Pro Sports Report | Red Stars open July with win over Wave

By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer

July figures to be a better month for the Chicago Red Stars than June, right?

In June, the Red Stars were 1-4-0 and outscored 15-5 in NWSL and Challenge Cup play. They finished the month last in both the league and Challenge Cup Group C standings.

After a road loss to Gotham at the end of the month they were stuck in their plane on a tarmac for hours before coming home.

In addition, their practice schedule was altered because of the poor air quality in the Chicago area caused by to wildfires in Canada.

The Stars were hopeful for a change in fortunes when the calendar turned, and they hosted San Diego as SeatGeek Stadium on July 1.

Thanks in part to Orland Park native Tatumn Milazzo, they emerged with a 1-0 victory.

Tatumn Milazzo jostles with San Diego’s Madison Pogarch on July 1. Milazzo had an assist the Red Stars’ 1-0 won over the Wave. Photo by Jeff Vorva

A crowd of 5,698 on fireworks night saw Wave players celebrating what they thought was a Makenzy Doniak goal in the 41^st minute, but an official review ruled offsides on the play.

In stoppage time in the first half, Milazzo booted a pinpoint pass to Ella Stevens, who scored the lone goal of the game for Chicago (4-9-1). Stevens leads the team with four goals.

“That felt so good after they had theirs called back for offsides,” Stevens said. “That helped give us the momentum.”

Some of the stars of both teams were missing because they had been called up for World Cup duty, including Wave (6-6-2) scorer Alex Morgan and Red Stars goalie Alyssa Naeher.

Red Stars goalie Emily Boyd got her first minutes of action this year and recorded the clean sheet and had four saves. It was her seventh career shutout.

“Our defense is amazing,” Boyd said. “I didn’t have to do a whole lot.”

It’s the first time the Red Stars have beaten the Wave. San Diego expanded into the league last year and beat the Red Starts three times, including once in the playoffs. The Wave also earned a win over Chicago earlier this season.

It’s going to be a while before the Red Stars play in Bridgeview again. Their next two games are on the road at Houston (June 7) in an NWSL battle and Louisville (June 21) in a Challenge Cup game.

They return to SeatGeek for a Challenge Cup game against Kansas City on July 29.

Punishment
Red Stars coach Chris Petrucelli was fined by the NWSL for comments detrimental to the league after he complained via social media of his team having to wait hours in an airplane because of weather problems after a road match with Gotham. He publicly asked when the league is going to provide teams with charter flights.

He didn’t talk about the fine after the Wave match.

“My wife told me to shut my mouth,” he said. “So, I won’t answer that.”

Midfielder Julia Bianchi missed the San Diego match while serving a one-game suspension for an incident in the Gotham match.

Pele-entology
Naeher left the team to play for the U.S. Women’s Soccer National team. If the team can win the FIFA World Cup, she and former Red Star Julie Ertz along with Morgan, Kelley O’Hara and Megan Rapinoe will make history by joining legend Pele as the only players to win three World Cups in either men’s or women’s competition.

Aguilera scores
Red Star Jill Aguilera, who is playing for Puerto Rico in the World Cup, scored the lone goal in a 1-1 draw with Jamaica on July 1.

Lovera released
The Red Stars released forward Brenna Lovera on June 28. The Northwestern grad was signed as a replacement player in March and started one match in the Challenge Cup against Houston on May 3.

Ostrem leads Fire II
Charlie Ostrem scored goals in the 53^rd and 56^th minutes to lead the Chicago Fire II to a 2-0 victory over the Columbus Crew 2 in an MSL NEXT Pro game July 2 at SeatGeek Stadium.

The Fire (7-6-4) hosts Cincinnati at 5 p.m.

Emily Boyd made her season debut for the Chicago Red Stars on July 1 and recorded a shutout against San Diego. Photo by Jeff Vorva