By Lesley Ryder
Chicago Stars FC got their second draw of the season on the road against Angel City. M.A. Vignola scored in 80th minute the to bring ACFC level, 2-2.
Nadia Gomes and Ally Schlegel recorded their first goals of the season in the second half. Gomes opened her account with a shot that took an odd deflection as she struck the ball, and beat Angelina Anderson. “It felt so good. Once I scored, I didn’t know where I was,” Gomes reflected on the moment in post-match media “I actually thought the ball was going out, so I was raising my hand because it was our ball, and it just went in. It was epic. I can’t even describe the moment.”
Ally Schlegel’s goal was a screamer from 34.4 yards that curled out of Anderson’s reach into the top corner. According to Opta, it was the longest-ever goal scored by a Stars player since detailed data collection began in 2016. Schlegel netted another just minutes later, but the referee deemed a foul was called before the ball went in the back of the net.
Chicago could not hold the lead to the end. M.A. Vignola buried a chance after hitting the woodwork moments before. They settled for the draw, salvaging their first point on the table since May 4th. The result marked the first time Chicago did not lose when trailing at halftime since March 29, 2024.
The Stars came into the match with their lengthiest injury report of the season. Though Natalia Kuikka and Jenna Bike have returned healthy, the Stars added Starters Bea Franklin, Julia Grosso, Jameese Joseph, and Alyssa Naeher to the injured list. The circumstances made for mandatory change in a mostly-unchanged lineup all season. “These are the moments that players who haven’t been getting minutes, they weren’t getting everything they wanted from this organization,” Hemmi said “to be ready when their numbers are called on and do the performance they did? i’m just really proud of them.”
One of those players getting a chance was Manaka Hayashi. The young midfielder had played just 30 minutes total before getting the call for Saturday’s starting XI. She finished fourth on the team with a 76.2% pass completion rate.
Jenna Bike also recorded her first start of the season, coming back to fitness after a quad injury kept her out of the lineup until just before the international break. “It’s been hard watching us struggle from the sideline, but I see every day how my teammates approach trainings and games and the belief that we have in each other it’s really motivating for me on the sidelines stepping back and being able to do that—it’s been a long time coming. I’m really grateful.”
Defender Natalia Kuikka got her first minutes of the season entering as a substitute in the 73rd minute. Before the match, Ally Schlegel spoke of her importance to the team. “She’s just a wonderful player to have around. Her quality speaks for itself often times. She’s a player that no matter what she’s doing, being around her makes you better.”
The Stars will return home this Saturday to play a Soldier Field doubleheader with the Chicago Fire. They’ll look to get their first home win of the season against Seattle Reign.