WPS Chicago Stars FC

Chicago Red Stars Host Saint Louis For 2010 WPS Home Opener This Saturday

Published on April 16, 2010 under Women's Professional Soccer (WPS)
Chicago Stars FC News Release


BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Red Stars of Women's Professional Soccer face Midwest rival Saint Louis Athletica in Chicago's 2010 home opener at 7 p.m. Saturday at Toyota Park. The match will broadcast live in both English and Spanish on ChicagoRedStars.com, and all 12 regular-season home matches will feature a bilingual webcast.

The home opener will include a special deal with $1 hot dogs. For tickets, call the Red Stars at 1-866-WPS-2009 or visit www.ChicagoRedStars.com.

The Red Stars (0-1-0) are looking to rebound from their season-opening road loss, 1-0, to the defending champion Sky Blue FC, while Athletica (1-0-0) is coming off a 2-0 victory over FC Gold Pride.

Red Stars midfielder Megan Rapinoe will not be available for the team's home opener, missing her second straight game of the season. The team coaching staff held Rapinoe from the Red Stars' 2010 WPS season opener Sunday against Sky Blue FC because her fitness level was behind schedule, due to an illness earlier in the year. She is now in the recovery stages of mononucleosis. In two weeks she will be reevaluated and if all progresses well, she will be back on the field soon for the Red Stars.

Geneva, Ill., native and midfielder Jackie Santacaterina, a 2010 WPS Draft selection from the University of Illinois, will be brought up to the first-team roster for the game.

Saturday's match will feature two former teammates protecting the net. Red Stars goalkeeper Jillian Loyden, who was the No. 2 goalkeeper in Saint Louis, battles against Athletica's Hope Solo. The Red Stars traded for Loyden shortly before the 2010 WPS Draft.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: RED STARS VS. ATHLETICA

This Saturday marks the fourth meeting between the Red Stars and Athletica in the clubs' WPS history. Saint Louis has the slight edge over the Red Stars with a 2-1-0 all-time record. The Red Stars are coming off a 1-0 road loss to Sky Blue FC. Saint Louis opened the season with 2-0 home victory over FC Gold Pride, thanks to two goals from Athletica forward Eniola Aluko.

FAMILIAR FACES

For Red Stars goalkeeper Jillian Loyden, Saturday's match will be the first contest suiting up against her former Saint Louis teammates. As a member of Athletica in 2009, Loyden started three matches, posting a record of 2-1-0 with two shutouts and a .33 goals against average. Across the pitch, this match also marks former Red Stars forward Lindsay Tarpley's first trip to Toyota Park in a Saint Louis uniform. As a Red Star in 2009, Tarpley led the team in assists with four and added four goals, three of which were game-winning goals. Following the 2009 season, the Red Stars traded Tarpley for Loyden when former Chicago goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson decided to return to Sweden to pursue her studies.

MEMORABLE DEBUT

The Red Stars won the first-ever WPS contest they suited up for, defeating Saint Louis Athletica on April 4, 2009, in both clubs' inaugural match. Despite being outshot by Saint Louis, 15-7, on the night, the Red Stars pulled away with a victory in their first regular-season contest. Former Red Star and current Saint Louis Athletica midfielder Lindsay Tarpley scored the match's lone goal in the 78th minute off a neatly-placed serve into the box from Red Stars defender Marian Dalmy, recording the first goal and assist, respectively, in Red Stars history.

HOPING TO MAKE A SPLASH

Saturday's contest is the first time Athletica goalkeeper Hope Solo will play at Toyota Park. Solo missed last year's only road contest at the Red Stars because of U.S. Women's National Team duty. Solo ended the 2009 season second in league in both shutouts (8) and saves (84) and was named the WPS Goalkeeper of the Year. The Red Stars' only goal against Saint Louis in their 2009 campaign came against Solo in the season opener at Saint Louis on April 4, 2009.

READY TO FIRE

Despite losing to Sky Blue FC in the 2010 season opener, the Red Stars displayed impressive offensive firepower. The Red Stars led Sky Blue in nearly every offensive category: shots (20), corner kicks (13), shots on goal (5) and crosses (40), but were shut out in the all-important goal and assist columns. In the 40th minute, Red Stars midfielder Julianne Sitch had arguably the best scoring opportunity of the game, collecting a ball on the PK spot and hitting a volley that sailed just wide of the left goal post. Overall, seven different Red Stars tallied shots against Sky Blue, with Cristiane leading the team with nine shots taken.

LOOKING AHEAD

Next Sunday, April 25, the Red Stars will host Sky Blue FC at Toyota Park at 7 p.m., the second meeting for these two teams in the month of April. Sky Blue won the last contest on April 11 by a narrow 1-0 margin, capitalizing off of an early score in the 6th minute of play courtesy of Sky Blue forward Tasha Kai, and then holding on for 84 minutes against an onslaught of Red Stars scoring opportunities. In their WPS history, the Red Stars have yet to score against Sky Blue and have never beaten the club in their five meetings.

GET CONNECTED

Saturday's home opener will be broadcast live in both English and Spanish on www.ChicagoRedStars.com.

Additionally, all 12 regular season home matches will feature a bilingual webcast.

The Chicago Red Stars are members of Women's Professional Soccer and play their home games at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. The Red Stars enter their second season in the eight-team WPS, and their 2010 home opener takes place on Saturday, April 17, against Saint Louis Athletica.

All Red Stars home games for the 2010 WPS season broadcast live at www.ChicagoRedStars.com. For more information about the Red Stars, call 866-WPS-2009 or log on to www.ChicagoRedStars.com.

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