Chicago Red Stars Vs Seattle Reign: Week 3 Preview
After an amazing match against Portland this past weekend, the Chicago Red Stars stay home in hopes of earning their first win against the Seattle Reign.
With an absolute stunner against Portland last week, the Chicago Red Stars continue to look for their first points of the season with another game at home.
This time, it is the other Cascadian team, the Seattle Reign. The Reign come into this game with the same record as the Red Stars, two draws from their first two games. Will this trend continue or will one of them finally break the ice?
We know that Casey Short is officially back from her injury, although not completely given the Portland outing. Any coach would take it slow with such an important player and we saw her getting subbed off late in that game. Other places on the injury front to look out for is Arin Wright, who once again pulled up with some sort of injury during the game against Portland. She was able to finish the match, but coach Rory Dames may take it a bit easier on her and could rest her.
Another couple of players to think about are Morgan Brian and Maria Sánchez. Brian has not made the starting line-up yet this season but has consistently come off the bench. In the last game, she was an important part of the offense later on. She is pushing hard for a starting spot. It is a similar case with Maria Sánchez. I am not sure why she wouldn’t be making it onto the bench after a great showing in the preseason. Could she be injured? Or could it just be that the Red Stars just have so much talent that there’s no room for her until the World Cup rolls around? Both are extremely valid arguments.
As for the opposition, the Seattle Reign are coming off another 1-1 draw, this time to the Orlando Pride. Their offense is sorely missing the spark from Megan Rapinoe, who is… out? Still trying to figure out why she hasn’t specifically played in the past two matches, but judging from the fact that she wasn’t involved in either match, I don’t expect her to play in this upcoming match.
However, Seattle has shown a great ability to keep up pressure on the attack, finding many more opportunities than Orlando in their last game. This comes from a strong midfield that includes USWNT Allie Long and Japanese National Team player Rumi Utsugi, both of whom have caused trouble for their opposition. On the other hand, the Chicago Red Stars also have shown a strong midfield game, with Julie Ertz and Danielle Colaprico dominating the midfield in the past couple of games. This is a battle to watch.
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One problem that carries over between the previous match and this one for the Red Stars is the center-backs. While the game will mostly be played in the midfield and the Reign offense isn’t over-powered in the way that the previous two teams’ attacks were, it is always important to have trust in your center-backs. The question for now is: When will Katie Naughton and Tierna Davidson finally mesh together and become the defensive unit that they’re supposed to be?
Other than that, the Red Stars still look strong. As I previously mentioned, they have done great work in the midfield in the past two games with Ertz and Colaprico playing off one another beautifully. The depth from the bench is there, the attacking unit of Katie Johnson, Yuki Nagasato, and Sam Kerr is developing well, and Alyssa Naeher continues to be Alyssa Naeher. All they need to do is win.
Projected XIs:
Chicago Red Stars (4-3-1-2): Alyssa Naeher; Casey Short, Katie Naughton, Tierna Davidson, Arin Wright; Morgan Brian, Julie Ertz, Danielle Colaprico; Yuki Nagasato; Sam Kerr, Katie Johnson
Seattle Reign (4-2-3-1): Michelle Betos; Kristen McNabb, Meghan Oyster, Lauren Barnes, Theresa Nielsen; Allie Long, Rumi Utsugi; Shea Groom, Bev Yanez, Bethany Balcer; Jodie Taylor
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How To Watch:
Saturday, April 27th, 7:00 PM CDT; At SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL, on NBC Sportsnet Chicago, and online with the Yahoo Sports App