Credit Chicago Red Stars
By Amelia Hirtle
The Chicago Red Stars were looking to bounce back after going scoreless against Gotham FC last weekend.
The Red Stars started off with a few chances early from Makenzy Doniak but they were not able to connect in front of the net.
For the first 15 minutes of the match, Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was key in keeping the team from falling behind. Kansas City forced some early corners but Naeher was able to make the saves.
In the 26th minute, KC forward, Amy Rodriguez took a chance on a strike but Naeher was there to save it. Chicago picked it up offensively and had chances from Arin Wright, Vanessa DiBernardo, Katie Johnson, and Makezy Doniak all before the end of the first half.
The Red Stars came out of the half looking ready to score with a DiBernardo strike in the 51st minute. In the 60th minute, Chicago made subs with Mallory Pugh and Kealia Watt coming onto the field. Shortly after, Pugh ran the length of the pitch and passed it to Watt who shot and scored to put Chicago up 1-0. Two minutes later, Pugh made a similar run, this time up the left, and sent a cut-back pass to Doniak who scored making it 2-0.
Chicago comes away with their first win of the 2021 regular season. They will look to build off of their success in this match as the team travels to Houston to face the Dash on Saturday, May 29.