Hopeful for another Red Stars run

Reflections of the past two seasons at Toyota Park's press row

The final image of the Chicago Red Stars' 2010 Women's Professional Soccer season was the always animated Megan Rapinoe running like crazy after netting a goal during the team's home finale.

I'm hopeful that is not the last snapshot of the Red Stars. The organization's ownership has given indications that it would like to return for the 2012 season, and like you, I will wait with anticipation to see how things play out.

I can't help but reflect on the past two years -- one covering the team for pretty much a hobby, then having the privilege to work on the public relations side. I have not taken a single minute of my work for granted. Working in PR or covering professional soccer for a living is an absolute joy as a fan of this fine game, and the Red Stars staff, players and organization as a whole are top-notch.

Those who are understandably skeptical about the "hiatus" lingo, let me just say this ... I have worked for other soccer teams that were visibly on life support, and the Red Stars do not come close to falling into this category. This team has unbridled passion. This team knows how to stretch a dollar. This team knows how to connect with fans and supporters and bring in one of WPS's higher draws in one of the most highly competitive sports markets in the country.

I do not know this team's future, but if any organization could pull off a brief suspension and return, I think the Red Stars could certainly do it.

I want to quickly thank the media folks who either attended the games or wrote about the team from afar. The Chicago dailies (Chicago Tribune stepped up big-time this past season), the online media (too many of you to thank individually, but Windy City Soccer was ALWAYS there), radio (WNDZ's Sportsline, and thanks to WBBM and NPR for some recognition), photographers, some TV segments away from the pitch (WGN, NBC, ABC), the great folks at Zapwater, and the other writers and bloggers out there, we've appreciated the exposure.

Some of you I'll still run into when I'm covering the Chicago Fire or working at Chicago Riot games. But there will be a massive void not having the Red Stars for 2011. (I'll also miss the regular Pinoe references on F#@k Yeah, Chicago Red Stars!)

In my cheesy and non-original way of coping with the team suspending operations, I put together some of my favorite Red Stars memories at Toyota Park over the past two years, seeing as how I had a bird's-eye view of the game from press row.

For a team that came up short of the playoffs in two seasons, there still were plenty of wonderful moments:

 

1. Cristiane's hat trick: I'm amazed even today that Cristiane is the only person in WPS's two-year history to score three goals in one game. I would have thought that the Brazilian would have some company by now. But on July 12, 2009, Red Stars fans were in for a treat as Cristiane netted a triple against FC Gold Pride -- the only hat trick in WPS to date. Cristiane's best tally for me was her final goal where she completely schooled Brandi Chastain and delivered a rocket to the far left post. I wish Cristiane had a few more big moments like that.

2. United against Gold Pride: The Red Stars' first month of the 2010 season was an all-time low -- a 1-4-1 record that led to the dismissal of Red Stars head coach Emma Hayes. It had to be a difficult moment for the players having to come back to the pitch with little time to let that soak in, while at the same time take on a Marta-led FC Gold Pride squad that had won five straight coming into the match. With the coaching search still in progress, Red Stars President and General Manager Marcia McDermott took the coaching reigns for one game on May 29, 2010, and a united Red Stars squad pieced together a victory. Kosovare Asllani netted a 55th-minute goal and a well-deserved celebration at the northeast corner of the pitch. Chicago kept Bay Area off the scoreboard the rest of the way for an exciting 1-0 win.

3. Running off into the sunset: I wish there were more people who outwardly wear their love of the game like Megan Rapinoe. Pinoe was having a tremendously difficult 2010 season. She knew it. Everyone knew it. But heading into the season finale against the Washington Freedom on Sept. 5, 2010, with nothing to play for except pride, Rapinoe tallied the second goal of the game and dashed to the Red Stars bench. Her teammates had a difficult time trying to catch up to her! That gave Chicago a 2-0 lead, and that goal proved to be incredibly important. The Freedom's Beverly Goebel tallied a goal 1 minute later, but the Red Stars held off Washington for the final minutes of stoppage time. Whew! This also marked the first run of back-to-back wins in the team's history.

