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Chicago Tribune
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Mixed results for Chicago soccer doubleheader at Soldier Field: Stars battle to 2-2 draw while Fire lose 2-0
Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge scored second-half goals and Joe Willis posted his fifth clean sheet of the season as Nashville blanked the Chicago Fire 2-0 on Saturday night at Soldier Field. It was the nightcap of an NWSL-MLS doubleheader on the lakefront, with the Chicago Stars earlier battling to a 2-2 draw with the Seattle Reign. Nashville's Mukhtar took a pass from substitute defender Andy Najor and found the net in the 56th minute to break a scoreless tie with his eighth goal of the season. Surridge gave Nashville a two-goal lead in the 75th minute with his 12th of the season — matching his career high set last year. Surridge trails the Philadelphia Union's Tai Baribo by a goal in the race for the Golden Boot Award. Willis finished with eight saves for Nashville (9-4-5) in his 72nd shutout over 278 career starts. Nashville improved to 3-3-2 on the road this season in climbing to third place in the Eastern Conference. Jeffrey Gal totaled one save in his second career start for the Fire (7-6-4), who are 1-2-4 at home this season. In the first game, Brazilian star Ludmila scored twice in 2:16 to give the Stars (1-8-3) a 2-0 lead in the 13th minute. That score held until the 87th minute, when Lynn Biyendolo's goal put the Reign (5-4-3) on the board followed by Jordyn Bugg's equalizer two minutes later.
Reuters
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
NWSL roundup: Reign score two late to tie Stars
June 15 - Lynn Biyendolo and Jordyn Bugg scored within a two-minute span late in the match to allow the Seattle Reign FC to pull off a 2-2 tie with the host Chicago Stars on Saturday. The late scoring for Seattle (5-4-3, 18 points) extended Chicago's winless streak to eight matches. Ludmila scored both goals for the Stars (1-8-3, 6 points) in the first half. Ludmila's scoring also came in rapid fashion, with her goals in the 11th and 13th minutes. Both tallies came at the end of fast breaks, with Maitane Lopez and Sam Staab collecting assists. Biyendolo converted on a shot from outside the box in the 87th minute. Two minutes later, Bugg found the net from outside the box on the right side, with the ball going into the opposite side of the goal off Maddie Dahlien's pass. The Reign went right back into scoring position, with Stars goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz stopping Maddie Mercado's attempt to keep the score tied. The Stars scored more than one goal for the third time this season. Kansas City Current 4, Racing Louisville FC 2: The host Current scored three goals in the first 20 minutes on the way to remaining undefeated. Kansas City began with an own goal two minutes into the game and then got goals by Michelle Cooper and Bia Zaneratto. Temwa Chawinga added the final goal in extra time for Kansas City (10-2-0, 30 points). Racing Louisville (5-5-2, 17 points) received second-half goals from Janine Sonis and Uchenna Kanu. The teams combined to score six goals on 10 total shots on goal. --Field Level Media
Chicago Tribune
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Stars players started trivia nights for fun. The result was a stronger team bond.
The NWSL season is long, with games starting in March and rolling through November. The Chicago Stars have found a fun way to release the pressures of the year — and bond. The soccer players meet up weekly to try their hand at Waddayaknow Trivia, a free event started in 2008 at multiple bars in Illinois to keep family and friends connected in the Chicago area. Everyone needs a break, but trivia keeps the mental — and competitive — juices going. 'It's really nice to connect to something that's not on the field,' said defender Sam Staab, who has one goal and one assist this season. While Staab and the rest of her teammates knew each other to a degree, they were not the 'closest of friends' starting out. But playing trivia has brought them closer than ever. 'Now they look forward to hanging out every (week) and shoot the s—,' Staab said. 'Eat, play some trivia, hang out and catch up. So it's fun, and not soccer, which is really fun, too.' For the 1-2-8 Stars, formerly the Red Stars, they discovered these trivia nights at a normal team hangout at a bar. The club met up in 2024 to watch Caitlin Clark — whose Indiana Fever visited the Chicago Sky at United Center on June 7 — break the college basketball scoring record in her senior season at Iowa. A worker came up to the group with a suggestion. 'We were having dinner at the place and they (said to) come up and sign up for trivia and it starts in 20 minutes,' Stabb said. 'We all looked (at each other) and said 'Oh my gosh, we should totally play.'' The competitive spirit of the Stars looks the same whether on the pitch or guessing trivia answers. Once a year, there is a Tournament of Champions where over 300 teams compete for a grand prize. The Stars take the event 'seriously,' as well as the weekly qualifiers. 