By Jeff Vorva
Correspondent
Tatumn Milazzo called her achievement “funny.”
The Chicago Red Stars defender and Orland Park native was awarded the NWSL’s Save of the Week after chasing down a ball in a loss to Angel City on April 13.
The Save of the Week usually goes to a goalie.
Milazzo laughed about the irony of winning the award.
“It was a crazy week,” she said. “The Save of the Week I think was so funny because it was just my own block. So, it was just funny to me, but it was a good week.”
Milazzo had been a consistent starter in 2022 and 2023 and in December signed a two-year contract extension with an option for a third year.
New coach Lorne Donaldson benched her in the first two games, subbed her in during the third game and started her in the fourth.
“Tatumn is a good player, (she) just wasn’t showing the form we needed,” Donaldson said. “But the weeks leading up, she put the work in and deserved to be on the field, so that’s why we decided to go with her.”
She is playing the left side again after spending time on the right side.
“I think going into training, the sides don’t really matter,” Milazzo said. “I’m just ready to slide into whatever side they need me that day that practice or game. It is a comfortable position and I like being out there on the outside, the left is comfortable.
“It’s really just getting back into playing and stuff. It’s been comfortable. I like being out there and I really don’t have a preference. So, it’s just kind of like whatever they need of me.”
Milazzo, goalie Alyssa Naeher and star scorer Mallory Swanson are the players with the longest tenure on the team, and she has seen a lot of changes.
“So many things are changing and we’re just trying to take on this new identity and find ourselves as a new club with new ownership,” Milazzo said. “So, I want to say a lot of us are just going through the day to day and do the things to figure out who we want to be and where we want this club to go.”
The Red Stars wheeled and dealed during the offseason, and brought in Natalia Kuikka and Sam Staab to help with defense.
“It’s been really fun, I think both of them bring two different things to the game,” Milazzo said. “Sam is this big presence on the field that you notice on the field, she makes a lot of things happen.
“I think Natalia is this silent warrior, and I think being able to play next to them is really nice. I feel like we all have jelled together well, so it’s been exciting to get different players in here and all of us work together well.”
Cook out for year
Ava Cook tore her anterior cruciate ligament in practice and will miss the rest of the season.
Cook was drafted 18th overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft by the Red Stars from Michigan State University. The Battle Creek, Michigan, native earned nine starts her rookie season, scoring two goals and a pair of assists.
In 2023, Cook appeared in 20 of Chicago’s 22 matches, scoring three goals. Cook appeared in the first four Red Stars matches in 2024, scoring Chicago’s second goal in the 77th minute of the team’s 2-0 season opener against Utah Royals FC.
Coming up
The Red Stars host Portland at 6:30 p.m. on April 27 at SeatGeek Stadium.
In recent years, Portland has been a league power and usually brings a sparkling record into games with the Red Stars; but so far this year, the Thorns are 1-3-1. They broke into the win column with a convincing 4-1 victory over Houston on April 20.
Sophia Smith had a goal and an assist in the victory.
Fire II out of Hunt Cup
Indy Eleven scored in the fourth minute and hung on for a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire II in the third round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup April 17 at SeatGeek Stadium.
Douglas Martinez scored for Indy.
Chicago was scheduled to face Carolina Core FC on April 22 at SeatGeek Stadium in an MLS NEXT Pro regular season play.