NFL
By: Zachary Draves
A pair of Chicago Red Stars and Olympic medalists were welcomed back by an army of devoted and raucous fans with thunderclaps in hand at SeatGeek Stadium in their first match since Tokyo to take on Kansas City during a heatwave no less.
Casey Krueger, Tierna Davidson, Julie Ertz, and Alyssa Naeher were given their props before the game in recognition of their participation on the USWNT that won a bronze medal.
From the start, both teams were on the same accord when it came to ball pressure, possession, and shots on goal, until at the 35-minute mark, #16 Sarah Woldmoe scored the first goal of the game to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, it was pretty much the same, both teams playing at the same pace until once again Sarah came through at the 62 minute to put the Red Stars up 2-0.
Then to finish it out in grand style, #33 Katie Johnson sank in a header at the 82 minute, sealing a 3-0 victory.
You can’t think of a better way to welcome home Olympians than by winning in that fashion.
The highlights of the night are as follows:
KEY MOMENTS
36’ – Sarah Woldmoe scores a header from Mal Pugh’s corner kick to give Chicago the opening goal
62’ – Woldmoe finds the ball in the box after a scramble and slots the ball into the back of the net for her second goal of the game.
81’ – Kealia Watt sends a cross into the box, which found Katie Johnson who heads it in to give Chicago their third goal of the game
GAME NOTES
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Sarah Woldmoe’s performance tonight was one that earned her an emphatic Player of the Match. Woldmoe scored twice, once in the 36th minute and her second coming in the 62nd minute. She would also finish with 56 touches, a perfect percentage for duels won, two tackles, three interceptions, won back possession eight times (a team lead), and 40 total passes
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Cassie Miller held down her end of the field, helping the Red Stars earn a clean sheet at home. Miller would finish the game with five saves and a punch en route to helping the team’s defensive performance.
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Tierna Davidson and Casey Krueger made their return to SeatGeek Stadium Saturday night, playing integral roles in the Red Stars defense during their clean sheet performance. Krueger finished with two tackles and one clearance, an interception, and a block. Davidson finished the game tied with the team lead in clearances with three, as well as adding in an interception.
The Red Stars will be on the road next to face NJ/NY Gotham FC on Sept. 4 at 6:00 pm and will be back home on Sept. 25 against the Portland Thorns at 7:00 pm.
