Sports stats



WPS Chicago Stars FC

Chicago Red Stars Host 2nd-Place Philadelphia on Wednesday

August 10, 2010 - Women's Professional Soccer (WPS)
Chicago Stars FC News Release


BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Red Stars (5-8-5) make their return to the home front when they host the second-place Philadelphia Independence (8-6-4) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Women's Professional Soccer action at Toyota Park.

Chicago is coming off a three-game road trip (1-1-1 record) and is hosting a match for the first time since a 3-1 loss to the Boston Breakers on July 25.

Red Stars Head Coach Omid Namazi hopes the team's most recent defensive performance, a scoreless draw against first-place FC Gold Pride, will be a springboard heading into the final five regular-season matches. Chicago certainly held four-time FIFA Women's Player of the Year Marta at bay.

"Marta doesn't end up with a shot, which is remarkable," Namazi said. "A player of her caliber and her qualities, we shut her down. They had some chances on corner kicks, but through the flow of play I don't remember too many quality chances from them. And that was just because we had great shape all night long. We had great intensity, pressure on the ball. We double-teamed in areas where we talked about double teaming Marta, where she gets the ball on the flanks and she tries to take that first player. We had help coming from the inside and it was quick coming. It was good all around. I said at the half, 'I have no complaints whatsoever.'"

The Red Stars enter the week in a fourth-place tie with Sky Blue FC. Chicago played Gold Pride to a scoreless draw in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, while Philadelphia tied the Boston Breakers, 2-2, on Sunday.

The Red Stars are looking for their first victory against the Independence, which is playing in its first WPS season. Philadelphia holds a 2-0-0 record against Chicago this year with a 1-0 victory on May 15 at Toyota Park and a 3-0 win on July 28 to open Chicago's recent road trip. The Red Stars hold a 2-3-3 home record this season, while the Independence has posted a 2-4-2 road mark.

GOALKEEPER BURKE RELEASED

On Tuesday, the Red Stars announced the release of goalkeeper Meghann Burke. Burke signed with the Red Stars as a developmental player at the start of the 2010 WPS season, but she did not see the pitch during regular-season play. She did post a clean sheet on May 21 during the Red Stars' 5-0 victory over United Soccer Leagues W-League affiliate Chicago Red Eleven in Buffalo Grove, Ill.

FIRST-YEAR SENSATION

Philadelphia and the Atlanta Beat joined WPS for the 2010 campaign, and the Independence has had the better opening-year run of the two squads. The Independence started the season with a four-match unbeaten run, posting a 2-0-2 record. Philadelphia also capped off July with two dominating victories - a 4-1 win over Sky Blue FC on July 24, followed by a 3-0 win over Chicago on July 28. WPS's other first-year squad, Atlanta, currently sits in last place with a 4-9-5 record and 17 points.

BY THE NUMBERS

Independence forward Amy Rodriguez ranks second in WPS with 11 goals. ... Philadelphia midfielder Lori Lindsey ranks third in WPS with six assists, Caroline Seger is tied for fourth (five assists) and Rodriguez is tied for sixth (four assists). ... Forward Ella Masar leads the Red Stars with five goals. ... Defender Marian Dalmy leads Chicago with three assists. ... Red Stars goalkeeper Jillian Loyden is tied for second in the league with five shutouts, and she ranks second in goals allowed average (1.06, 19 goals in 18 matches). ... Philadelphia's offense is tied for first with FC Gold Pride with 30 goals in 18 matches (1.67 goals per game). ... Chicago's defense ranks second behind Gold Pride, allowing only 19 goals in 19 matches (1.00 goals per game). ... The Red Stars have been involved in 14 shutout matches this season, leading the league in that category, posting a 3-8-3 record. ... The Red Stars are 5-0-0 when scoring the first goal this season and 0-8-3 when their opponent scores first. Three Red Stars matches have resulted in scoreless draws.

LOCAL TIES

Independence defender Nikki Krzysik and forward Danesha Adams played for the Red Stars during their opening season. The Independence selected Krzysik and Adams in the 2009 WPS Expansion Draft. In their 2010 campaigns with Philadelphia, Krzysik has started in 16 of her 17 matches, and Adams has a goal and two assists in nine matches. ... Independence midfielder Jen Buczkowski is an Elk Grove Village, Ill., native and played collegiately at Notre Dame. Buczkowski played locally for the Chicago Gaels of the W-League from 2005-2008 before being selected by Sky Blue FC in the 2009 WPS Draft. This season, Buczkowski has started in 14 of 17 matches and has an assist.

LAST TIME OUT

The Red Stars are coming off a scoreless road draw against first-place FC Gold Pride on Saturday in Hayward, Calif. Jillian Loyden made four saves for her fifth shutout this season and the team's six shutout overall. Her counterpart, Gold Pride goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart, made five saves for her league-leading sixth shutout. Chicago's newest acquisition, Spanish international forward Veronica Boquete, made her Red Stars debut when she was brought in for Brazilian forward Cristiane in the 80th minute.

"Great performance - probably the best first half of soccer we played all year," Red Stars Head Coach Omid Namazi said. "The little thing that I can be picky about is our final third. Whether it's the pass or the decision making - whether to pass it or shoot it, sometimes the pass is too hard, sometimes it's too soft, sometimes we need to pass the ball and we shoot, sometimes vice versa. Those things in the final third we've got to get better at. Everything else - our tactical shape, our defensive pressure on the ball, our possession moving the ball, I've never seen this team play the way they did. So hopefully it's the start of something."

ON THE HORIZON

Following Wednesday's match against Philadelphia, the Red Stars hit the road one last time this regular season when they travel to Boyds, Md., to face the Washington Freedom at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19. The Red Stars then hold three home matches to wrap up the regular season, starting with a 5 p.m. match on Sunday, Aug. 22 against FC Gold Pride (televised on Fox Soccer Channel).

HOME GAMES ONLINE

Red Stars home matches are broadcast in both English and Spanish on www.ChicagoRedStars.com. The next Red Stars home match is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 11, against the Philadelphia Independence. Rob Coons handles the English play-by-play, and Jorge Trujillo and Enrique "Tico" Fernandez provide the Spanish webcast.

Check out the Chicago Stars FC Statistics



Women's Professional Soccer Stories from August 10, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central