4. Four scores: In the first season, the Red Stars were touted to be a favorite to compete for the first WPS title. And early on in the season, Chicago looked like it was on the right track with a 2-0-2 start. That fourth game included a dominating 4-0 victory over the Boston Breakers on April 25, 2009. Though clearly Boston did not play well, the Red Stars took advantage with four different players tallying a goal: Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Karen Carney and the hard-nosed Brittany Klein tallied their goals in a span of just over a half hour. That was the absolute high point of the season, before the bottom fell out and the team was winless and scoreless in three straight home games in May. I prefer to forget about that massive drought.

5. Another festive finale: The Red Stars had a knack of at least closing on the right note. On Aug. 2, 2009, a record 7,959 fans came out to see Chicago's home finale against Marta and the regular-season champion Los Angeles Sol. Cristiane vs. Marta was the interesting Brazilian draw, but Marta was kept off the scoreboard as the Red Stars earned a 3-1 win. It took a second-half stoppage time goal for Cristiane to get in the scoring column. Lindsay Tarpley had a goal and assisted a long-awaited goal from Carli Lloyd, who had only two tallies on the season.

Thanks Red Stars! Don't wander off too far!

Charlie Corr
Chicago Red Stars Communications Manager

• Feel free to share your favorite Red Stars moment below. First road win at Saint Louis Athletica? Ella Masar's LONG-awaited first goal? Would love to hear it!

Red Stars net 5-0 win over Red Eleven

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. -- The Chicago Red Stars found their offensive spark, netting four second-half goals as the Women's Professional Soccer side defeated United Soccer Leagues W-League affiliate Chicago Red Eleven, 5-0, on Friday night in an exhibition match at the Schwaben Athletic Club.

Brazilian forward Cristiane had two goals in 45 minutes of play as the Red Stars' movement up top created many scoring opportunities throughout the match. The Red Stars went with three attacking players, with Kosovare Asllani, Casey Nogueira and Naperville, Ill., native Michele Weissenhofer starting up top on Friday.

"I've really been working hard on the front three -- pressuring, and putting the [opposing] team on a lot of pressure, and I thought in the first half we did that really well," Red Stars Head Coach Emma Hayes said. "And then making sure our movement's good up top to create opportunities. When it was 1-nil at halftime, I thought we deserved to be up by a bit more."

For more, visit ChicagoRedStars.com.

Red Stars net 1st win of season over Breakers

Casey Nogueira and Cristiane (pictured right) each netted a second-half goal as the Chicago Red Stars defeated the host Boston Breakers, 2-0, on Saturday in Women's Professional Soccer play at Harvard Stadium.

Nogueira made her first WPS start and leads the Red Stars with two goals this season. Cristiane contributed her first goal of the campaign after leading the team with seven goals during the inaugural 2009 WPS season.

"I think for the team, they really needed the result tonight," Red Stars head coach Emma Hayes said. "It was a great team performance all around, and the result was fully deserved."

You can read more from this match at ChicagoRedStars.com.

CRISTIANE, LLOYD AMONG WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER'S FREE AGENTS

Red Stars hoping to bring back team's scoring leader for 2010

The first day of Women's Professional Soccer's free agency had some pretty big names on the list, including Brazilian forward Cristiane (pictured right) and U.S. Women's National Team midfielder Carli Lloyd (pictured left) from the Chicago Red Stars' 2009 roster.

But the team immediately made it known that it wants to bring Cristiane back. She clearly was a vital component and an exciting presence, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the Red Stars' offense this past season.

"With free agency opening Wednesday, we are taking the step to speak with Cris about next season and the Red Stars," general manager Marcia McDermott said in a release. "We are excited about the core we are returning and are focused on putting together a playoff-caliber team this off-season."

CLICK HERE for the team's release.

