Chicago Red Star and Player of the Match Christen Press (Photo by Don MacGregor).
BRIDGEVIEW, IL–Christen Press waited a handful of games before scoring her first of the season. It was a timely one too, allowing the Chicago Red Stars to pull out a 1-1 draw against the visiting Boston Breakers at Toyota Park on Sunday afternoon.
It could lead to an added bonus for the ladies since there was an offer on the table for Press.
Chicago Red Star Christen Press heads in the equalizer against Boston (Photo by Dan MacGregor).
“Probably the best thing that happened in the game was to get Christen (Press) a goal,” Chicago head coach Rory Dames said. “So she can get off the skid. We were joking around this week that she never scores with her head. I made a mistake if she scored with her head, then I would throw a party. So I get to throw a party. I’m not sure if a point is worth a party with those guys but credit to those guys.”
Down by a goal late in the match, the Red Stars (2-2-1, 5 pts) were pressing a bit higher trying to find the equalizer. They found it off the head of Christen Press into an open net set up with a cross from Sophia Huerta in the 89th minute.
“I don’t think we played with much urgency or desire until the 80th minute,” Dames said. “Then, we picked up the pace a little bit. But we were fortunate to get a point. I thought we were second-best most of the game. Probably my fault, we came out of a 3-5-2 first half and we didn’t solve it very well. We talked about it at halftime and switched to a 4-3-3 in the second half.
“We never found our way into the game and it was the first game this year that we didn’t deserve anything out of the game. Give credit for the players bailing me out at the end.”
Actually, it was one of those games which chances really didn’t materialize into goals and the match was even at 0-0 at the break.
Boston Breakers Rose Lavelle.
Boston (2-2-1, 5 pts) broke through the scoring column with a goal in the 68th minute of play, Rose Lavelle on her birthday took the ball after it had deflected off a couple of Red Stars’ defenders and kicked a shot into the corner for a 1-0 lead.
In the 78th minute of play, the Red Stars were on the verge of scoring, as the Breakers were caught with a deliberate touch back to its keeper Abby Smith from defender Christian Westphal just outside the six yard box. The Red Stars had an indirect kick with the entire Breakers team standing on its goal line. Christian Press connected a shot after the touch, which was headed off the goal line by Boston’s Natasha Dowie out of danger.
“We didn’t take the three points that we deserved,” Boston head coach Matt Beard said. “It’s top level futbol when you take chances, then you get punished. That’s what happened to us at the back end of the game. We’re frustrated, because we had that many minutes to get the three points. But, there’s not too many teams that will come here to work well for a point. It’s disappointing, from the performance, taking a point on the road in this league.”
Chicago will have back-to-back games coming up over the next two weekends. The Red Stars visit the Courage in North Carolina next Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. Then will return back home to face the North Carolina on Saturday, May 27th also at 3 p.m.
SCORING SUMMARY:
BOS-Rose Lavelle (UA) 68
CHI-Christian Press (Sophia Huerta) 89
BOOKING SUMMARY:
BOS-Julie King (caution, unsporting behavior) 74
CHICAGO RED STARS (4-3-3): #1-Alyssa Naeher; #3-Arin Gilliand, #6-Casey Short, #16-Samantha Johnston (#2-Jen Hoy 74), #5-Katie Naughton, #8-Julie Johnston Ertz, #24-Danielle Colaprico; #11-Sofia Huerta, #23-Christen Press (C), #10-Vanessa DiBernardo (#19-Summer Green 66), #9-Stephanie McCaffrey (#4-Alyssa Mautz 46),
Subs Not Used: #18-Michele Dalton, #7-Taylor Comeau, #30-Lauren Kaske, #14-Sarah Gorden.
BOSTON BREAKERS (4-5-1): #14-Abby Smith, #8-Julie King, #2-Allysha Chapman, #20-Christen Westphal, #4-Megan Oyster, #11-Rose Lavelle, #19-Adriana Leon (#3-Brooke Elby 84), #10-Rosie White (#5-Amanda Da Costa 72), #26-Angela Salem, #17-Amanda Frisbie (#21-Margaret Purce 46), #9-Natasha Dowie.
Subs not used: #30-Kylie Strom, #25-Morgan Andrews, #15-Sammy Jo Prudhomme, #22-Ifeoma Onumomu
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 12-11 BOS
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 5-4 BOS
FOULS: CHI 9-7 BOS
OFFSIDES: CHI 2-0 BOS
CORNER KICKS: CHI 6-3 BOS
SAVES: CHI 3-3 BOS
Referee: Luis Guardia
Assistant Referees: Gjovalin Bori, Rachel Smith
Fourth Official: Alex Beehler
Weather: Mostly Sunny and 61º
Attendance: 1,827
Woman of the Match: Christen Press (CHI)
Chicago Red Stars
NWSL
