Chicago Red Stars’ rookie Jenna Bike’s momentum took her into the net during a 2-1 loss to Houston on April 1. Photo by Jeff Vorva
Pro Sports Report | Houston puts the freeze on Red Stars
By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer
There was no cold field advantage for the Red Stars.
The way Arin Wright saw it, the weather for the team’s 2023 home opener should have been an advantage.
It was cold and windy at SeatGeek Stadium on April 1 in a 2-1 loss to Houston in front of an announced crowd of 4,065.
The thermometer may have said the temperature was in the upper 30s, but the wind chill made it feel like it was in the upper 20s.
Advantage Chicago? Not quite.
For the second week in a row, the Red Stars (0-2-0) gave up a penalty kick for the deciding goal. Diana Ordonez scored in the 59th minute for Houston.
In a 3-2 loss to San Diego in Week 1, Alex Morgan scored the deciding goal on a last-minute PK.
“They came here, and this is our weather,” Wright said. “We should outplay them with the wind and with the cold. I think it was exactly the opposite. They played better than us in these circumstances.
“That’s something we need to grow into and be able to play our style of play in any element. I think that really let us down.”
Houston (1-0-1) scored right away, with Maria Sanchez putting the ball through the net in the third minute. Chicago scored an own goal in the 18th minute after the ball deflected off Houston’s Natalie Jacobs and into the net to tie it.
This isn’t the start the Red Stars were looking for, and coach Chris Petrucelli was disappointed in the play from his troops.
“We didn’t play well enough to win,” Petrucelli said. “In the second half, we never really got control of the ball. In the first half, we got the ball in dangerous positions, but our quality just wasn’t there.
“It wasn’t typical of us. We gave the ball away too many times. When we turned it over, they went fast. Those are self-inflicted wounds.”
There was also a little pain inflicted on Chicago’s star scorer Mallory Swanson, who was struck in the throat in the first half but stayed in the game.
“She said she can’t really swallow, but she can breathe,” Petrucelli said.
Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson is tended to in the first half after she took a shot to the throat in Saturday’s loss to Houston. Photo by Jeff Vorva
National players
Four Red Stars were called up during the April FIFA window to play for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
Defenders Tierna Davidson and Casey Krueger, who missed the 2022 season due to injury and maternity leave, respectively, made the team. So did goalie Alyssa Naeher and scoring machine Swanson.
The U.S. will face Ireland at 1:30 p.m. April 8 in Austin, Texas, and again on April 11 at 6:30 p.m. April 11 in St. Louis.
Up next
The Red Stars take a break from NWSL action next week as they host the Mexican National Team at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 8.
They return to MLS play at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 against the Kansas City Current at SeatGeek Stadium.
Shorthanded Fire II wins
The start of a three-event-in-three-days stretch at SeatGeek Stadium came on March 31 when the Fire II slipped in a game between storms and beat Toronto II, 2-0, in an MLS NXT Pro game to improve to 2-0-0.
The Fire’s Henrique Gallina picked up a red card at the 40-minute mark and the team played a man down the rest of the game.
Despite that handicap, the Fire pulled off the victory as Eric Leonard scored in the 55th minute and Charlie Ostrem followed suit three minutes later.
The defense was razor sharp as it did not allow a shot on goal and goalie Jeff Gal recorded the clean sheet.
The Fire hosts the Columbus Crew II (0-0-1) at 6 p.m. on April 9 at SeatGeek Stadium. The Crew won the MSL Next Cup last year and had the best regular-season record in the league with a 16-3-5 mark and 55 points.
Hounds beaten by Cats
The Chicago Hounds closed the busy weekend in Bridgeview with a 38-21 loss to the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby action on April 2.
The Hounds (1-5-0) played better in the second half after trailing 19-0 at the break.
Mason Koch, Mark O’Keeffe and Sean Yacoubian scored tries for the Hounds. Koch was a sub for Lindsey Stevens, who sustained a shoulder injury early in the second half.
After staying home for four straight games at SeatGeek Stadium, the Hounds hit the road for just the second time at they visit the New England Free Jacks (4-2-0 and leading the Eastern Conference) at 1 p.m. April 8 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy, Mass.
That opens a four-game set on the road. The Hounds next play at home on May 14 against the New York Ironworkers.