TRIO OF RED STARS NAMED WPS ALL-STARS

Cristiane, Rapinoe, Klein join lineup for Aug. 30 festivities in St. Louis

Three Chicago Red Stars players will represent the organization during the first-ever Women's Professional Soccer All-Star Game on Aug. 30.

Brazilian forward Cristiane and midfielders Brittany Klein and Megan Rapinoe will be part of the match, which features a collection of WPS All-Stars against Swedish champions Umea IK. The game takes place at 4:30 p.m. at St. Louis Athletica's home field, The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, in Fenton, Mo.

Multiple WPS players are unavailable for this game because of the 2009 European Championships. So Cristiane and Rapinoe were named to the WPS First XI and will be starting for head coach Abner Rogers' lineup. Klein was named one of seven at-large selections to round up the 18-player roster.

Cristiane had a slow start to her Red Stars debut because of a late arrival and knee injury. But she picked up her game as the season progressed, accounting for more than a third of the team's offense. Cristiane posted a team-leading seven goals, and she became the first WPS player to net a hat trick during a 3-1 victory over FC Gold Pride. This inaugural WPS season has provided an outlet for Cristiane's skills to earn their own merit, because for two years she has been runner-up to FIFA Player of the Year and Brazilian national teammate Marta of the Los Angeles Sol.

Rapinoe was a clear fan favorite from the start of her Red Stars tenure. She was chosen as the No. 2 overall pick in the WPS General Draft. Rapinoe probably covered more ground on the pitch than any other Red Stars player. She had two goals and three assists in 18 games. She also was called up to the U.S. Women's National Team on a couple of occasions, registering a goal in first-half stoppage time en route to a dominating 4-0 victory over Canada on May 25 at BMO Field in Toronto.

The 5-foot-3 Klein had to carry a mountain of responsibilities this season. There were moments when Chicago's midfield was missing as many as four players to national team duty - Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd and Lindsay Tarpley for the U.S., and Karen Carney for England. But Klein shouldered the extra load and handled a lot of the gritty work that does not show up on a stat sheet. Aside from goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson, who played all 1,800 minutes in the net, Klein led the rest of the team with 1,678 minutes, starting all 20 games. She also tallied three assists and a goal.

• Tarpley tears ACL: Red Stars midfielder Lindsay Tarpley had to miss Wednesday's 2-0 loss to St. Louis Athletica because of an injury. It turns out that she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during training Tuesday. "Lindsay's injury is not complicated, and she will work hard to rehabilitate in the off-season in preparation for 2010," Red Stars athletic trainer Laura Behr said in a release. Tarpley had four goals and four assists this season. Three of her goals were game-winners, and twice she earned WPS Player of the Week honors.

PREVIEW: RED STARS AT ATHLETICA

Chicago tries to finish the way it started, with a win vs. St. Louis

For many, it is difficult to imagine that the Chicago Red Stars' inaugural Women's Professional Soccer season is just about to come to a close.

The Red Stars wrap up their regular season against the team they first faced, St. Louis Athletica. Chicago and St. Louis battle for a 7 p.m. match Wednesday at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo.

Chicago topped host St. Louis, 1-0, on April 4, with Lindsay Tarpley (pictured somewhere in that huddle) scoring the lone goal in the Red Stars' WPS debut. That 78th-minute tally was the Red Stars' only shot on goal in that second half. And that game was the starting point of a 2-0-2 start to the season, before the Red Stars went more than two months without a victory.

But if Sunday was any indication, this team wants to end this campaign with as much positive aura as it can muster heading into the off-season. Chicago (5-9-5, 20 points) became the first team to post three goals against the first-place Los Angeles Sol, 3-1. And it was some of the team's standout names who found the back of the net: Tarpley, Carli Lloyd and Cristiane.

St. Louis (9-6-3, 30 points) clinched second place in the league and a first-round bye in the WPS playoffs. Athletica hosts a semifinal match on Aug. 19, awaiting the winner between the No. 3 and 4 seeds, which are yet to be determined.

