The Chicago Red Stars bounced back from their first loss of the season to complete the season sweep against Seattle.
It only took four minutes for the Red Stars to get on the scoreboard. Mal Swanson sprinted down the field and drew in the Seattle defense. She fed the ball forward to a wide open Ally Schlegel, who buried her shot for her second goal of the season. “When I see mal picking up the ball, I know she’s gonna draw defenders.” Schlegel said, recalling the last time Chicago played Seattle “Last time, I was super tight to her, and the ball hit the back of my foot… this moment was almost exactly the same, and I knew I needed to stay wide this time.”
Mal Swanson added a tally of her own in the 31st minute off a Jenna Bike cross. This marked the second time so far this season that the pair have connected for a goal.
The Red Stars continued their energetic attack in the first half, with two more chances from Swanson: a banger off the crossbar, and a tap-in later ruled offside.
Seattle Reign pulled within one goal on a belter from Tziarra King from outside the 18-yard box. With momentum in their favor, the Reign attack came alive with chances for an equalizer.
NWSL Save of the Week winner, Tatumn Milazzo made another heroic goal line save to preserve the Red Stars lead late in the match.
Alyssa Naeher made saves and became the first goalkeeper to reach the 15,000 minute milestone. When asked about the key to longevity she laughed. “We’ve got a young, energetic group, keeping me young these days. I think it’s trying to stay in the preparation, Keep training, keep preparing, and take it one day at a time.”
Coach Donaldson was not about to let her leave without her flowers. “She’s being very modest.” He interjected. “I’ve been around this game a long time, and I have never ever seen a player, man or woman, prepare as good as she does, and take care of her body.”
The Red Stars have committed to a strong defense this season, and the efforts are paying off. After finishing last season rock bottom in the table with 50 goals conceded, they now sit in third place, tied for the lead with fewest goals against.
“That’s the first thing we talked about. We defend from the front.” Coach Donaldson said. “We know we can get goals, so if we defend from the front, it’s gonna give us a better chance of winning… I think that’s our culture, it’s what we’re building here, and that’s what we’re made of. I think the players know it, and they’ve bought into it.”
“I’m proud of the group, and the group mentality this year.” Alyssa Naeher said of the defensive improvements. “The commitment to defending, the commitment to transition, the commitment to getting better from game to game… it’s not always the prettiest, but it’s that finding a way to win.”
Resilience is an oft-mentioned word in Lorne Donaldson’s comments about this Red Stars team. This week, they showed they could rebound from a loss, and come back stronger for the win.
The Red Stars return to Bridgeview for their next match against the Portland Thorns on Saturday at 6:30 PM CT.