Stars lose it late again

Chicago Stars 2-3 Washington Spirit

BRIDGEVIEW, IL–-It’s a work in progress from setting up chances to scoring goals. The Chicago Stars has only scored three goals in its first seven matches this season, but they were able to get two goals in its afternoon matinee hosting the Washington Spirit in a 3-2 loss at SeatGeek Stadium Saturday.

The Spirit got a late goal for the one-goal difference. Gift Monday beat Stars’ keeper Alyssa Naeher in front of the goal for the game winner in the 82nd minute. Rossmonde Koussi set it up with a cross in front of the goal.

“In the critical moments we made some mistakes and got punished for it,” Chicago Stars interim coach Musaki Hemmi said. “There were bits and pieces in the game that we were up and down. We have to go back and digest it. Overall, the players effort was there. It was nothing to do with their work rate at the end of the game. We just have to be better in those moments.”

Hemmi took over the team just in the last two weeks and had a scoreless draw on the road against Gotham FC last weekend. Then in this one, he’s got the team scoring and looking like a different group of players on the field.

“We have had six training sessions and 2 games so far,” Hemmi said. “I’m proud of the group on how we approached the week and got goals in the game. We saw some resiliency down a goal and to come back. That portion of being together and competing. You can see the players actions in training and in the final third of the field. We just have to make sure to put in a complete performance. The progression and the scoring today. We made good chances in scoring and had high energy in moments to capitalize. What I do like is we’re getting those chances. I think we could’ve gone three or four goals. We have to continue to work and progress from there.”

On Saturday, the Spirits’ Koussi started the scoring as she sent an initial shot for the near post of the Stars goal. But the Stars Ashley Schlegel got the kick of the ball into their own goal in the 31st minute of play.

Chicago got a goal back just four minutes later as Julia Grosso found the back of the net that tied the match at 1-1. Camryn Biegalski assisted on the goal.

Washington took the lead again at 2-1 in the 40th minute as Rossmonde was set up for the back post tap in off a cross from Tara McKeown.

The Stars found a break in the back early in the second half in the 53rd minute. Sam Staab took an ill-advised pass from Spirts’ keeper Aubrey Kingsbury and scored that tied the match at 2-2.

“It was good that we scored goals and we’ve been needing that,” Camryn Biegalski said. “But I also think we need to stop letting goals in. We could play better defensively.”

Chicago Stars (1-6-1, 4 points) will travel to play the Courage in North Carolina next Saturday at 4 p.m. CDT and the Washington Spirit (5-3-0. 15 points) will host the Utah Royals Saturday at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

For more of Leslie Smith’s photos, please click on the link to her gallery.

SCORING SUMMARY
WAS-Ashley Schlegel (own goal) 31′
CHI-Julia Grosso (Camryn Bigalski) 36′
WAS- Rosemonde Koussi (Tara Mckeown) 40′
CHI-Sam Staab (unassisted) 53′
WAS- Gift Monday (Rosemondi Koussi) 82′

BOOKING SUMMARY:
WAS-Tara McKeown (yellow, delay of game) 98′

CHICAGO STARS: #1-Naeher, #3-Staab, #4-Onwualu, #30-Bigalski (#7-Cook 90), #32-Malham, #20-Franklin, #77-Lopez (#23-Johnson 90), #34-Schlegel (#10-Groom 77), #8-Joseph (#11-Curran 77), #21-Grosso, #14-Ludmilla.

Subs not used: #19-Wood, #7-Cook, #13-Nesbeth, #16-Hayashi, #23-Johnson, #26-Coelho, #41-Anderson. #5-Miura, #19-Kousse, #35-Boade,

WASHINGTON SPIRIT: #1-Kingsbury, #8-Morris (#3-Krueger 77), #9-Mckeown, #24-Morgan, #14-Carle, #13-Radcliffe (#21-Monday), #33-Hatch, #4-Bernal, #5-Miura (#16-Brown), #35-Boade (#7-Bethune 61).

Subs not used: #28-Maciver, #22-Stainbrook, #25-Sylla, #34-Delaney, #39-Ricketts.

TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 12-9 WAS
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 4-2 WAS
FOULS: CHI 12-7 WAS
OFFSIDES: CHI 1-2 WAS
CORNER KICKS: CHI 5-4 WAS
SAVES: CHI 0-2 WAS

Referee: Trevor Wiseman
Assistant Referees: Rachel Smith and Stephen Milhoan
Fourth Official: Rogelio Alvarez
VAR: Katherine McCormick
AVAR: John Krill
Weather: Partly cloudy and 61º
Attendance:  3,425

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