Photo: Len Cederholm
Chicago Red Stars 2-1 Seattle Reign FC
BRIDGEVIEW, IL—In front of the largest home opener crowd in club history (5,494), the Red Stars won back-to-back games to open the season for the first time in their history. Goals by Julia Bianchi and Maxi Rall, plus some well-organized defending, gave the Red Stars a 2-1 victory over Seattle Reign.
The Red Stars made just one change from the lineup that beat Utah, last Saturday, as Jenna Bike started in place of the injured Penelope Hocking. There were few clear cut chances in the first half, but the Red Stars made the most of things in the 42nd minute after some pressure from the right side. The ball came out to Julia Bianchi who scored from just inside the area to put the Red Stars ahead. It would be her first goal in NWSL play.
Seattle came out of the break the more refreshed team and their pressure paid off in the 62nd minute. The ball would come to Ji So-Yun outside of the box and she would curl it just inside the far post away from Alyssa Naeher to level the scoring. It was the first time in NWSL history that a Korean player had scored in the league.
Parity would last just five minutes though as Taylor Malham sent a long ball into the box that an unmarked Maxi Rall connected with and beat keeper Claudia Dickey far post for here first NWSL goal and to put the Red Stars back on top where they would stay.
“It’s nice in the end that it’s in the goal,” said Rall. “I always try to make that run in the box because only there you can score. And, sometimes it happens. And today, it’s finally there.”
After allowing 50 goals last season, the Red Stars have allowed just the one in the first two matches while scoring four. A better organized defense has been one of the things being worked on to improve the Red Stars’ fortunes from last season.
“If you are good in defense, then you have a good opportunity to win games. So I think we all have to work for that. It starts in the front and it ends in the back. And together as a team, we made it really good today,” said Rall.
“The message has been very, very consistent from when we started out. We’re a team, you know, that, you know, is gonna go through some hard times and we will have a a few good times. When we have the hard times, we have to know how to be very resilient and just being relentless. So when I start going through players, we start selecting players with a mindset that can get some of this stuff done,” said Red Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson.
“They might not be the best technicians, but we have some technicians out there who are young. So we have to just build them along. But they know that we have to be a group. And as Julia mentioned, we have to change the character, the team, and the culture.
“So that’s what we’re looking to do right away. Let’s change the culture into a attitude. Even if you lose games, you have a winning mentality. And I mentioned to them, when you go to war and if you get in a foxhole, then some of them don’t know what a foxhole is, then we have to defend each other. One person slips up in the foxhole, we’re in trouble. So it’s like a foxhole mentality. We all have to work for each other.”
The Red Stars will travel to Orland to take on Pride. Next Saturday at 6pm CT on NWSL+.
(Editor’s Note: For more of Len Cederholm’s photos, please click on the link to his gallery.)
SCORING SUMMARY:
CHI-Julia Bianchi (unassisted) 42
RGN-Ji So-Yun (unassisted) 62
CHI-Maxi Rall (Malham) 68
BOOKING SUMMARY:
CHI-Natalia Kuikka (reckless tackle) 29
RGN-Phoebe McClernon (tactical foul) 85
CHICAGO RED STARS (4-4-2): #1-Alyssa Naeher; #32-Talyor Malham, #3-Sam Staab, #12-Natalia Kuikka, #4-Cari Roccaro; #26-Nadia Gomes (#7-Ava Cook 46), #28-Maxi Rall, #5-Julia Bianchi (#13-Leilanni Nesbeth 78), #24-Jenna Bike; #34-Ally Schlegel (#15-Sarah Griffith 78), #9-Mallory Swanson (#33-Alli Cook 84)
Subs not used: #19-Mackenzie Wood, #41-Hannah Anderson, #30-Camryn Biegalski, #8-Jameese Joseph, #23-Tatumn Milazzo
SEATTLE REIGN (4-3-3): #1-Claudia Dickey; #17-Lily Woodham (#22-Ryanne Brown 68), #3-Lauren Barnes, #21-Phoebe McClernon, #11-Sofia Huerta; #10-Jess Fishlock, #5-Quinn, #6-Angharad James Turner (#33-Olivia Ven er Jagt 68); #91-Ji So-Yun, #8-Bethany Balcer (#23-Tziarra King 81), #9-Jordyn Huitema (#47-Emeri Adames 81)
Subs not used: #18-Laurel Ivory, #12-Olivia Athens, #25-Shae Holmes, #13-Julia Lester, #7-Nikki Stanton
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 6-16 RGN
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 3-2 RGN
FOULS: CHI 8-5 RGN
OFFSIDES: CHI 1-2 RGN
CORNER KICKS: CHI 2-7 RGN
SAVES: CHI 1-1 RGN
Referee: Rebecca Pagan
Assistant Referees: Chris Schurfranz, Matthew Rodman
4th Official: Alex Beehler
VAR: Ekaterina Koroleva
AVAR: Tom Felice
Weather: Sunny and 38º
Attendance: 5,494
Woman of the Match: Taylor Malham (CHI)