• Red Stars come up blank in WPS All-Star First XI: On Tuesday, the league announced its 2009 WPS All-Star First XI players. The Red Stars did not have a representative. But there still is a chance for Chicago to have some representation. The roster consists of 18 players, and several players named to the First XI are likely going to miss the Aug. 30 game against Swedish league champion Umea IK because of 2009 European Championships commitments. Locally, Crystal Lake native and Boston Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet made the First XI group.

RED STARS 3, L.A. SOL 1

First-place Sol allow season-high 3 goals to Red Stars

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - Heading into the 2009 Women’s Professional Soccer season, the Los Angeles Sol and Chicago Red Stars were thought to be two of the better organizations to take home the inaugural title.

The Sol have lived up to their billing, securing a place in the title game. The Red Stars missed the playoffs. But on Sunday, Chicago showed some life with the combinations that were thought to make a significant impact from the get-go, especially in the midfield.

Carli Lloyd (pictured), Lindsay Tarpley and Cristiane each provided a goal as the Red Stars defeated the Sol, 3-1, in front of a record Red Stars crowd of 7,959 at Toyota Park.

In some ways this result was both sweet and bitter for the Red Stars (5-9-5), since it was a high-quality win against the Sol (11-3-5), but did not have any bearing toward a postseason.

“This game in some levels is meaningless, to us at least because we are out of the playoffs. For me, this is a benchmark - a building platform for next season,” Red Stars head coach Emma Hayes said.

“If we bring consistent elements to our game every time we play, we’re going to be a competitive team, and we hope to win,” Tarpley said. “So whether we’re playing a first-place team or whoever, it doesn’t matter. Every game is important. And we’re disappointed we’re not in the playoffs. That’s fair to say, and that’s our goal. We want to be at the top of the league. We’ve got some work to do. But today, I think it was great for us to go out there and play well and have fun.”

Lloyd’s first-half goal was set up by Tarpley on a give-and-go in the middle of the field. Lloyd got a right foot on the ball and found the back of the net past Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc in the 24th minute for a 1-0 lead.

The Lloyd-Tarpley combination was probably a welcome sight to Red Stars fans, especially since in the preseason this was supposed to be a bread-and-butter mode of attack. They are two allocated players with U.S. Women’s National Team experience and an already successful career before WPS.

“Today there was no pressure on us. This was like the first game where there was no pressure,” Lloyd said. “Sometimes you play better, and we just went out there and played hard. Tarp and I have a good relationship on the field, as well as with the national team.”

Chicago came out at halftime and immediately added to its lead in the 47th minute. Megan Rapinoe provided a cross from the left wing. Brittany Klein headed the ball to Tarpley, whose header found the goal for a 2-0 advantage.

And though the Sol cut the Red Stars’ lead to 2-1 later in the half, Chicago responded with a Cristiane tally, with Ella Masar assisting, in stoppage time for the eventual 3-1 final.

The Sol’s Han Duan netted a 90th-minute goal, and the team definitely had some other chances. The best defensive stop from the Red Stars’ perspective came in the 55th minute, when Brazilian sensation Marta put a ton of pace on the ball and Red Stars goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson somehow managed to react quickly enough to her left to stop the strike and maintain the 2-0 lead at that point.

“Marta is very threatening, and dangerous. But that’s Marta for you,” Hayes said.

Jonsson made six saves and LeBlanc made four for L.A.

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Next up: The Red Stars conclude their 2009 season for a 7 p.m. match on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at St. Louis Athletica.

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SlideTackles.net thoughts: This was the Red Stars team everybody expected from Day 1. The close calls on the defensive side were expected against L.A.’s high-octane offense. But the midfield contributions and the ability to respond to an opposing team’s goal were clearly elements that this team wanted to showcase earlier in the season on a consistent basis.

