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SaturdaySep. 21
8:30pm CT
SeatGeek Stadium
Match 21
Regular Season
Preview
Recap
Chicago Red Stars logo
Chicago Red Stars
8-10-2
Previous Result
Chicago shutout Portland on the road, 1-0
San Diego Wave FC logo
San Diego Wave FC
4-9-7
Previous Result
San Diego claimed a 1-2 victory away from home against Utah
Match Preview

The Chicago Red Stars (8-10-2, 26 pts) kickoff a two-match homestand hosting San Diego Wave FC (4-9-7, 19 pts) Saturday, September 21, at 8:30 p.m. CT at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. Safely inside playoff contention for the week, the Red Stars look to secure a season sweep against the struggling Wave and climb higher in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) standings before the postseason arrives.

The first 950 fans entering the stadium when gates open September 21 at 7:30 p.m. CT will receive an exclusive poster honoring midfielder Cari Roccaro’s Lauren Holiday Impact Award nomination for her work with National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago. During halftime, Nationwide Insurance will present NAMI Chicago with a $5,000 donation to help the organization continue their vital work in Chicago’s communities.

Crashing Waves
Chicago and San Diego each meet Saturday with the intention to capitalize off and continue the momentum of wins in Week 19, but Wave FC have worse odds to combat than the Red Stars. San Diego’s most recent victory is a glimmer of hope for a struggling club, snapping a 12-match regular-season winless streak dating back to May 8. However, when it’s rained bad luck in San Diego this season, it’s poured. The lead-up to California club’s visit to Chicago seemingly shakes out no differently, setting up another hard fight for the Wave as time to secure a playoff berth dwindles. After San Diego’s 1-2 win against Utah Royals FC September 14 and a CONCACAF W Champions Cup match against Portland Thorns FC September 18, the Red Stars host the Wave for their third match in seven days. Add the tired legs to a 4-9-7 record on the season while sitting 12th in the NWSL standings and Chicago could spell trouble for the San Diego Wave once again.
Rule of Threes
As the old saying goes, “Good things come in threes.” The Red Stars happen to have many potential trifectas in the cards this weekend: After winning both 2024 meetings against Utah Royals FC and Seattle Reign FC, Chicago could add a third season sweep to their books September 21 with a triumph over San Diego, who the Red Stars already beat June 28. The result of that last matchup? 3-0. The series-clincher would also be Chicago’s third-consecutive win over the Wave, with another potential clean sheet for goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher marking the Red Stars’ third shutout in a row against San Diego. September also just happens to the ninth month of the year, a multiple of three, and the digits of the match date, 21, add up to three. Coincidence? We think not. Is victory for Chicago written in the stars?
Instant Impact
After becoming a Star in the NWSL’s summer transfer window, midfielder Julia Grosso has quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the pitch. Playing a full 90 minutes in her first match donning Chicago’s crest and immediately finding a place in the Red Stars’ Starting XI, Grosso is already averaging a team-high 88.79 percent passing accuracy. The Canadian international’s lowest passing percentage in her four matches is 78.95 percent–nothing to scoff at–and her highest passing accuracy clocks in at 92.86 percent against Portland September 13. Grosso’s impressive performance against the Thorns also saw her attempt a season-high 42 passes, making the near-perfect passing accuracy even more of a feat. The midfielder’s 83.33 passing accuracy in the final third is also notable, tying her with fellow Olympian Ludmila for second-highest final-third passing accuracy, behind forward Sarah Griffith’s 91.67 percent. Additionally, Grosso has already created a chance and recorded two shots, three interceptions, eight tackles and 13 recoveries in her four matches. The extended wait to see the Olympic gold medalist in Chicago’s lineup certainly paid off.
Chicago Red Stars logo
Chicago Red Stars
1
Scoring Summary:
12’ Ludmila (Anderson)
Disciplinary Report:
83’ Jenna Bike (Yellow Card)
Lineup:
Alyssa Naeher, Natalia Kuikka, Cari Roccaro, Hannah Anderson, Taylor Malham, Bea Franklin, Julia Grosso, Jameese Joseph (Jenna Bike), Ally Schlegel (Leilanni Nesbeth), Mallory Swanson, Ludmila (Shea Groom)
San Diego Wave FC logo
San Diego Wave FC
0
Scoring Summary:
Disciplinary Report:
16’ Perle Morroni (Yellow Card), 30’ María Sánchez (Yellow Card), 55’ Hanna Lundkvist (Yellow Card)
Lineup:
Kailen Sheridan, Perle Morroni (Colaprico), Naomi Girma, Kennedy Wesley (McNabb), Hanna Lundkvist, Makenzy Doniak (Bennett), Emily van Egmond, María Sánchez, Melanie Barcenas (Shaw), Delphine Cascarino, Mya Jones (Ali)
Chicago Red Stars Shutout San Diego Wave FC, 1-0

Chicago Red Stars rookie, Hannah Anderson, and Brazilian International, Ludmila, connected tonight to score the only goal of the match against San Diego Wave FC and secured a 1-0 win for the Red Stars. With the season sweep against San Diego secured, the Red Stars put some space between themselves and the playoff cutoff line as the team continues to push to make the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs.  

 

KEY MOMENTS: 

9’ Playing on the right side of the attacking third, Natalia Kuikka, Jameese Joseph and Julia Grosso pass the ball back and forth before sending a through ball to Ludmila who finds it on the goal line and takes a shot that San Diego’s keeper wraps up 

12’ Hannah Anderson recoups the ball on the left side of the attacking third, passes it backwards, but gets it right back to deliver a laser cross to the back post that finds Ludmila and the Brazilian international gets their first goal in the NWSL and puts Chicago on top, 1-0  

14’ San Diego, trying to answer back, send a cross of their own into Chicago’s box. The left-to-right cross goes back post, but Chicago’s Taylor Malham gets her head on it and clears the danger  

25’ San Diego deliver another cross into Chicago’s 18-yard box, this time low on the ground. The ball finds their attacker, but with their back toward net, their shot gets deflected to another Wave player who takes a shot that is again deflected and San Diego gets one more shot, this time from further outside the box before Chicago’s back line clears the ball for good, 1-0 Chicago 

29’ San Diego still attempting to attack from the left side, gets an attacker into the 18-yard box, they take a strong shot, but it hits off the crossbar keeping Chicago ahead 

33’ Goal kick from Naeher finds Schlegel who sacrifices her body to get the ball to Ludmila. The forward runs past the last defender and takes a shot that is deflected for a Red Stars corner kick  

41’ The Red Stars send a long ball from the back to a galloping Mallory Swanson who takes one touch, gets in the 18-yard box and takes a shot that is well covered by San Diego’s Kailen Sheridan 

57’ doing it herself, Chicago’s Jameese Joseph receives the ball past midfield and dribbles half the pitch to get into the box and takes a shot that just goes over the net 

67’ Ally Schlegel, the constant burst of energy for the Red Stars, wins possession at midfield, before dumping the ball off to a wide-open Swanson. Swanson takes it the rest of the way before taking a shot that’s deflected and goes out for another Red Stars corner kick 

68’ Swanson takes the corner kick for the Red Stars, finds Ludmila at the first post and the forward flicks the ball along with her head to find a wide-open Bea Franklin, but the midfielder’s follow up header goes wide of the net, 1-0 Chicago Red Stars  

Highlights | September 21 vs San Diego
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