Chicago Stars FC Fall to Racing Louisville FC 0-1

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NWSL Chicago Stars FC

Chicago Stars FC Fall to Racing Louisville FC 0-1

March 30, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Chicago Stars FC News Release


CHICAGO - Chicago Stars FC dropped points to Racing Louisville at home 0-1 despite a hard-fought effort. Louisville's Emma Sears provided the match's lone goal.

Before the contest started, both teams had to find ways to stay warm and stay focused through a two-hour delay due to severe storms in the Bridgeview, Illinois area. Following the weather delay, Chicago and Louisville took to the pitch both in search of their first wins of the season.

Chicago set the tone early, winning back-to-back corner attempts with the second leading to a cross from rookie Justina Gaynor, who was making her first professional start, that found defender, Sam Staab, alone on the back post, but just too far from goal to put enough on her header attempt to trouble Racing's keeper. A few minutes later Chicago had another shot this time stemming from a couple of connected passes on the left side between Taylor Malham and Ludmila who in turn found Jameese Joseph for an attempt that again didn't trouble Louisville's Katie Lund. In the first 10 minutes of the match Chicago had three attempts at goal, with two right on target.

Chicago's center backs, Sam Staab and Hannah Anderson, both almost connected to get Chicago ahead, once in the 17th minute when Staab's free kick found Anderson's head, but the attempt smacked off the crossbar and out of play. Then in the 32nd minute, Staab brought back her signature long throw in and found the head of Ally Schlegel who flicked the ball back to Anderson who again hit the ball squarely with her head, but unfortunately, straight at Lund.

In the 27th minute, Chicago made their only mistake of the half when they turned the ball over in their own defensive third, which gave Louisville's Emma Sears a chance at goal. Sears' shot, which took an unfortunate ricochte off a Chicago defender, curled up and over Alyssa Naeher's outstretched arm in an attempt to make a diving save and found the back of the net.

The Stars came out swinging to start the second half, immediately sending a long ball behind Louisville's defense that found the feet of Ludmila. The Brazilian forward sprinted into the attacking third and tried to get a cross into the box that was unsuccessful. Chicago pressed Louisville to try to force a mistake, but credit to the traveling team, they were able to maintain possession and connect passes where Chicago was unable to and kept the Stars from posing any real danger. After 90 minutes, Louisville walked out of SeatGeek Stadium with the points leaving Chicago as the only team in the National Women's Soccer League to yet put any points on the league table. The team will now use the international break to lick their wounds before traveling to San Jose, California to take on Bay FC April 13.

MATCH NOTES:

Rookie defender Justina Gaynor made her first professional start this afternoon

Midfielder Cari Roccaro marked her 50th start and appearance as a Chicago Star today

Defender Sam Staab played 63 minutes in the match, the most since making her return from a season-ending injury at the beginning of the season.

Next Match

Bay FC vs. Chicago Stars FC, April 13, 2025, at 6 p.m. CT at PayPal Park

Goals by Half

1 2 F

CHI 0 0 0

LOU 1 0 1

Scoring Summary:

CHI:

LOU: 27' Emma Sears (Taylor Flint)

Disciplinary Report

CHI: 11' Justina Gaynor (Yellow Card), 41' Cari Roccaro (Yellow Card), 84' Shea Groom (Yellow Card)

LOU:

Lineups

CHI: Alyssa Naeher, Taylor Malham, Sam Staab (63' Maitane), Bea Franklin, Hannah Anderson, Julia Grosso, Cari Roccaro (63' Shea Groom), Justina Gaynor (46' Camryn Biegalski), Ally Schlegel (79' Catherina Barry), Ludmila, Jameese Joseph (79' Nádia Gomes)

LOU: Katie Lund, Ella Hase, Courtney Petersen, Arin Wright, Lauren Milliet, Katie O'Kane (61' Ary Borges), Taylor Flint, Marisa DiGrande, Sarah Weber (66' Janine Beckie), Kayla Fischer, Emma Sears

Check out the Chicago Stars FC Statistics

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