By Lesley Ryder
The Chicago Stars suffered their worst loss in franchise history at the hands of the Orlando Pride.
The defending double champions dominated the match from the very beginning, and never let up. Their organization and fluid ball movement was in stark contrast to Chicago’s disoriented defense. After a quiet offseason of transactions, the question remains if head coach Lorne Donaldson has the personnel he needs to succeed this season.
The Stars lack of depth was on display Friday. They started the evening shorthanded, missing 7 players from their usual starting lineup due to illness, injury, and suspension–including Maitane, their lone veteran acquisition.
As a result, the Stars were stuck in their half of the field for most of the match. They struggled to connect their passes, and lacked communication, seemingly gobsmacked by the talent on display in Orlando. The Stars’ struggles were familiar–they faced criticism last season for their lack of possession and build-up play.
When asked in the pre-match presser if Donaldson was able to make the changes he wanted over the offseason, the head coach was frank “To be honest, no. We're still working on stuff. Hopefully we can make it happen in the near future. We need at least a couple more."
The Stars have taken this week in training to put the match behind them in a constructive way. “There was some stuff that we looked at and said we weren't ourselves. And it happens in football. It's happened in all sports. It happened to us. We got to look in the mirror, we’ve got to self-evaluate, self-reflect and just say, "Hey, let's move on." We can't hold on to it, so we just flush it and just move on.” said Donaldson. He made no excuses for the squad’s performance. “They're the best team–one of the best teams in the world. There's a reason why they're the champion. But our performance wasn't good.”
In happier news for the Stars, Sam Staab made her return 233 days after suffering an achilles tear. “I told Alyssa [Naeher] that I’d be back for the start of the season, and I don’t think anyone believed me,” Staab said in the pre-match presser. The former NWSL Ironwoman set the record for most consecutive games played shortly before her injury, and had never appeared in an NWSL match as a substitute. While waiting to go on last week, a coach told her to turn in her sub card “I didn’t even know what that was,” she recalled with a laugh.
The Stars next play the Houston Dash, who seem to be on the rise after their last place finish to last season.
Checking in:
- Ava Cook is back in training for the Stars and running drills, but per Donaldson, her return to play will be dictated by the medical staff.
- Maitane ought to be available for selection following her calf injury, but the team will need to assess her fitness.
- Ludmila returns to the squad after serving her 3-match suspension following a red card against the Washington Spirit in October.