The Chicago Red Stars did not mark Gotham FC well enough at Red Bull Arena and lost 2-1 to the defending NWSL champions because of their defensive struggles in the air.
Chicago (5-1-4, 16 points) had plenty of chances in the second half to secure a result but they were doomed by their poor offensive performance in the first half and their poor marking after the break. A scrappy road performance from the Red Stars went to waste thanks to minor mistakes that Chicago needs to fix going forward.
Gotham (4-3-2, 15 points) had everything going forward in the first half but Mackenzie Wood, who was making her first NWSL start, did well to deny the hosts from taking a lead before halftime. Gotham’s Yazmeen Ryan was the only player to test Wood in the first half and each of her efforts left a whole lot to be desired.
The scoring started in the second half and it came with a side of NWSL history.
Jenna Nighswonger set everything up with a gorgeous cross to Esther González at the far post that was tapped back across goal by Gotham’s number nine. Lynn Williams was wide open at the opposite post and had zero problem heading in her 79th goal in all competitions, a new league record.
Penelope Hocking extended her goal-scoring streak to three games in the 74th minute when she tapped in the rebound off a Sam Staab header, tying the match at one with just over 15 minutes remaining in regular time.
Moments after the fourth official raised the board to announce a minimum of six additional minutes, Ella Stevens got her revenge against the team that drafted her in the third round of the 2020 NWSL draft. Stevens got away from Jameese Joseph in Chicago’s penalty area and headed in the corner kick from Jenna Nighswonger to secure her side three points at home.
Gotham had the first great scoring chance of the match in the ninth minute but Esther González’s shot let her down and Chicago got away scot-free. Rose Lavalle made a run down the right side into Chicago’s penalty area and played a pass to Esther in the middle. Gotham’s number nine leaned a little too far back and just missed high of the net with her right-footed effort despite having plenty of time to take the shot.
The Red Stars finally had a great chance in the attacking third of the pitch but Gotham’s Ann-Katrin Berger ensured Chicago wasn’t going to record a shot on target. Jenna Bike fought off Jenna Nighswonger in the 25th on the right side and made a run to the end line before playing a cross to the middle of Gotham’s penalty area. Unfortunately for Chicago, Berger left her net and claimed the cross before any of the Red Stars’ attackers at the far post could make a play on the ball.
Mackenzie Wood was called into action in the 38th minute and made easy work of Gotham’s attack on consecutive occasions. Rose Lavalle made another run down the right side, cut inside to her left, and played the ball to Yazmeen Ryan in the middle. Ryan’s effort went right at Wood, who didn’t allow a rebound despite the bouncing shot. Lynn Williams created chaos with a cross from the left side a moment later but Delanie Sheehan hit her shot directly at Wood in front of Chicago’s net.
Lynn Williams had a fabulous chance to score in the second minute of first half stoppage time on a breakaway down the left side. Jenna Nighswonger set Williams up with a fabulous through ball from midfield that helped her attacker get the ball with a little space. Williams collected herself in the penalty area and hit a shot that she'll wish she'd done better with, sending the match into halftime scoreless.
Gotham had all eight shots in the first half including two that Mackenzie Wood had to save (Sam Staab took a “shot” from midfield, so that’s not a productive shot overall). Chicago was busy all over the backline and was forced into 14 clearances while winning 39/63 duels and 19 tackles before halftime.
The Red Stars got their first good scoring opportunity in the 49th minute and it began with great defense from Ally Schlegel. Chicago’s headband-donning forward won the ball back near midfield, turned and found Mallory Swanson in front of her. Swanson made a run before playing it to Penelope Hocking in the penalty area but her left-footed strike flew well wide of the net.