Over the course of the season, the focus has been mostly on Cristiane because she has been the main scoring weapon, now with seven goals on the season. Up until her goal, the Brazilian showdown between Marta and Cristiane really didn’t develop. Marta threatened periodically, but her shots were wide of the net or stopped impressively by Jonsson. In the first half, Cristiane attempted to dribble through some cramped spaces and other times was not really present in the attack.

But her goal was a team character builder. This team does have the potential to be in the upper tier of WPS. On Sunday, Chicago tallied more goals against L.A. than any other WPS team. That definitely counts for something, but not in the grand scheme of things.

BRAZILIAN BATTLE: CRISTIANE VS. MARTA

Check out my Examiner.com feature highlighting this Sunday's anticipated Brazilian showdown: the Chicago Red Stars' Cristiane and the Los Angeles Sol's Marta. This is the last home game of the Red Stars' inaugural Women's Professional Soccer season. The Red Stars are expecting one of their biggest crowds of the season for this clash against the first-place Sol.

~ Charlie Corr
Chicago Sports Examiner at Examiner.com
SlideTackles.net creator and editor

PREVIEW: RED STARS AT SKY BLUE FC

The regular-season countdown is now at four games. This is not a bad time to regularly repeat the "must-win" motto as the Chicago Red Stars stand on the outside of the Women's Professional Soccer playoff race.

Chicago (4-7-5) stays out on the road to take on Sky Blue FC (5-6-4) at 3:30 p.m. (CST) on Sunday at Yurcak Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. The game will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel.

Sky Blue has had the upper hand over the Red Stars this season with a 2-0-1 record head-to-head. They also have outscored Chicago, 3-0, with former Red Stars preseason goalkeeper Jenni Branam posting three clean sheets.

With Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Lindsay Tarpley away with the U.S. Women's National Team and Karen Carney with the England National Team, the Red Stars have plenty of voids at midfield and forward to make up for.

Chicago's leading goal scorer, Cristiane, will be the obvious centerpiece this weekend. She has six goals out of her 16 shots on goal, and she became the first WPS player to net a hat trick on July 12 against FC Gold Pride.

Outside of Cristiane, Chicago has scored only seven goals, with its four national team absences accounting for six of them. That means Cristiane and Brittany Klein (pictured above; one goal against Boston on April 25) are the only Red Stars on Sunday's road trip to find the back of the net this season.

FC Gold Pride has its international absences, too, with defender Christie Rampone and midfielder/forward Heather O'Reilly (U.S.) and midfielder Kelly Parker (Canada) missing this Sunday.

Heading into the weekend, the Red Stars and Washington Freedom are tied in fifth place with 17 points apiece, and Sky Blue is clinging onto the fourth and final playoff spot with 19 points. St. Louis Athletica (23) and the Boston Breakers (21) are currently second and third, respectively, with the Los Angeles Sol dominating with 37 points.

PREVIEW: RED STARS AT BOSTON

Chicago vying for third straight victory

With Brazilian Cristiane heating up, so are the Chicago Red Stars. They hope to ride the momentum of her recent hat trick when they take on the host Boston Breakers for a 6 p.m. (CST) Women's Professional Soccer match Wednesday at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass.

The Red Stars (4-6-5) are without Karen Carney, who is competing for the England Women's National Team on Thursday against Iceland and on July 22 against Denmark.

Chicago has posted one of its best moments (4-0 win April 25) and worst moments (2-0 loss June 21) against the Breakers (5-6-3) this season. Now that the offense has found some life with five total goals in the past two victories, the Red Stars look to maintain their stronger finishing on this two-game road trip.

Aside from winning their season opener in St. Louis, the Red Stars have since posted a 0-2-4 record on the road. Boston is 3-2-2 at home this season and tied for third in the WPS standings with Sky Blue FC.

The Red Stars are close behind with 17 points and fifth in the standings. The four playoff spots are the focal point for each regular-season game the rest of the way. Having played one more game than the three teams ahead of them, the Red Stars know they need to do their best to win out in these final five matches.

• Cristiane named WPS Player of the Week: Was there any doubt as to who would take this honor? Red Stars forward Cristiane, the first player in WPS to garner a hat trick, was awarded Player of the Week honors for Week 16. Her three goals led the Red Stars to a 3-1 victory over FC Gold Pride on Sunday. The Red Stars have earned this weekly award in back-to-back weeks, with Lindsay Tarpley securing the first-ever POW in Chicago's history in Week 15.

RED STARS 3, FC GOLD PRIDE 1

Cristiane nets first hat trick in WPS history

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - Momentum has been difficult to find for the Chicago Red Stars in their Women’s Professional Soccer debut. And with a road trip and some key absences on the horizon, a victory Sunday was of the essence.

Thankfully for the Red Stars, Brazilian sensation Cristiane is heating up with her play making abilities, and she did so in a big way with the first hat trick in WPS history as Chicago earned its second straight win, defeating FC Gold Pride, 3-1, at Toyota Park.

She needs to be the catalyst since soon the team will be without Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Lindsay Tarpley, who are bound for the U.S. Women’s National Team and will miss next Sunday's game against Sky Blue FC. Karen Carney will miss the next two games because of her call-up to England's National Team.

“Cristiane showed her qualities as a world class finisher. And I will credit the assisters, as well,” Red Stars head coach Emma Hayes said. “The team showed that they were gutsy and greedy when they didn’t dominate or felt totally in control. And for me, that’s the sign of a good team.”

As solid as Cristiane’s finishing was, she also was the recipient of some strong passing and setups, with Rapinoe standing above the most. Though she only had one assist, Rapinoe created several other chances to keep Gold Pride’s defense busy in key spurts.

“I think that I positioned myself well, and I received good (setups) from my teammates” Cristiane said through Red Stars teammate and translator Lydia Vandenbergh. “You always don’t have a lot of chances to score in a game, and I look to get my chances on-frame.”

Cristiane put the Red Stars (4-6-5) on the board in the 31st minute with a penalty kick goal past Gold Pride goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart. She was tripped a minute earlier by Rachel Buehler and calmly gave Chicago the 1-0 lead after both teams were off to a pretty slow start.

Then in first-half stoppage time, Cristiane broke through the Gold Pride defense after Rapinoe’s send. She took advantage of the one-on-one opportunity against Barnhart, dribbling around the Gold Pride goalkeeper to her left. Two Gold Pride defenders managed to get back, but Cristiane’s shot trickled past both of them and she celebrated with her patented back flip.

The Gold Pride (3-8-3) battled back when Rapinoe fouled Tiffeny Milbrett in the box when going for a header. Milbrett took the PK in the 64th minute and cut the deficit to 2-1.

But unlike many games limited in the scoring department and limited in big swings, the Red Stars immediately snagged back Gold Pride’s momentum just 1 minute later as Cristiane notched her third goal of the game with a solid strike toward the upper left corner of the net.



* * *

Next up: The Red Stars head out on a short two-game road trip, starting with a 6 p.m. (CST) match Wednesday, July 15, against the Boston Breakers.

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SlideTackles.net thoughts: The three points were an absolute must for Chicago, and Cristiane didn’t disappoint. A few bounces definitely went Chicago’s way, which has not been the case much this season - Cristiane’s second goal is a perfect example.

The Red Stars’ defensive play was relatively steady, coming up with some key intercepted passes or forcing Gold Pride into some difficult looks at the net. Christine Sinclair had a few scoring opportunities, but for the most part Chicago’s defense kept her in check. And Sinclair was a one-woman wrecking crew against the Red Stars in the teams’ previous matchups, scoring both Gold Pride goals en route to a win and a draw.

Hayes said Cristiane was taken out of the match in the 67th minute so she can maintain some energy for the Red Stars’ busy stretch on the road.

Anyone following WPS knows the race for the playoffs is as tight as it can be (minus the Los Angeles Sol). The back-to-back wins, a first for Chicago, now puts the Red Stars in fifth place. The top four advance to the playoffs.

