Stars survive a late push from an injury-depleted Gotham FC to earn a 0-0 draw
By Lesley Ryder
The Chicago Stars stars earned their first clean sheet on the road against Gotham FC in a scoreless draw. Alyssa Naeher earned her 50th shutout, and became the first keeper in the NWSL to record 45 clean sheets with a single club.
The Stars came out to a flying start, with Ludmila streaking down the field for a chance at goal just 16 seconds in. They continued to press, maintaining the majority of the possession and holding Gotham shotless in the first twenty minutes of the match.
In the 28th minute, Jameese Joseph dribbled through the Gotham box and stayed on her feet after a challenge from Gotham’s Lily Reale. The referee initially ruled the action a penalty, but VAR overturned the call.
The second half brought a change of pace for the Stars. They took the gas off the press, and invited Gotham to work through a crowded middle of the field to create their scoring opportunities. Bea Franklin battled Jaelin Howell throughout the match in a fight for possession, and won 8 of 11 aerial duels. “We definitely had some combative moments in there, and I'm proud of the way I handled most of them. There's always room for improvement,” Franklin said after the match. “I respect the heck out of her. I think she played really hard, and I think I came out on top of some of them, so I'm happy.”
Chicago managed to find chances through the pressure. In the 61st minute, Jameese Joseph dribbled the ball a long run through midfield and laced a shot from outside the 18’ that went just off the hands of Ann-Katrin Berger.
Gotham continued to work, with Midge Purce leading the side in progressive carries downfield, and crosses into the penalty area. Her final cross came to the feet of McKenna Whitham, who took a shot saved by Alyssa Naeher at the death of the match.
The Stars earned their first clean sheet since October 4, 2024 when they defeated the Dash 2-0. For defender Sam Staab, the result came through the team’s dedication to belief, and hard work. “After the game, we just kind of said, if we keep playing like this, playing together, keep believing in each other, like, the results will come,” Staab said after the match. “If we keep defending like that, if we keep attacking really good teams like that, it's gonna it's gonna come like it's just, we have to be patient. But we're getting closer and closer every single game.”
Interim head coach Masaki Hemmi took pride in the team’s preparation and execution for the match. “We knew coming into the game that they were performing really well at the time, attacking players, bunch of talented players on the field, so we just, we just needed to execute what we've been executing, but little bit tighter in certain moments,” Hemmi said after the match “Later in the half, we can get a little bit tired. In those moments, can we still be professional and execute our tactics? And I'm just really proud of the group overall in the performance we put on, I think the game is could have gone our way as well.”
The result was a much-needed point for the side at the quarter mark of the season, but the match showed plenty of work still to be done. They struggled to make the best of their set pieces, and to connect their passes in the final third. Joseph’s effort in the 61st minute was the team’s lone shot on target.
New manager bounce
Masaki Hemmi’s first match at the helm led to the team’s first draw of the season. He inherits the interim head coaching job at a time when the club needs stability, and points on the table. While the starting XI may not have changed, Sunday’s match showed a commitment to 90 minutes of play that has been missing for the Stars this season. “I’m just so proud of the execution throughout the game. We weren't giving much away with the executed tactics. Even later in the half, when someone has to step up, in that moment—someone was stepping up to get a block. I mean, Alyssa Naeher coming up with the same save at the end is a prime example of we need everybody to get shut outs.”
Sunday’s match for the Stars went as planned. When Hemmi was publicly introduced in the team’s pre-match media availability, he set the table for the weekend’s performance. “You can't change too much, or if you try to, I don't think that's fair for the players. I think the small tweak and small improvement can be made is, I truly believe in setting the environment right for each of the players, so just making sure that each players knows their roles and responsibilities on and off the field within the organization, and just understanding that they all take part of this team’s success.”
With the new position comes challenges. “We're not getting results right now. So shifting the focus to, how do we get results? And it's coming from consistency of how we perform. And I think we need to be more. The execution needs to be done with confidence and authority,” Hemmi said “I truly believe all of our players are capable of adding value to the team. So just making sure, you know, we're trying to be on the same page with each of the players and an understanding that my belief’s in them… but obviously I really just focus on what we can control, and it makes things a little bit easier mentally.”
Coming up next
The Stars come home this weekend to host The Washington Spirit, who suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since September 2023. They’ve been without several key players this season, including Trinity Rodman, Croix Bethune, and Hal Hershfelt, but they still managed to snap the Orlando Pride’s undefeated streak with a win on the road in April.
Chicago’s still searching for their first home win of the season.