Ann-Katrin Berger was finally forced to make a save in the 53rd minute and it was a massive one to keep the match scoreless. Maxi Rall played the ball from deep inside Chicago’s half of the pitch over the top of Gotham’s defense to Penelope Hocking, who made a run toward Gotham’s goal. Hocking then found Swanson on her right and Chicago’s number nine had a great chance to score but Berger made herself big and denied the point-blank effort. Swanson’s the type of player you expect to bury those types of chances but Berger reminded everyone that she’s a world-class goalkeeper with that save.
Gotham forced Mackenzie Wood into an acrobatic save in the 54th minute. Delanie Sheehan played a cross that Esther González met in the air. The headed effort was about to float under the bar but Wood tipped it over the bar and away from danger.
Lynn Williams finally broke the deadlock in the 57th minute and made NWSL history in the process. Everything was set up by a gorgeous cross from Jenna Nighswonger on the left side that found Esther González at the far post. Esther played a lovely feed back across the face of goal and found the wide-open Lynn Williams, who had zero issue making the match 1-0. The goal is the 79th in all competitions, passing Sam Kerr for the most in NWSL history
Chicago finally found themselves on the scoresheet in the 74th minute through Penelope Hocking. Mallory Swanson played a free kick from the left side into Gotham’s penalty area that Sam Staab headed on goal. Ann-Katrin Berger’s save got away from the goalkeeper and Hocking tapped the ball into the open net, tying the match at one. The goal is the third of the season and the third in as many matches for Hocking, tying her goal-scoring total from her rookie season after only eight matches.
Gotham brought Crystal Dunn off the bench in the second half and she nearly created the match-winning goal for her side in the 85th minute. Dunn made a run down the right side toward the end line and played a cross to the far post. Maxi Rall got her head on the ball and knocked it away from danger just as Lynn Williams was about to make a play on the cross.
The tie didn’t last and it was Ella Stevens, making her first appearance against the team that drafted her, scoring the match-winning goal in the 90th minute. Stevens got in front of Jameese Joseph near the far post and headed the ball into Chicago’s net, sending the crowd in Harrison into a frenzy. The goal is the second for Stevens in as many matches and she made sure to remind everyone in Red Bull Arena that she’s a full-fledged member of Gotham FC.
Chicago had a few chances before full time but couldn’t test the ‘keeper and they lost 2-1 in New Jersey. Gotham outshot Chicago 15-8 overall and had seven on-target efforts to six for the Red Stars.
Red Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson didn’t like the way his team marked Gotham throughout the match.
“Obviously it was an end-to-end game,” said Donaldson. “We did some good stuff, they did some good stuff. We made a mistake and didn't pick up our mark at the end of the game and they scored the winning goal, so I mean that's all there is to it. They scored the winning goal late and they won the game.”
Penelope Hocking has now matched her goal-scoring total of three from her rookie year. She found her side’s performance encouraging despite the momentary lapses.
“Again, I hate losing, hate not getting the result,” said Hocking. “Always after losses, you leave the pitch thinking ‘Could we do more?’ We were talking before this, the plays just run through your head when you miss them. And just trying to get in good spaces and good opportunities for my team and just try to be more effective. And I think once we have more composure in front of goal and are more clinical, then no one can stop us.”
Mackenzie Wood made her first NWSL start in goal for the Red Stars and did enough to get the win, although her team’s poor marking doomed that effort. Wood had four saves and four recoveries while doing a fine job of preventing second-chance opportunities for Gotham.
“I think it was good to play out there with my teammates,” said Wood post-match. Definitely hate losing. So right now I'm just, like, really eager to get back on the pitch, just so we can have our next game. But yeah, it's great to play the game we love.”
Wood made the save on an early breakaway from Gotham that was eventually waved offside. She said that sequence helped get her comfortable in goal.
“Once you get one save down here, you feel more comfortable. so that kind of helped me even though it was offside that helps my confidence a lot.”
Sam Staab made history in New Jersey by making her 100th consecutive start in the NWSL, becoming the first player in league history to do so. Staab’s streak began as a rookie with the Washington Spirit on April 13, 2019 against Sky Blue FC.
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