Red Stars Cornered in Draw with Thorns

BRIDGEVIEW, IL—On the plus side, the Red Stars got goals from Mallory Pugh and Rachel Hill with Ava Cook assisting on both. On the minus, the Red Stars conceded twice off corners. It all washed out in a 2-2 draw at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday night. 

Pugh wasted little time getting on the board inside of five minutes after making a 40-yard run beating two defenders and then beating Bella Bixby near post with her shot to put the Red Stars ahead. However, that lead lasted two minutes as a Thorns corner found a criminally unmarked Hina Sugita on the back post and make it 1-1. 

The Red Stars restored their lead in the 20th minute when Ava Cook found Rachel Hill whose left-footed shot got by Bixby. The hosts would get to halftime 2-1 ahead, but two minutes into the second half, they were pegged back again off a corner. 

This time, a corner bounced in the middle of the box in front of goal and Sophie Smith pounced and left no chance for Alyssa Naeher. Jill Aguilera came closest to breaking the deadlock, but her diving header was saved by Bixby in the 79th minute. 

Red Stars head coach Chris Petrucelli saw some encouraging signs from his team despite the draw.

“I think we certainly could’ve won the game, for sure,” said Petrucelli. “Disappointed we gave the two goals on set pieces, but I’m encouraged by the way we played. I’m encouraged how dangerous we were going forward. I’m encouraged how well our back line handled some really talented front players. There’s a lot different ways we could look at it, but there’s a lot of positives we take away.”

The Red Stars travel to Washington to play the Spirit on Wednesday night at 6:30pm CT on WCIU 26.2 (The U) and Paramount+.

SCORING SUMMARY:

CHI-Mallory Pugh (Cook) 5

POR-Hina Sugita (Ryan) 7

CHI-Rachel Hill (Cook) 20

POR-Sophie Smith (unassisted) 47

BOOKING SUMMARY:

POR-Janine Beckie (caution, tactical foul) 59

POR-Natalia Kuikka (caution, reckless tackle) 84

CHICAGO RED STARS (3-4-3):  #1-Alyssa Naeher; #23-Tatumn Milazzo, #28-Kayla Sharples, #20-Zoe Morse; #22-Bianca St. Georges (#14-Jill Aguilera 46), #24-Danielle Colaprico, #10-Vanessa DiBernardo, #5-Rachel Hill (#31-Amanda Kowalski 89); #7-Yuki Nagasato (#18-Samantha Fisher 89), #25-Ava Cook (#8-Ella Stevens 76), #9-Mallory Pugh (#15-Sarah Griffith 67)

Subs not used:  #21-Emily Boyd, #19-Channing Foster, #26-Mikenna McManua

PORTLAND THORNS (3-5-2):  #1-Bella Bixby; #20-Kelli Hubly, #4-Becky Sauerbrunn (#25-Meghan Klingenberg 63), #39-Meaghan Nally; #16-Janine Beckie, #23-Yazmeen Ryan (#13-Olivia Moultrie 79), #17-Samantha Coffey, #8-Hina Sugita, #14-Natalia Kuikka (#15-Madison Pogarch 90+2); #22-Morgan Weaver (#12-Christine Sinclair 63), #9-Sophie Smith

Subs not used:  #35-Abby Smith, #41-Hanah Beffort, #46-Taylor Porter, #44-Gabby Provenzano, #11-Rocky Rodriguez

TOTAL SHOTS:  CHI 10-12 POR

SHOTS ON GOAL:  CHI 5-4 POR

FOULS:  CHI 7-12 POR

OFFSIDES:  CHI 0-2 POR

CORNER KICKS:  CHI 4-6 POR

SAVES:  CHI 2-2 POR

Referee:  Samanta Martinez

Assistant Referees:  Ethan Buege, Eric Burton

Fourth Official:  Kaitlyn Trowbridge

Weather:  Mostly Sunny and 71º

Attendance:  3,268

Woman of the Match:  Ava Cook (CHI)

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