The Red Stars have given teams some fits on the road, and they have quite a bit of work to do in adding to this “winning streak.” That has a pretty nice ring to it.

FC GOLD PRIDE 1, RED STARS 0

Chicago drops 2nd straight home match

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - Both the Chicago Red Stars and FC Gold Pride were coming off of disappointing shutout losses last week in Women’s Professional Soccer play. The Bay Area turned the tide, but Chicago could not break through with a goal.

The Gold Pride topped the Red Stars, 1-0, on Saturday night at Toyota Park, and Chicago (2-2-2) dropped its second straight during a five-game home stand.

“It’s a quiet locker room in there right now, because they know they could have gotten more from the game,” Red Stars head coach Emma Hayes said.

The Bay Area improved to 3-3-1, thanks to an early goal and a clean sheet in the second half.

“Defensively, we held strong against an excellent attacking team,” Gold Pride head coach Albertin Montoya said. “Chicago may be the best attacking team in the league, and I have a lot of respect for them.”

This game carried quite a bit of value for the Red Stars because they will lose defender Marian Dalmy and midfielders Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Lindsay Tarpley to the Women’s National Team next week. The WNT takes on Canada on May 25, and the Red Stars’ four stars will not be available for Chicago’s May 23 home match against St. Louis Athletica.

On Saturday, the Red Stars started to create some chances on the offensive end in the first half, and the buildup was evident with Cristiane heavily on the attack, and Rapinoe the main catalyst trying to get Cristiane the ball. Then, in the 30th minute, the Gold Pride grabbed the momentum in a heartbeat.

Christine Sinclair netted the only goal, unassisted. She was the beneficiary of a ball that was booted into the side from their right side and bounced away from Red Stars goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson. The ball wound up at Sinclair’s feet and she practically dribbled it all the way into the net for a 1-0 lead.

“This was huge for us to get a goal in the first half,” Sinclair said. “We’ve struggled to get goals lately.”

In the net, Jonsson made four saves for the Red Stars while Nicole Barnhart had three saves for the Gold Pride. Barnhart made a clutch save in the 83rd minute on a Karen Carney strike. It was the best Red Stars scoring chance in the second half, but nothing mirrored their attack between the 20th and 30th minutes.

“It’s a little bit disappointing obviously,” Rapinoe said of the turn of events in the first half. “We played really well in that stretch in that moment there. But I think as a player, you can’t let yourself get deflated after they score a goal. We still had plenty of time left in the game. I thought we played well at times today and I thought that we had a lot of attacking chances.”

* * * * *

Next up: The Red Stars host St. Louis Athletica at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at Toyota Park. Not television or Web cast are available for the match.

* * * * *

SlideTackles.net thoughts: The Red Stars needed a victory Saturday for many reasons: to rebound from their previous defeat against Sky Blue FC, to take advantage of their five-game home stand, and to capitalize on having a full roster before they are shorthanded against St. Louis.

Now they have to juggle a few things around to try and match up against St. Louis Athletica. Thankfully for the Red Stars, St. Louis will be without goalkeeper Hope Solo and defender Lori Chalupny, who are joining the WNT.

On Saturday the Red Stars did showcase some creativity with the ball, especially in the first half. Here are just a few moments within that buildup between the 20th and 30th minutes: Rapinoe was called offside in the 21st minute after making a quick run, otherwise she would have had the game’s first goal. In the 27th minute, Rapinoe made a fantastic touch with the outside of her right foot on a cross from the left wing, but it was just out of reach for Cristiane. Then in the 29th minute, Cristiane had a shot on goal after another good setup by Rapinoe.

“I think the first half, our attacking play was exciting. I think it was the best we’ve been this season,” Hayes said. “I think Cristiane proved her worth and her abilities.”

Thankfully Cristiane’s attacking skills are available next week. She and Carney will need to shoulder the load offensively when they are shorthanded against St. Louis.