Chicago, IL – The Red Stars are looking for a big three points in order to stay in solid contention for the NWSL playoffs. The team is making their final road trip of the season to face the Washington Spirit on Saturday, August 2, at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT.

The Red Stars (7-6-7, 28pts) last match against the Houston Dash resulted in a 0-0 draw on July 26. The game marked the fifth draw in the past six matches for the team. Red Stars goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc earned her fifth shutout of the season and is second in ‘Goalkeeper Leaders’ in the NWSL rankings. The Red Stars have earned at least a point in every game during the month of July, but remain two points behind Portland Thorns FC for a playoff spot.

The Washington Spirit (9-8-4, 31pts) had a 2-1 comeback victory against FC Kansas City on Wednesday night. After going down early in the match, midfielder Kerstin Garefrekes scored the equalizer for the Spirit. It was her first goal with the team since being acquired midseason from FFC Frankfurt. Midfielder Christine Nairn scored the game-winning goal in the 67th minute of the match. The victory moved the Spirit ahead of the Thorns into third place in the NWSL standings.

This is a crucial match for the Red Stars, as they are only three points behind the third place Spirit. The Red Stars have been shutout 1-0 by the Spirit twice at home, on April 26 and June 4, meaning that even with the win the Red Stars will have lost the season-series with the Spirit.

After this, the Red Stars end the season with a 3-game homestand starting on August 9 v FC Kansas City, followed by August 13 v Boston Breakers, and ending the way they started the season against WNY Flash on August 16.

Red Stars vs. Washington Spirit will take place at Maryland Sports Plex and will be streamed live for free at https://chicagoredstars.com/live. Fans can also receive live in-game updates from the Red Stars official game day Twitter: @redstarslive.

Notes: On the final day before the NWSL roster freeze period, the Red Stars waived 30-year-old midfielder Julianne Sitch.