Marta Banger Keeps Pride Unbeaten, Red Stars on Skid

Chicago Red Stars 0-1 Orlando Pride

BRIDGEVIEW, IL—The Chicago Red Stars managed to keep Barbara Banda off the scoresheet, but Orlando still had Marta, and the 38-year old legend would get the game’s only score in a 1-0 win to keep Orlando unbeaten in league play. The Red Stars have dropped their third match in succession and still cling to the eighth and final playoff spot by two points with seven matches to play. 

Before the fifth-largest crowd in club history (7,291), the Red Stars were on the back foot for most of the first half. Orlando’s pressure was finally rewarded as Marta picked up the ball off a free kick clearance and beat Alyssa Naeher far post on a spectacular shot from outside the area. 

Red Stars chances were few and far between being outshot 15-3, though two would be on target—straight to keeper Anna Moorhouse. Orlando pressed for a second goal and the closest they got was in the 75th minute was when Barbara Banda’s header was headed off the line by Natalia Kuikka. 

With the recent additions of Julianna Grosso and Ludmilla, the task is to develop chemistry while at the same time consolidate their playoff position. 

“We got some new players in, and we just got to just try to get everybody meshing again together,” said Red Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson. “You know we have players who are gone, and we got to just try to reshuffle the deck a little bit and Ludmilla and [Grosso].

“Not even a training, but go in there and see what happened. We’re just going to reshuffle the deck and just see where everybody’s strong and figure out exactly what we’re going to do.”

Also of note was that the 7,921 in attendance pushed the overall attendance in the NWSL this year past the 1.5 million mark for the first time in league history.

The Red Stars travel to Portland on Friday night for a 9pm CT kickoff. The match will be streamed on Prime Video. 

SCORING SUMMARY:
ORL-Marta (unassisted) 37

BOOKING SUMMARY:
ORL-Kylie Strom (caution, tactical foul) 15
CHI-Jenna Bike (caution, endangering the goalkeeper) 49
CHI-Hannah Anderson (caution, tactical foul) 62
CHI-Bea Franklin (caution, reckless foul) 85
ORL-Morgan Gautrat (caution, tactical foul) 90+3

CHICAGO RED STARS (4-3-3):  #1-Alyssa Naeher; #32-Taylor Malham, #41-Hannah Anderson, #12-Natalia Kuikka, #30-Camryn Biegalski (#23-Tatumn Milazzo 72); #21-Julianna Grosso (#11-Chardonnay Curran 88), #4-Cari Roccaro, #5-Julia Bianchi (#20-Bea Franklin 46); #8-Jameese Joseph (#34-Ally Schlegel 72), #9-Mallory Swanson, #24-Jenna Bike (#14-Ludmilla 67)

Subs Not Used:  #19-Mackenzie Wood, #13-Leilanni Nesbeth, #15-Sarah Griffith, #33-Ally Cook

ORLANDO PRIDE (4-2-3-1):  #1-Anna Moorhouse; #25-Kelly Abello (#19-Carson Pickett 60), #3-Kylie Strom, #6-Emily Sams, #31-Cori Dyke; #2-Haley McCutcheon, #15-Angelina (#16-Morgan Gautrat 71); #28-Summer Yates (#17-Evelina Duljan 60), #10-Marta, #9-Adriana (#20-Julie Doyle 60); #22-Barbara Banda (#11-Ally Watt 86)

Subs Not Used:  #40-McKinley Crone, #13-Celia Celia, #12-Carrie Lawrence, #32-Brianna Martinez

TOTAL SHOTS:  CHI 3-15 ORL
SHOTS ON GOAL:  CHI 2-4 ORL
FOULS:  CHI 17-11 ORL
OFFSIDES:  CHI 0-2 ORL
CORNER KICKS:  CHI 0-12 ORL
SAVES: CHI 1-2 ORL

Referee:  Eric Tattersall
Assistant Referees:  Noah Kenyawani, Art Arustamyan
Fourth Official:  Peter Bernardy
VAR:  Alyssa Nichols
AVAR:  Rhett Hammil
Weather:  Mostly Sunny and 74º
Attendance:  7,291
Woman of the Match:  Marta (ORL)