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It was a rainy weekend for both the Fire and the Stars and neither had a sunny result. Meanwhile, the Hounds got a vital win in NOLA while we say hello to the Tempest. Let’s get to it.
FIRE: Saturday’s draw with a CF Montreal side that had recently sacked their coach and was bottom of the league could be considered a good point despite playing awful, but it is also a disappointment in that give their form on the road, more would be expected of the Fire. Hopefully, the Fire, who did move up a spot in the Eastern Conference table giver results elsewhere to fourth, will learn that they have to grind it out at times. The Fire were second best most of the night and were probably fortunate to get a draw. They will need a better performance this Saturday against the defending Eastern Conference champion Red Bulls (6:30pm CT, Apple TV).
Photo: Leslie Smith
STARS: The few Stars fans that stuck around past the two-hour weather delay on Sunday saw the Stars be the aggressors in the first ten minutes, but allowed Racing Louisville to dictate the pace afterwards and get the three points. The Stars failed to get a shot on target in the second half and that shots on goal they did get in the first half did not trouble Racing’s keeper Katie Lund. The Stars now have two weeks to rest and get ready for a trip to Bay FC on Palm Sunday (6pm CT, ESPN2/ESPN+). No word on when Mallory Swanson will return to the fold, but other players will need to step up during her absence and also work together better as a unit.
FIRE II: Chicago Fire II overcame an early deficit to defeat FC Cincinnati II in MLS NEXT Pro play at Norther Kentucky University on Sunday, 2-1. Andre Chirila opened the scoring for the hosts in the fourth minute, but Claudio Cassano equalized six minutes later for CF2 taking advantage of a defensive breakdown. Cassano then forced an own goal in the 50th minute to give the visitors the lead and they held on for the win. The win puts CF2 sixth in the Eastern Conference table at 2-1-0, 6 pts. CF2 next play Red Bulls II on Sunday at Montclair State University soccer field at 4pm CT (Apple TV).
Photo: Chicago Hounds/MLR
HOUNDS: The Hounds rallied from an 11-0 deficit to defeat NOLA Gold 20-18 at the Gold Mine. Despite being shorthanded at the end of the first half, the Hounds managed a try before the break through Dylan Fawsitt to make it 11-5. Fifteen more unanswered points followed for the Hounds on tries by Chris Hilsenbeck and Maclean Jones and then a penalty goal by Hilsenbeck. The Gold got a late try, but the Hounds held on for their fourth straight win and retain first place in the East (5-1-0, 23pts.) , six points clear over Old Glory DC. Next up for the Hounds is a road trip to San Diego Legion on Saturday (9pm CT, WPWR (Fox Chicago+)/ESPN+).
MEET THE TEMPEST: If you read the New York Times over the weekend, you may have noticed an article on Women’s Elite Rugby–the new women’s pro rugby league in the United States. With the Olympics coming up in 2028 in Los Angeles and the Women’s Rugby World Cup coming in 2033 to the USA, having a women’s rugby league is the first step to grow the game in this country. In Chicago, there is a team called the Tempest. The Tempest play their home games at Northwestern University’s Martin Stadium (temporary home of Northwestern Football). The Tempest are currently off to an 0-2-0 start after losses to TC Gemini and New York Exiles. Their next game is this Sunday in Evanston against Boston Banshees. Kickoff is at 12pm CT and all matches in Women’s Elite Rugby are streamed on DAZN.
