Red Stars Complete Sweep of Royals

Chicago Red Stars 3-1 Utah Royals BRIDGEVIEW, IL—The Chicago Red Stars snapped a three-match losing streak at home with a 3-1 win over Utah Royals and remain fifth in the NWSL table while the Royals remain rooted to the bottom. After slow starts at home recently, it appeared that the would take the lead in [...]

Photo: Leslie Smith

Chicago Red Stars 3-1 Utah Royals

BRIDGEVIEW, IL—The Chicago Red Stars snapped a three-match losing streak at home with a 3-1 win over Utah Royals and remain fifth in the NWSL table while the Royals remain rooted to the bottom.

After slow starts at home recently, it appeared that the would take the lead in a hurry when Penelope Hocking put one in the net after just 20 seconds, but the flag went up for offside on Hocking to disallow the goal. The match settled down a bit, but the Red Stars would score in the 23rd minute after Jenn Bike headed in a cross from Mallory Swanson to give the Red Stars the lead. 

Six minutes later, Bike would set up Swanson via being fouled in the box for a penatly kick that Swanson would convert. It is the sixth time since joiing the Red Stars in 2021 that Swanson has had a goal and an assist in the same match which is tops in the NWSL over that time span.

Utah settled into the match in the second half and were in the ascendancy in terms of chances. They finally capitalized in the 81st minute after Cameron Tucker curled a shot over Makenzie Wood and into the upper 90. Wood had replaced Alyssa Naeher in the Red Stars net minutes earlier as the latter left with an apparent knock. 

However in stoppage time, Hocking would get her goal after receiving a diagonal ball from Jameese Joseph. Hocking beat Amanda Haught who came well off her line to get to the ball and then outran three defenders to put it into an empty net. 

This was “Bark in the Park” Day at SeatGeek Stadium and the dogs in attendance may have provided the Red Stars with a little good luck. 

“Well, I mean, the dogs were here, so we had some dogs on the field. So, we show up and we bark a little bit, but it feels good to get back in the win win column at home since we’ve been struggling. I mean psychologically, I think we can clear that hurdle, and now we can move on,” said Red Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson.

The Red Stars will travel to New Jersey to take on defending champion Gotham FC next Sunday at 4pm CT on Marquee and NWSL+. 

For more of Leslie Smith’s photos, please click on the link to her gallery.

SCORING SUMMARY: 
CHI-Jenna Bike (Swanson) 23
CHI-Mallory Swanson (penalty kick) 29
UTA-Cameron Tucker (Vasconcelos) 81
CHI-Penelope Hocking (Joseph) 90+7

BOOKING SUMMARY:
UTA-Mikayla Cluff (caution, tactical foul) 33
UTA-Amandine Henry (caution, reckless tackle) 47

CHICAGO RED STARS (4-3-3):  #1-Alyssa Naeher (#18-Makenzie Wood 62); #28-Maxi Rall, #3-Sam Staab, #12-Natalia Kuikka, #32-Taylor Malham; #4-Cari Roccaro, #13- Leilanni Nesbeth (#5-Julia Bianchi 90+5), #34-Ally Schlegel (#10-Shea Groom 62); #9-Mallory Swanson, #24-Jenna Bike (#8-Jameese Joseph 82), #55-Penelope Hocking

Subs not used:  #41-Hannah Anderson, #23-Tatumn Milazzo, #20-Bea Franklin, #15-Sarah Griffith, #33-Allie Cook

UTAH ROYALS (4-3-3):  #1-Amanda Haught; #16-Madison Pogarch, #5-Lauren Flynn, #8-Kathryn del Fava, #3-Olivia Griffits (#12-Zoe Burns 27); #10-Amandine Henry, #21-Mikayla Cluff (#6-Agnes Nyberg 64), #22-Dana Foederer; #9-Ally Sentnor (#7-Michele Vasconcelos 80), #33-Hannah Betfort (#20-Cameron Tucker 46), #4-Paige Monaghan (#15-Brecken Mozingo 46)

Subs not used:  #32-Cristina Roque, #13-Addisyn Merrick, #24-Emily Gray, #19-Francesca Tagliaferri

TOTAL SHOTS:  CHI 7-16 UTA
SHOTS ON GOAL:  CHI 4-8 UTA
FOULS:  CHI 9-9 UTA
OFFSIDES:  CHI 3-3 UTA
CORNER KICKS:  CHI 1-3 UTA
SAVES:  CHI 7-1 UTA

Referee:  Alyssa Nichols
Referees:  Chris Schurfranz, Zach McWhorter
4th Official: Alex Beehler
VAR:  Shawn Tehini
AVAR:  Maggie Short
Weather:  Sunny and 79º
Attendance:  3,104
Woman of the Match:  Mallory Swanson (CHI)