Still riding high on a three-game win streak, the Chicago Red Stars might not be able to enjoy it for long when they travel to New Jersey to play against Gotham FC. While they haven’t really looked convincing all season, the Red Stars have apparently gained the ability to grind out wins in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, Gotham has only lost a single game all season, even dragging out the NWSL Challenge Cup final to a penalty shootout. It’s gonna be pretty hard to scam Gotham out of three points, so let’s see who won’t be able to make it to this one.
Removing all of the national team players, it looks like the Chicago Red Stars have a completely clean bill of health as Emily Boyd seems to have re-established her place in the 18. Although, she probably won’t get a start any time soon with Cassie Miller putting in some solid performances. Gotham FC’s only injury is still Paige Monaghan, who picked up a hamstring injury earlier in the season. Otherwise, it’s just the Olympians Kailen Sheridan and Carli Lloyd who are out.
Here are three things to look out for this one:
Balanced, As All Things Should Be
One of the most important things in the NWSL is having a team that is deep enough to survive an international tournament. In the mens’ leagues, they actually avoid playing club soccer during international tournaments; but they do things a little differently here in the NWSL. It’s actually a gamble by some teams to try to get a player who is of a high enough quality to almost make the national team, but just not enough that the team would be without them for an extended period of time.
The Chicago Red Stars may look like they lost that gamble, missing Alyssa Naeher, Tierna Davidson, Julie Ertz, and Casey Krueger for the next few weeks, but their gamble did pay off in the fact that almost every single other team is going to be without their best players as well. Mallory Pugh, the most creative and threatening player on the team, was not selected to the US Women’s National Team and therefore will be staying with the Red Stars during a time where they will be up against teams that are going to be out a few key players.
Could this turn into an advantage? Possibly not. But it’s something that equalizes the playing field.
How to Score Own Goals
Last time out, I said something that I want to walk back. I said that “it’s not a strategy to score own goals.” I lied. There’s actually a few ways that a team can strategize around forcing these errors. But it’s not actually something that the Chicago Red Stars have been doing. The main focus of forcing these errors is just getting the ball in front of the goal. Someone is going to hit the ball, whether it is your own player or an opposing player. It’s your job to get the ball there. The Red Stars have understood that approach, especially Mallory Pugh who’s gotten a couple of “assists” on the own goals.
But simply putting the ball in front of the net isn’t good enough. The opposing defense needs to already be in disarray before the ball even gets into place. This is the part I haven’t seen as much of from Chicago. Putting pressure on the defense, making sure that they do not have a moment to rest, that is the way to tire out the defense and get them to convert on those mental errors and help continue to solidify Own Goal’s claim for the Golden Boot.
Gotham’s Reckoning
While most of the league is missing their stars, unfortunately for the Chicago Red Stars, Gotham FC is not one of those teams. It’s not like their national team players aren’t important. The entire team was built around Carli Lloyd’s leadership and Kailen Sheridan may be the best goalkeeper in the world. But with the two of them out their biggest threats have become much more magnified. Those threats being the front three.
Gotham’s attacking front of Midge Purce, Ifeoma Onumonu, and Nahomi Kawasumi has to be the biggest revenge story in the league. Purce, who has been consistently disrespected by the USWNT so many times by forcing her to play out of position even on her club team, Onumonu, who has never really gotten a real chance during her entire time in the NWSL, and Kawasumi, whose trade to Sky Blue FC in 2019 felt like a funeral. The three of them have combined for 7 goals and 5 assists this season and, as mentioned, have only lost a single game.
If you thought that the Chicago defense has looked a bit concerning this season, it’s not going to get a break on Sunday.
Projected XI
Chicago Red Stars (4-3-3): Cassie Miller; Bianca St Georges, Sarah Gorden, Kayla Sharples, Arin Wright; Morgan Gautrat, Vanessa DiBernardo, Danielle Colaprico; Kealia Watt, Makenzy Doniak, Mallory Pugh
Gotham FC (4-3-3): Didi Haracic; Caprice Dydasco, Gina Lewandowski, Estelle Johnson, Imani Dorsey; McCall Zerboni, Allie Long, Jennifer Cudjoe; Midge Purce, Ifeoma Onumonu, Nahomi Kawasumi
How To Watch
Sunday, July 25th, 4:00 PM CDT; At Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ, online on Paramount+