With the retirement of Lori Chalupny and Shannon Boxx, the only members of the United States Women’s National Team returning to the Chicago Red Stars this season initially were Julie Johnston and Christen Press.
Then the club went out and acquired Alyssa Naeher, to fill the goalkeeping void left by the retiring Karina LeBlanc. Naeher had a rough Red Stars debut, as Chicago fell 3-1 to Carli Lloyd and the Houston Dash last week. Of course, facing the 2015 FIFA World Player of the Year is always going to be a tough task.
Tonight brought a completely different result as the USWNT goalie posted a clean sheet and the Red Stars beat the Western New York Flash 1-0.
The game’s only goal was courtesy of Naperville native Casey Short in the 28′. Short was playing in just her second ever NWSL game. Western New York boasts two former Red Stars: center back and New Zealand standout Abby Erceg, along with Canadian Winger Adriana Leon. The previous week, “Kiwi” and “Dri” helped propel WNY to a win over two time NWSL defending champion FC Kansas City. Western New York and Chicago played a very evenly matched game, which makes sense as both sides play with a similar shape and style. The two clubs are also very young as well.
“We only have two players on the team that can rent a car,” said WNY Manager Paul Riley.
“We’re the youngest team in the league, average age 23 and a half.”
And on the other side, Christen Press added “I think you’ll hear all season long that we’re young.”
As they say in football, American football, of the gridiron variety, “every team makes its biggest improvement from week one to week two,” and that’s exactly what Chicago did tonight. There were improvements all around, but especially so with Naeher.
“Good for this one to get her first clean sheet with us, because last week she was kind of looking at me like ‘why did you bring me here?” said Red Stars Manager Rory Dames in the post game press conference.
“We’re taking a positive step in the right direction,” Alyssa Naeher added. “Feels good to be on this side of it.”
Alyssa Naeher and the Red Stars welcome Alex Morgan, with her new team the expansion Orlando Pride, to Toyota Park this Sunday at 5.
“They have a player up front who’s dangerous, I can’t remember her name right now but she’s dangerous,” Dames said tongue-in-cheek about the upcoming match-up against Morgan and company. The face of American soccer comes to town next week, what competitive goalkeeper wouldn’t want to take on that challenge?
In order for the National Women’s Soccer League to grow and succeed, they need to ride the wave of last year’s USWNT World Cup triumph in Canada into the momentum of the Rio Olympics later this summer, and just keep proverbially surfing those metaphorical wave crests.
“Obviously going into a fourth season is historic in itself,” said Naeher of the NWSL.
“The momentum of the World Cup helps with that. It’s just going to continue to grow and I think owners and GMs are figuring out the mold of how to make it maintainable over time rather than have this question mark after every season.”
“I think they’re taking a lot of strides in the right direction which is really exciting, it’s a great opportunity for us to build our brand.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram