Red Stars Home Woes Continue, Lose 1-0 to Racing Louisville

The Chicago Red Stars’ struggles at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview continued as they were defeated 1-0 by Racing Louisville, only the second win in 2024 for Kentucky’s NWSL side.

Emma Sears’ goal in the 26th minute was all the visitors needed to hand the Red Stars their fifth loss in their last eight matches, four of which have come at SeatGeek Stadium.

Louisville (2-6-2, 12 points) was in the driver’s seat for most of the match as they didn’t allow a shot on target until the 63rd minute. Chicago (5-1-5, 16 points) had plenty of chances as the match wore on, mainly through Penelope Hocking, but her efforts were all saved by Louisville’s Katie Lund.

Everything came down to the effort from Sears in the 26th minute only days after Louisville signed their rookie forward to a long-term contract extension. Sears had the ball on the right and managed to hit the perfect shot past the outstretched Tatumn Milazzo and Mackenzie Wood, who could only watch as the ball ripped the twine in the back of Chicago’s net.

Chicago managed to create five on-target efforts as the match wound down after going the first 63 minutes without. Mallory Swanson made two great runs into Louisville’s half of the pitch but those chances were all denied by Louisville’s backline, led by former Red Stars defender Arin Wright.

Match Observations

The Red Stars bailed out Sam Staab in the fifth minute after a turnover at the edge of their own penalty area. Elexa Bahr collected the turnover and hit a shot that would’ve tested Mackenzie Wood if not for the combined efforts of Natalia Kuikka and Leilanni Nesbeth as they blocked the shot away from danger.

Louisville should have scored in the 11th minute but the visitors couldn’t hit the target despite plenty of space in the penalty area. Emma Sears played a lovely cross in from the right side that floated over the heads of both Chicago center backs. Carson Pickett hit a solid header but her effort floated harmlessly wide of Chicago’s net.

Racing Louisville took the lead in the 26th minute and it came from a poor clearance by the Red Stars in their own penalty area. Carson Pickett’s cross into the penalty area was cleared out to Emma Sears on the right side. Sears hit a shot across the face of the goal and into the far corner, giving the visitors the early 1-0 lead before Chicago recorded a shot in the match.

Chicago finally recorded their first shot of the match in the 35th minute after Mallory Swanson won the ball back deep in Louisville’s half of the pitch. Ally Schlegel took a touch on the ball after Swanson won possession before she fed the ball to Penelope Hocking on her left. Hocking had time but her left-footed effort missed wide of the net and didn’t require anything from goalkeeper Katie Lund.

The Red Stars into the halftime break down 1-0 and had very little offensively in the opening 45 minutes. Louisville had 13 shots overall and two hit the target while Chicago only had three shots (none on-target) with only 37% possession. Red Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson changed things up at halftime and brought Ally Cook, a classic center forward, on for Jenna Bike after the break.

Louisville had a great chance to double their lead in the 57th minute but Mackenzie Wood covered her goal well and kept it a one-goal margin. Taylor Flin won a header near midfield and bombed the ball to Elexa Bahr near the edge of Chicago’s penalty area. Bahr took a few touches before hitting a shot that was goal-bound before Wood leaped to her right and parried the shot away from danger.

Chicago finally recorded their first on-target effort in the 63rd minute but Sam Staab’s effort from distance was saved easily by Katie Lund.

Penelope Hocking got out on the counterattack in the 71st minute but her shot was blocked. A ball was played over the top for Hocking and Chicago’s number 55 tracked it down near midfield before carrying it down to Louisville’s penalty area. Hocking created a little space that evaporated a moment later as former Red Stars defender Arin Wright slid in to deny the effort.

Hocking finally hit the target in the 73rd minute but Katie Lund was there to make a lovely kick-save to deny Chicago. Hocking dribbled around everyone as she made her way down the left and when she took her left-footed shot, it went right at Lund. The Louisville goalkeeper stood her ground well and booted the shot well away from danger.

Chicago had its best scoring chance of the match in the 83rd minute and Katie Lund was there to save the day once again for her side in Bridgeview. Mallory Swanson made another long run down the left side, bringing the ball all the way to Louisville’s penalty area. Swanson laid the ball off to Penelope Hocking on her right but the winger’s shot went right at Lund, who punched the shot away.

Mackenzie Wood made her second consecutive start in goal for the Red Stars in place of the injured Alyssa Naeher. The former Northwestern and Notre Dame ‘keeper made three saves in her first home start and helped keep the match within striking distance for Chicago.

Hannah Anderson made her NWSL debut when she came on for Maxi Rall in the 81st with her side trailing by a goal. Chicago’s third-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft out of Texas Tech completed 10/14 passes (three in the final third), had 14 touches, and a recovery in her cameo at center back after Natalia Kuikka shifted to right back. Her teammates were very happy to see her thrive in her first professional appearance.

“I’m excited for her,” said Tatumn Milazzo. “She’s been putting in the work every day and I feel like we all have a lot of trust in her to come in and perform. And so for her to be able to come in and do that later in the game when it’s hard and it’s tough and it’s physical. So I think we all were excited for her and really trusting her to come in and do her job and she did.”

“To see her go and perform like she did, I mean there was no question in anybody's mind that she was capable of it,” said Ally Schlegel.