Red Stars Drop Summer Cup Opener on Penalties

Chicago Red Stars 0-0 Gotham FC (Gotham FC win 5-4 on penalties)

BRIDGEVIEW, IL—Despite missing seven players to the Olympics, Gotham FC got stellar goalkeeping from Cassie Miller as the match went to penalties after being goalless after 90 minutes with the visitors winning 5-4 in the shootout over the Red Stars (who themselves were without Alyssa Naeher and Mallory Swanson).

Both teams hit the goal post in the first half. Yazmeen Ryan striking it in the 30th minute and then Jenna Bike for the Red Stars in the 42nd minute. Both teams were going for the three points, but both lacked the finishing touch.

Gotham were reduced to ten women in the 88th minute when Maitane Lopez was given a straight red for clipping Jenna Bike denying a goal scoring opportunity. 

No goals in 90 minutes meant that the this Summer Cup match would end in a penalty shootout to determine who would get an additional point in the table. 

Someone had to miss a spot kick, and that person was Shea Groom in the fourth round for the Red Stars as her spot kick was saved by Cassie Miller while Gotham went 5-for-5. Miller made five saves in the 90 minutes. 

With many of the stars of the NWSL in Paris for the Olympics which starts on Thursday for Women’s Soccer, the Summer Cup gives players who usually do not see many minutes a chance to make a case for more minutes when league play resumes. 

“Well, winning is always important, but we just wanted to come out with it. So we we have players that haven’t been getting as much time. So we just wanna make sure that some players can come in and we can see when we need players that players can get in and do it,” said Red Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson.

“I mean, it’s it’s a little bit of both. You wanna win, but you also want to make sure that we give players an opportunity. Because if they never get an opportunity, we don’t know what they have.”

The next opportunity comes up on Friday at SeatGeek Stadium when the Red Stars host Liga MX Femenil side Chivas de Guadalajara. Kickoff is at 7pm CT and streams on Paramount+.

SCORING SUMMARY:
None

BOOKING SUMMARY:
GFC-Nealy Martin (caution, tactical foul) 26
CHI-Sam Staab (caution, reckless tackle) 29
CHI-Hannah Anderson (caution, tactical foul) 59
GFC-Maitane Lopez (sent off, denial of obvious goal scoring opportunity) 88
CHI-Shea Groom (reckless foul) 90+4

PENALTY SUMMARY:
CHI-Ally Schlegel (goal)
GFC-Yazmeen Ryan (goal)
CHI-Hannah Anderson (goal)
GFC-Ella Stevens (goal)
CHI-Jenna Bike (goal)
GFC-Delanie Sheehan (goal)
CHI-Shea Groom (saved)
GFC-Katie Stengel (goal)
CHI-Julia Bianchi (goal)
GFC-Kristen Edmonds (goal)

CHICAGO RED STARS (4-2-3-1):  #19-Mackenzie Wood; #41-Hannah Anderson, #28-Maxi Rall (#30-Camryn Biegalski 46), #3-Sam Staab (#11-Chardonnay Curran 90+1), #20-Bea Franklin; #32-Taylor Malham, #13-Leilanni Nesbeth (#10-Shea Groom 62); #24-Jenna Bike, #5-Julia Bianchi, #26-Nadia Gomes (#8-Jameese Joseph 62); #55-Penelope Hocking (#34-Alli Schlegel 83)

Subs not used:  #37-Sydney Schneider, #16-Sophia Jones, #15-Sarah Griffith, #33-Alli Cook

GOTHAM FC (4-2-3-1):  #38-Cassie Miller; #77-Maitane Lopez, #21-Samantha Hiatt, #14-Nealy Martin, #25-Maycee Bell (#22-Mandy Freeman 65); #17-Delanie Sheehan, #18-Yazmeen Ryan; #28-Katie Stengel, #13-Ella Stevens, #7-McCall Zerboni (#12-Kristen Edmonds 74); #3-Bruninha (#24-Mackenzie Pluck 87)

Subs not used:  #1-Michelle Betos, #32-Gabby Cuevas, #35-Sabrina Flores, #55-Nicole Baxter

TOTAL SHOTS:  CHI 13-18 GFC
SHOTS ON GOAL:  CHI 5-3 GFC
FOULS:  CHI 13-7 GFC
OFFSIDES:  CHI 0-2 GFC
CORNER KICKS:  CHI 5-7 GFC
SAVES:  CHI 3-5 GFC

Referee:  Alex Beehler
Assistant Referees:  Fermin Sanchez
Fourth Official:  Laura Waliski, Salvador Flores
Attendance:  2,846
Weather:  Cloudy and 80º
Woman of the Match:  Cassie Miller (GFC)