Chicago Red Stars Vs Utah Royals: Week 24 Preview
In the final game of the season, the Chicago Red Stars hold their playoff destiny in their own hands in one last home game against the Utah Royals. Here is a full Week 24 preview.
The Chicago Red Stars may have clinched a playoff berth but the battle is not over for them this regular season when the Utah Royals come to Illinois this weekend. The Portland Thorns are just two points behind with a game in hand. The Red Stars need to win this game to give them the best chance at a home playoff game, and the Royals are still in a playoff battle of their own.
Last week, Vanessa DiBernardo and Arin Wright were both upgraded from being out, but neither made an appearance from off the bench. After one more week to get over their stomach bug, I think that this game has to be the one they come back in for. Other than that, it doesn’t appear as though anyone on either team has any new additions to the injury report.
After losing a massive six-point game earlier this week against Seattle, the Utah Royals need a win to get back within punching distance of the playoffs. The problem is that they have lost their last three games straight, with their last win coming against Portland at the beginning of the month. They are cornered right now. But could they lash out with their backs against the wall?
The Utah Royals have a single strength and a single weakness: Christen Press. While this sounds like I’m giving her too much credit, consider how much this team changed when she came back from the World Cup. It was a brand new team. She is the nervous system of the Royals attack and if she isn’t there, the entire thing collapses. So the easiest thing for the Red Stars to do is to shut her down, right? Easier said than done.
Press is exactly the type of player that the Chicago Red Stars struggle to handle. She has speed, is creative and possesses terrific finishing ability. She is a complete attacking package. And as we have seen in the past, when faced with that terrifying speed, the Red Stars don’t have an answer. In their loss to Orlando, it was Chioma Ubogagu who took the team down with this similar style of play.
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So how do you combat an amazing attacker that you cannot stop? By just scoring more goals than the other team. That is the point of the game, right? It seems like the Chicago Red Stars have finally gotten their offense to click again, just in time for the playoffs. With Portland struggling, they have a chance to get a home playoff game. All they need to do is take control of their own destiny and win right here.
Projected XI:
Chicago Red Stars (4-3-3): Alyssa Naeher; Sarah Gorden, Tierna Davidson, Julie Ertz, Casey Short; Morgan Brian, Vanessa DiBernardo, Danielle Colaprico; Yuki Nagasato, Sam Kerr, Savannah McCaskill
Utah Royals (4-3-1-2): Nicole Barnhart; Katie Bowen, Rachel Corsie, Becky Sauerbrunn, Mallory Weber; Lo’eau LaBonta, Desiree Scott, Verónica Boquete; Katie Stengel; Amy Rodriguez, Christen Press
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How To Watch:
Saturday, September 28th, 7:00 PM CDT; At SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL, on NBC Sportsnet Chicago, and online with the Yahoo Sports App