Preview: Chicago Stars FC vs. Washington Spirit

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NWSL Chicago Stars FC

Preview: Chicago Stars FC vs. Washington Spirit

May 9, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Chicago Stars FC News Release


CHICAGO - Chicago Stars FC (1-5-1, 4 pts) returns home to host the Washington Spirit (4-3-0, 12 pts) for the club's May 10 Together Strong match, presented by NellaSpec.com. The Stars take the pitch at 11:50 a.m. CT at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, looking for their second victory of the season, this time over the Spirit who arrive in Chicago on their first two-match losing streak since 2023 and without their head coach to lead the team.

Where to Watch

National Broadcast: ABC

Stream: ESPN+

Previous Result:

CHI: Chicago earned their first shutout in 2025, drawing 0-0 on the road with Gotham

WAS: Washington dropped points at home to Angel City, 3-4

Storylines

Well-Matched: The last-place Stars and the sixth-place Spirit will take the pitch Saturday on more even ground than the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) table suggests. The all-time regular-season record between Chicago and Washington is deadlocked, with nine wins, nine losses and six draws for each side to date. Zooming in to look at the 2025 season, both teams are statistically similar so far. The Stars have 23 shots on target compared to the Spirit's 26, a 73.41 percent passing accuracy to Washington's 75.81 percent, faced 32 shots to the Spirit's 37 and won 52 percent of duels while Washington's won 49.4 percent. Additionally, both teams will have to push past some instability with head coaches this week, with interim head coach, Masaki Hemmi, at the helm for the Stars and Spirit head coach, Jonatan Giráldez, suspended for this match. Overall, Washington has come away with more goals and subsequent wins than Chicago has this season, but the Stars have had no trouble creating chances in 2025. If Chicago can find the back of the net, the Stars can earn a win that could provide invaluable momentum in matches to come.

New Manager Bounce: More positive results immediately following a new coach taking over is a well-known phenomenon across the sports industry. The Stars appear to be the latest team benefitting from the sensation after Masaki Hemmi has moved into the interim head coach role in Chicago. It began on the road in New Jersey May 4 after the Chicago Stars earned their first shutout in a 0-0 draw against Gotham FC. The Stars were able to end current Golden Boot leader, Esther González's, streak of seven goals in four consecutive matches May 10 and now the NWSL is watching to see if the Stars can continue to capitalize off the new manager bounce. Additionally, interim head coach Hemmi is the first Japanese head coach, interim or otherwise, in the NWSL. That would mean a win for Chicago May 10 wouldn't just better the club's record; it would be historic. It's only fitting that another NWSL first would happen in Chicago, a city steeped in history.

Milestone May: Speaking of milestones, there's five Stars on track to record their own achievements Saturday: Camryn Biegalski, Shea Groom, Alyssa Naeher, Cari Roccaro and Sam Staab. Defender Biegalski is likely to record the 50th regular-season appearance of her career, while her fellow defender, Staab, will hit 10,000 regular-season minutes if she plays a full 90-minute match. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Naeher and midfielder Roccaro have some records in their sights. A win would mean Naeher becomes the first goalkeeper in NWSL history to record 60 wins, and Roccaro earning a spot in the starting lineup would mark her 50th consecutive start as a Chicago Star. 50 consecutive starts tie Roccaro with former Star, Danny Colaprico, for the club record and sets her up to break the record May 17. Additionally, the next assist for forward Groom would be her 20th in regular-season action, making her the newest member of the "20/20 club," for players who have notched 20 goals and 20 assists. Who's ready for more to celebrate?

Check out the Chicago Stars FC Statistics



National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 9, 2025


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