Chicago’s Ella Stevens reacts after the ball goes into the Houston net on an own-goal in the Red Stars’ 2-1 loss to Houston in the home opener. Photo by Jeff Vorva
3 Comments
Local News
Here’s a sure sign of spring
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. How have you been surviving January? This is one month I always hope flies by. If the sun is out, the temperatures are, or feel like they are in the subzero range. If it’s cloudy, which is most…
Justice swears in new police officer
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Justice Village Board approved the recommendation of the Justice Fire and Police Commission to hire Police Officer Kady Sassenger at its January 10 meeting. Her move from the Coal City Police Department to Justice is considered a lateral move, which means the officer transfers from one department to another…
Medeisis promoted to fire battalion chief in Bridgeview
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The Bridgeview Fire Department has a new battalion chief. Michael Medeisis, 55, was promoted from the rank of lieutenant at the Jan. 5 meeting of the Bridgeview Village Board. “Hey, hot diggity dog, we’ve got a great guy (promoted),” village Trustee Michael Pticek said. Trustee James Cecott said the promotion…
Retired village employee appointed to Lyons ZBA
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The Karasek family has a long history of working for the village of Lyons dating back decades. And that history is getting a new chapter. Steven Karasek, 60, who two years ago retired after 36 years in the public works department, has been appointed by Mayor Christopher Getty to serve…
Walker teacher Eva Manzke honored by farm bureau
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan School District 104 teacher Eva Manzke was recently honored by the Cook County Farm Bureau for her work with teaching students about agriculture. Students at Walker Elementary in Bedford Park, and Manzke herself were surprised when Principal Amanda Venegonia said they were gathered to honor Manzke, as she had been…
Moraine Valley’s Tom Diaz earns All-Conference honors
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Tom Diaz is a freshman at Moraine Valley Community College, and is making big strides with their cross country team. Diaz is also a 2021 graduate of Argo Community High School, and is the first Argonaut to earn All Region honors while pursuing his cross country career. MVCC’s Men’s an&…
Summit native marks decade with the Harlem Globetrotters
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Saul White Jr., better known as Flip White to basketball fans, has been with the famed Harlem Globetrotters for just over 10 years, and has no intention of stopping the entertainment he provides for his fans. White, who grew up in Summit, attended Wharton School and Graves Junior High (now…
A heavenly sound
Spread the love In what is arguably the most ornate and beautiful house of worship on the Southwest Side—St. Joseph Church in Back of the Yards–the Polonijna Orkiestra Chicago played liturgical music selections last Sunday. Founded in 2011, the orchestra is designed to teach young musicians Polish music and culture. St. Joseph parishioner Konrad Pawelek…
Crime images spark outrage in Gage Park
Spread the loveRobbed at gunpoint in his own garage By Tim Hadac Home-security camera images of a 48-year-old Gage Park man being robbed at gunpoint in his own garage outraged a number of Southwest Siders this week. Images showed the man driving his car down the alley in the 5500 block of South Richmond at…
Here’s the skinny: Trimmed-down Lawrence helps Oak Lawn top Evergreen
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Oak Lawn senior basketball player Davion Lawrence is 45 pounds lighter than he was last season, but insists his eating habits are the same. He has, however, changed up his training habits. Heading into football last fall, Lawrence and a few fellow seniors wanted to get in the…
Neighbors
Capitol Briefs: Senate advances elections bill, measure targeting ‘predatory’ lending
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would put more controls on certain kinds of high-cost loans to small businesses cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday. Senate Bill 2234, known as the Small Business Financial Transparency Act, targets a relatively new kind of nontraditional lender in the credit…
Law enforcement community honors fallen officers at Illinois Capitol
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Six fallen police officers were honored at an annual memorial service outside the State Capitol Thursday. The Illinois Police Officers Memorial occurs annually on the first Thursday of May to honor officers who died in the line of duty and to support their families. “No one…
Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions
By JERRY NOWICKI HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House moved quickly Wednesday to push through a change to state election laws that partially limits ballot access and adds three nonbinding referendums to the 2024 general election ballot. It’s a move that caused minority party…
After 3 years, state poised to enforce law aiming to end lending discrimination
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that sought to wipe away the last vestiges of racial discrimination and redlining in America’s home mortgage industry. The idea was simple. By requiring lenders – primarily banks – to make…
Capitol News Illinois partners with ‘Illinois Lawmakers’ program to bring it back to air
Capitol News Illinois announced today it will produce the long-running “Illinois Lawmakers” program this spring, in partnership with longtime host and producer Jak Tichenor. “This new partnership is absolutely critical to providing Illinois residents with reliable, independent, in-depth, up to date coverage from the Illinois Capitol after many newspapers and broadcasters shuttered their Statehouse bureaus over…
Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated
By ANDREW ADAMS & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. The State Board…
Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans
By PETER HANCOCK and JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant rights advocates on Friday continued to push for one of their top budget priorities: full funding for state-run health care programs that benefit noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status. Those programs offer health coverage for low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for…
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…
[…] Source […]
[…] Related Article […]
[…] Source […]