NFL
By: Zachary Draves
The Chicago Red Stars got back into a groove with a home 1-0 victory over the North Carolina Courage at SeatGeek Stadium.
Each team took a knee before the game during the national anthem, presumably to mark what would have been the 28th birthday of Breonna Taylor enhancing the commitment to social justice that has become a major focus of the NWSL.
The enthusiasm and energy of the fans in attendance was palpable and further solidifies the ever-increasing appreciation and support for women’s sports, contrary to the persistent sexism of the naysayers.
The vocal fan club known as the Chicago Local 134 is the equivalent of the bleacher bums at Wrigley or the bleacher creatures at Yankee Stadium, a passionate group of fans who never miss a chance to make like Public Enemy and bring the noise.
Throughout the game, the Red Stars were consistent in getting shots to the net living up to the expectation of being a high-caliber team willing to take advantage of those opportunities.
Some of the key highlights are
7:00- A flurry of shots from the Red Stars, highlighted by Mal Pugh and Vanessa DiBernardo, all were deflected by the Courage defense.
27:00 – Kealia Watt’s breakaway goal attempt curls just wide of the far post.
29:00 – Rachel Hill finishes off a Tierna Davidson cross to put the Red Stars up by one.
48:00 – Pugh almost opens up the second half with a goal from the center of the box, but North Carolina’s Casey Murphy is able to control the shot.
71:00 – Alyssa Mautz comes in as a substitute, making her first appearance in an NWSL game since 2019 following multiple significant knee injuries.
GAME NOTES
Rachel Hill’s Player of the Match effort was felt throughout the game, ultimately affecting Saturday’s win on both sides of the ball.
In addition to scoring the lone goal, Hill had 57 touches to go along with 30 passes – 25 of which were in the opposing half (tied for the team lead) – four open play crosses (a team-high), three tackles, two clearances, and an interception.
Morgan Gautrat played a crucial role in Chicago’s midfield. Gautrat led the team in passes with 42 to go along with a shot on target, 57 touches, and two tackles and clearances each.
Sarah Woldmoe’s impact on the game was also felt in the midfield, dictating play along with midfielders Gautrat and Vanessa DiBernardo.
Woldmoe tied for the team lead in clearances with five and finished with 30 passes at an accuracy of 70%, 49 touches, and a shot.
Today’s game marked the return to NWSL action for Alyssa Mautz.
After entering the game in the 71st minute, Mautz officially played in her first NWSL game since suffering back-to-back ACL injuries in 2019 and 2020. Mautz finished the game with 14 touches, won all her aerial duels, and totaled nine passes.
Red Stars Head Coach Rory Dames attributed the win to the defense limiting the Courage’s shots on goal.
“With Carolina we seem to do OK. You got to take away their space” he said.
“Collectively as a group our defense group was good.”
The Red Stars (2-2-1) come back from the international break in two weeks at home, facing the Washington Spirit on June 19th as part of a Juneteenth game at 7 p.m. CT.
