Chicago Red Stars Vs Washington Spirit: Week 7 Preview

On Sunday, the Chicago Red Stars return home looking to turn back-to-back wins into a streak against the Washington Spirit. Here is a full Week 7 preview.

After starting the season against what many consider to be the best teams in the NWSL, the Chicago Red Stars have outlasted them all to take first place. Now they need to continue this pace and will come back home to SeatGeek Stadium to face the Washington Spirit. Here’s some stuff to think about going into this game.

So, I’ve gotten it wrong multiple times about whether or not Sam Kerr has finally left for the World Cup. At this point, it might be better to treat every game as if she weren’t playing just so that we can see the wealth of depth she has backing her up on this Red Stars team.

In terms of actual injuries, it appears that Danielle Colaprico is listed as questionable with a knee injury. I can say with confidence that I think she will power and play at some point on Sunday, although it could be from off the bench if she is needed late on.

Compared to the Red Stars, the Washington Spirit have a had a relatively easy go of things. Two of their first five games were against Sky Blue FC, who only found a single win last season. They won both of those games, but in Utah, they folded and were lucky to only lose 1-0. Against Seattle, they were fortunate to not give up a goal in a second-half barrage, salvaging a draw as a result. The lone interesting result in their season so far was their last game against Portland, which they won 3-1.

A big part of the offense is Cheyna Matthews, but she’s been called up by the Jamaican National Team for the World Cup, leaving the top attacker to be Jordan DiBiasi, who scored last game. The true star of the team is Aubrey Bledsoe, the goalkeeper. Last year she broke the NWSL record for saves and this year she’s again made a few amazing ones. But while she is a terrific shot-stopper, it is never a good sign when your goalkeeper is the best player on your team. The Spirit defense has been poor, conceding far too many shots and forcing Bledsoe into action more often than she would like.

One big thing that I saw that held up the Chicago Red Stars in their last game was their struggle with holding possession. After Kerr’s two quick goals to start the game, the Red Stars found themselves dealing with a Dash team that was happy to stroke the ball around until an opening finally formed. They can’t let this happen again against the Spirit. They must find greater control of the match in the midfield.

More from MLS Multiplex

The positive side of that coin is that the Red Stars are excellent when they get into the final third. They may not have much controlled possession, but what they do with it is excellent, with some of the best combination play in the league. Goals come in quick fashion with Chicago, and that is what makes them so dangerous. If they can score as they did last week, the Spirit will find it tough to hang.

Projected XI:

Chicago Red Stars (4-2-3-1): Emily Boyd; Arin Wright, Sarah Gorden, Katie Naughton, Casey Short; Danielle Colaprico, Nikki Stanton; Vanessa DiBernardo, Yuki Nagasato, Michele Vasconcelos; Katie Johnson

Washington Spirit (4-3-3): Aubrey Bledsoe; Dorian Bailey, Samantha Staab, Paige Nielsen, Tori Huster; Cali Farquharson, Meggie Dougherty Howard, Andi Sullivan; McKenzie Berryhill, Jordan DiBiasi, Ashley Hatch

Next. Houston Dash Vs Chicago Red Stars: 3 things we learned. dark

How To Watch:

Sunday, May 26th, 5:00 PM CDT; At SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL, on NBC Sportsnet Chicago, and online with the Yahoo Sports App

Home/NWSL