanked the crowd after the match. It is uncertain as to whether midfielder and captain Lori Chalupny will follow as she announced her retirement from the national team last month.
The Red Stars finished with their best-ever points per game (1.65) and best finish (2nd) in the NWSL. With young players like Julie Johnston, Christen Press, and others; the future indeed looks certainly bright as they approach 2016.
SCORING SUMMARY:
FCKC-Amy Rodriguez (unassisted) 12’
FCKC-Erika Tymrak (O’Reilly) 21’
FCKC-Amy Rodriguez (unassisted) 25’
BOOKING SUMMARY:
CRS-Samantha Johnson (caution, reckless foul) 66’
CHICAGO RED STARS (4-4-2): #18-Michele Dalton; #3-Arin Gilliand, #8-Julie Johnston, #6-Abby Erceg (#16-Samantha Johnson 46’), #14-Taryn Hemmings; #4-Alyssa Mautz (#20-Sophia Huerta 46’), #10-Vanessa DiBernardo, #17-Lori Chalupny (C), #24-Danielle Colaprico; #2-Jen Hoy (#9-Melissa Tancredi 58’), #23-Christen Press
Subs not used: #1-Karina LeBlanc, #9-Melissa Tancredi, #11-Rachel Quon, #13-Michelle Lomnicki, #19-Adriana Leon
FC KANSAS CITY (4-5-1): #18-Nicole Barnhart; #3-Becca Moros, #4-Becky Sauerbrunn (C), #13-Leigh Ann Robinson, #17-Amy LePeilbet;, #6-Jen Buczkowski, #9-Heather O’Reilly, #15-Erika Tymrak (#11-Frances Silva 71’), #25-Mandy Laddish (#14-Yael Averbuch 62’); #8-Amy Rodriguez (#2-Shea Groom 88’), #12-Lauren Holiday
Subs not used: #18-Nicole Barnhart, #5-Liz Bogus, #22-Sarah Hagen, #23-Caroline Kastor
TOTAL SHOTS: CRS 18-11 FCKC
SHOTS ON GOAL: CRS 9-8 FCKC
FOULS: CRS 4-8 FCKC
OFFSIDES: CRS 3-3 FCKC
CORNER KICKS: CRS 6-0 FCKC
SAVES: CRS 5-9 FCKC
Referee: Karen Abt
Referee’s Assistants: Jeffrey Greeson, Joshua Haimes
Fourth Official: Greg Dopka
Attendance: N/A
Woman of the Match: Amy Rodriguez (FCKC)
