BRIDGEVIEW, IL–The Red Stars are showing signs of taking on some of the best teams in the National Women’s Soccer League with their efforts of scoring plenty of goals.
Mallory Pugh is one of the leaders with three goals over the last two matches with a goal in the 2-2 draw against Portland at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday night.
Pugh scored two goals in her return last at Orlando after missing four matches with a concussion in a 4-2 victory at Orlando last weekend. She missed the last two in the Challenge Cup and the first two regular season matches.
“One of the biggest differences is having Mallory (Pugh) back,” Chicago Red Stars head coach Chris Petrucelli said. “She adds so much into the attack. Not so much with herself and sets up other players. We have been dynamic over the last couple of games.
Pugh is working her way back and appears to be showing sign that the team would like to have her on the field along to see that Pugh is happy to be back.
“I felt pretty good, and the game was a bit different than Orlando,” Pugh said. “In Orlando, I was just coming off the injury, so that game was just coming into it and this one I started and was able to get minutes.
Ava Cook was the one that set Pugh up on the goal, in which Pugh took on a Portland defender into the box and scored into the back of the net with a spectacular opening goal.
Cook also found another assist with her efforts like the first one and slotted a ball for Rachel Hill. Which she was able to finish an amazing shot.
The Red Stars offense has showed moments of scoring through its first four matches (2-1-1, 7 points) and will be tested through a tough stretch of 5 matches in the next 14 days ahead of them through the next couple of weeks.
