What the Jesus Christ was that?
By Lesley Ryder
The Stars hope for a fresh start went out the window after suffering their second-straight season opening blowout. Angel City bossed Chicago around all match to take an easy 4-0 win.
Angel City took the reins from the start, easily finding passing lanes around a disorganized Stars side. Kennedy Fuller feasted on Chicago’s left side, easily evading Maitane and Ryan Gareis to generate chances for her teammates. In the 33rd minute, Fuller made her own chance, running virtually unchallenged down the left side before tucking a shot past Alyssa Naeher on the short side.
The first half was not without joy for the Stars, who found promising build-up play at times, with Julia Grosso dishing off quick passes, but they could not finish their sequences with shots on goal.
After taking a one-goal lead into halftime, Angel City continued to dictate the pace of the match. In the 53rd minute, Kennedy Fuller sent an inswinger from the corner, and an uncontested Evelyn Shores to the occasion to head it home.
In the 65th minute, Ary Borges made it 3-0 on a disaster attempt from Chicago to play the ball out from the back. Alyssa Naeher tried to thread a pass to Maitane, but Ary Borges stepped up to intercept, and bury the ball for her debut goal for Angel City.
Just five minutes later, Angel City extended their lead. Sarah Gorden sent a dime downfield perfectly played by Svendis Jonsdottir, who beat pulled four Chicago defenders in pursuit, leaving leaving Maira Niehaus wide open to scorch a shot past Naeher.
But the best moment of the match, no matter which team you root for in the NWSL, came in the 63rd minute when Savy King returned to the field for Angel City for the first time since her terrifying cardiac event last season.
Questionable defense
Martin Sjogren’s first match at the helm was marked by questionable decisions in the starting lineup, and on-field play. It was as if players did not know which way they needed to commit in order to stop the relentless attack from Angel City.
Chicago players were cavernously spread, challenging their ability to step up to LA possession. “We are also losing a lot of duels, I think we open up too much, which gives, gives Angel City a lot of time on the ball and A lot of advantages,” Sjogren noted after the match. “I think it's a lot of things when you lose this big, it's a lot of things you want to do better. But today, I think the biggest challenge we had was the way we defended.”
The Stars seemed doomed from the start of the match after injuries to Katy Hendrich and Taylor Wood necessitated changes on the back line. Bea Franklin made her first appearance at center back, and Ryan Gareis, typically further upfield in her career, joined at left back. Curiously, Stanford first team All-American and highly touted center back recruit Elise Evans did not make the team sheet.
In response to Evans’ omission, Martin Sjogren said “it wasn't anything special, because we have 22 players available. So I had to make a decision of which two to not have on the team sheet. And this time, she was one of them. And because, I think we were covered in that position in a good way.”
Sjogren noted that Bea Franklin and Maitane had taken reps at center back during the Stars preseason exhibitions. It’s unclear why Sjogren was auditioning other center backs when Elise Evans is on the roster, and under contract through 2028.
Stars midfielder Brianna Pinto offered the best insight to Chicago’s defending woes in the post-match presser:
The Stars will have to interrogate their defensive choices quickly because up next is a home opener with defending NWSL Shield winners, the Kansas City Current. KC made easy work of the Utah Royals despite starting their 2026 without league MVP Temwa Chawinga. Chicago will host their 2026 opener on Sunday, March 22nd in their new, albeit temporary home by the lake at Northwestern Field at Martin Stadium at 1PM Central.