WPS Chicago Stars FC

Chicago Red Stars Host Marta, 1st-Place FC Gold Pride on Sunday

Published on August 21, 2010 under Women's Professional Soccer (WPS)
Chicago Stars FC News Release


BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Red Stars (5-10-6, 21 points) host four-time FIFA Women's Player of the Year Marta and FC Gold Pride (12-3-4, 40 points) at 5 p.m. Sunday at Toyota Park. The game is televised on Fox Soccer Channel.

Gold Pride is in the midst of an eight-match unbeaten run that started on July 3. But the Bay Area team has posted three straight scoreless draws, most recently against the Washington Freedom on Aug. 14.

The Red Stars are coming off a 2-0 loss against Washington in Boyds, Md., a loss that included a pair of injuries to forward Jessica McDonald and midfielder Formiga, as well as a limited bench.

"It was tough," Red Stars Head Coach Omid Namazi said of the situation. "Even still, we played well in the first half and should have been up a couple goals. All season we haven't been able to score, and then the injuries just make it that much tougher. When you fall behind, you lose confidence."

Chicago currently sits in sixth place in the standings and is in must-win mode to try and make a push for a playoff berth.

The Red Stars are in the midst of their roughest stretch of the season - a 1-5-1 record over their past seven matches. Chicago has been outscored 12-4 in this span.

INJURY LIST GROWS

Chicago's loss to Washington on Thursday included some key injuries to an already long list of missing Red Stars. Rookie forward Jessica McDonald, who made her first WPS start, was taken off the field in the 12th minute and is out for the remainder of the season with a torn patellar tendon. In the second half of Thursday's match, Brazilian midfielder Formiga sprained her ankle. Chicago defender Kate Markgraf missed the match because of a concussion injury on Aug. 11. She is questionable for Sunday against Gold Pride. The Red Stars are without midfielder Julianne Sitch (ACL), developmental defender Elise Weber (hip) and backup goalkeeper Kelsey Davis (ACL) for the rest of the 2010 WPS season.

MAKING THEIR DEBUTS

Red Stars developmental defender Christie Shaner immediately was thrown into the fray when she started Thursday, shortly following her official signing with the team on Tuesday. Shaner played at center defensive back alongside Whitney Engen. Shaner had brief stints with Sky Blue FC and the Los Angeles Sol during the inaugural 2009 WPS season. Also making her Red Stars debut was developmental midfielder Sophie Reiser. She entered Thursday's match in the second half for midfielder Nikki Washington in the 68th minute. Reiser originally was selected by Chicago in the fifth round (42nd overall) of the 2010 WPS Draft. In the preseason, Reiser was dealt a setback with a stress fracture in her shin. She joined the Red Stars as a trialist player after Chicago's 2010 campaign kicked off.

ENGLAND ABSENCES

The Red Stars are playing without a pair of their regular starting midfielders in England's Karen Carney and Katie Chapman. Both played for their national team in a World Cup qualifier against Austria on Saturday. They each got the start as England defeated Austria, 4-0. For Chicago, Chapman has an assist in 18 games this season, while Carney has a goal and two assists in 18 matches.

BY THE NUMBERS

Gold Pride forward Marta ranks first in WPS with 13 goals heading into the weekend, and Bay Area teammate Christine Sinclair is tied for second with seven assists. ... Gold Pride goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart leads WPS with seven shutouts. ... Forward Ella Masar leads the Red Stars with six goals. ... Defender Marian Dalmy and forward Casey Nogueira lead Chicago with three assists apiece. ... Red Stars goalkeeper Jillian Loyden is tied for second in WPS with five shutouts. ... The Red Stars are 5-0-0 when scoring the first goal this season and 0-10-3 when their opponent scores first. Three Red Stars matches have resulted in scoreless draws.

LAST TIME OUT

The Red Stars are coming off a 2-0 loss against the Washington Freedom on Thursday, Aug. 18, in Boyds, Md. After a scoreless first half, the Freedom's Abby Wambach and Cat Whitehill netted goals in the 49th and 55th minutes, respectively. The Red Stars suffered some big injuries with forward Jessica McDonald tearing her patellar tendon and Formiga spraining her ankle. Despite the injuries and missing internationals, Chicago was on the attack in the first half, with a 6-2 shots advantage and a 4-1 shots-on-goal difference over Washington in the first 45.

"We had three or four clear opportunities where we could have scored a goal," Red Stars Head Coach Omid Namazi said. "You know our record when we score first and when our opponent scores first, and that really is the difference. We just have to tough it out the next three games and hope Washington will drop some points."

ON THE HORIZON

Following Sunday's match against Gold Pride, the Red Stars host the Philadelphia Independence at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, at Toyota Park. The match includes a webcast at www.ChicagoRedStars.com. Second-place Philadelphia has had the upper hand in this matchup during the team's inaugural season. The Independence is 3-0-0 against the Red Stars, most recently posting a 2-1 victory over Chicago on Aug. 11 at Toyota Park.

QUOTABLE

"For someone who just came in and was thrown into the mix, she did pretty well. Obviously we'd like to have Kate Markgraf back as soon as possible. But under the situation, I thought Christie did an admirable job."

- Omid Namazi, Red Stars Head Coach

On defender Christie Shaner's performance against Washington

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Women's Professional Soccer Stories from August 21, 2010


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