Chicago Stars FC Falls to Orlando Pride in Season Opener, 6-0

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NWSL Chicago Stars FC

Chicago Stars FC Falls to Orlando Pride in Season Opener, 6-0

March 14, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Chicago Stars FC News Release


ORLANDO - The Chicago Stars took on the reigning National Women's Soccer League champions, the Orlando Pride, in Orlando, Florida, Friday night. The club fell 6-0 to the Pride, in a lopsided matchup.

Orlando set the tone early on with a dangerous attack just three minutes into the competition. The Pride continued to poor on the pressure, hardly allowing the Stars out of their own half while also winning multiple corner kicks. Seven minutes into the half, another set piece attempt ended with the ball at Morgan Gautrat's feet, but instead of taking a shot at goal, the midfielder passed it to Haley McCutcheon who took a shot and gave the Pride the lead. Ally Watt added a second for the Pride off another set piece before the half came to a close.

While the Stars attempted to find traction in the second half, an inopportune blocked ball in Chicago's 18-yard box by Hannah Anderson forced an own goal for the second-year defender. Orlando's Julie Doyle and a brace by Barbara Banda sealed Chicago's fate and gave Orlando the win in the season opener.

A silver lining for Chicago came in the 79th minute when defender, Sam Staab, made her return to the pitch. Staab suffered a season-ending-injury last summer during the NWSL X Liga MX Summer Cup. This was Staab's first ever substitution into a match in her professional career. The defender played and started in 106 consecutive matches, an NWSL record, prior to the injury.

Chicago now turns their attention to Houston who visit them at SeatGeek Stadium Sunday, March 23, for the club's home opener, presented by United Airlines. The Stars swept the season series against the Dash in 2024, but the Dash have added reinforcements in 2025. Regardless, a new match week brings about all kinds of possibilities in a season that is only just getting started. In 2021, the club started with a 5-0 loss to Portland and ended up in the NWSL Championship.

MATCH Notes:

17-year old rookie, Micayla Johnson, debuted tonight as youngest Chicago Star and first teenager to earn minutes in club history

All four Chicago Stars rookies made their professional debuts tonight, including Catherine Barry, Justina Gaynor, Manaka Hayashi and Micayla Johnson

Two rookies, Barry and Hayashi, recorded perfect passing accuracies in the match

Defender and three-time NWSL Ironwoman, Sam Staab, returned to the pitch for the first time since July 20, 2024

No NWSL keeper has been rostered with one club as long as Naeher

Next Game

Chicago Stars FC vs. Houston Dash, March 23, 2025, at 2 p.m. CT at SeatGeek Stadium

Goals by Half

1 2 F

ORL 2 4 6

CHI 0 0 0

Scoring Summary:

ORL: 7' Haley McCutcheon (Morgan Gautrat), 36' Ally Watt (Marta), 47' Hannah Anderson (OG), 65' Julie Doyle (Barbra Banda), 80' Barbra Banda, 87' Barbra Banda

CHI:

Disciplinary Report

ORL: 82' Prisca Chilufya (Yellow Card)

CHI: 52' Nádia Gomes (Yellow Card), 60' Taylor Malham (Yellow Card)

Lineups

ORL: Anna Moorhouse, Kerry Abello, Rafaelle (63' Cori Dyke), Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Angelina, Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat (63' Julie Doyle) (74' Ally Lemos), Ally Watt (63' Prisca Chilufya), Barbra Banda, Marta (83' Viviana Villacorta)

CHI: Alyssa Naeher, Taylor Malham, Hannah Anderson, Bea Franklin, Camryn Biegalski (64' Justina Gaynor), Cari Roccaro, Julia Grosso (79' Sam Staab), Shea Groom (85' Manaka Hayashi), Nádia Gomes (64' Micayla Johnson), Ally Schlegel (79' Catherine Barry), Jameese Joseph

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