'You wager what you think is best for each answer, so Sam is also our wagerer,' midfielder Shea Groom said. Staab added: 'And I keep people on track as well. I'm a control freak, if you couldn't tell.' The Stars won their most recent round of trivia, with a full squad on hand: Along with Groom and Stabb, the group included forward Catherine Barry, defender Hannah Anderson, midfielder Maitane Lopez, forward Ava Cook, goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz and defender Justina Gaynor. Each player has their individual role for answering questions, with random knowledge a necessity. Hailing from different areas of the globe brings a worldwide perspective to the trivia team, which is an advantage. 'We all went to college for different things, where maybe other teams work together and are in the same field,' Groom said. 'Ava is our music expert, Alyssa (Naeher) is pretty much random knowledge and I like to claim U.S. geography and African geography. We really balance each other out.' 'We have this diverse background,' Staab said. 'We're able to answer a lot of questions, or just have at least educated guesses on a lot of things. And we just kind of kept going with it.' The squad — named Cheeseburgers in Paradise — is on a winning streak now, claiming victory in their last two trivia outings. They usually finish in the Top Five, with the first-place prize a $50 restaurant credit. 'We got into a streak where we were up to probably $300, then we started (buying) dinner and actually eating,' Groom said. There's not a certain method of training for trivia days, as any question in any category can pop up on any given day. Categories can sway from old sitcoms to presidential history. Groom tries to stay prepared each week, as much as she can be, at least. 'I memorized the entire map of Africa,' Groom said. The trivia nights are 'pretty chill,' a welcome feeling for any professional athlete. And when sports is your day job, you might as well play that card when it helps. 'There was a question about the World Cup that Alyssa (Naeher) knew, and we wrote on the bottom (and asked) if we get extra points if we have a winner,' Groom said, referring to the Stars goalkeeper's two World Cup wins. 'And they did give us extra points.'
Fox Sports
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Cori Dyke scores late goal in the Orlando Pride's 1-0 win over the Houston Dash
Associated Press Cori Dyke scored her first National Women's Soccer League goal in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time to give the Orlando Pride a 1-0 win over the Houston Dash on Saturday night. Elsewhere in the NWSL, the Kansas City Current won 2-1 on the road over NJ/NY Gotham FC; Angel City was held to a 2-2 tie by the Chicago Stars in Los Angeles; and Bay FC defeated the Portland Thorns 1-0 at home. In the dying moments at Inter & Co Stadium, the ball ricocheted to Dyke's feet after a save from Dash goalkeeper Abby Smith. Dyke, who was subbed into the game at halftime, settled the ball quickly with one touch and unleashed a shot inside the near post on the half volley. A defensive Houston side, which started the game without a recognized center forward, withstood a barrage of pressure from Orlando in the second half. The Pride (7-3-1) finished with 22 shot attempts. Smith made seven saves, while nine shots were blocked by Dash players. The Dash (3-6-2) are now winless in three games. Chawinga and Cooper star as Current beats Gotham 2-1 Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper scored and notched an assist each as the first-place Kansas City Current defeated NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-1 at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday. The Current (9-2-0), who have won four in a row, took an early lead with Cooper opening the scoring in the third minute. The U.S. women's national team forward drilled the ball into the net from 10 yards out after Chawinga had intercepted a pass from Emily Sonnett just outside the box. Cooper returned the favor when her low cross was finished off by Chawinga to make it 2-0 in the 11th minute. Chawinga took one touch to evade Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, before finishing. Gotham (3-5-3) pulled a goal back in the 11th minute of stoppage time via an own goal by Vanessa DiBernardo. Rose Lavelle made her first appearance of the season for Gotham after ankle surgery in December 2024. The U.S. Olympian came off the bench to replace Taryn Torres in the 74th minute. Vignola scores equalizer as Angel City held 2-2 by Chicago Stars Mary Alice Vignola scored the equalizer in the 80th minute and Angel City salvaged a 2-2 with the Chicago Stars. Angel City (4-4-3) took a 1-0 lead into halftime on Kennedy Fuller's goal from inside the box in the 29th minute. Chicago (1-8-2) made it 1-1 just before the hour mark when an attempted cross from substitute Nadia Gomes took a wild deflection and looped over the head of goalkeeper Angelina Anderson. The Stars went up 2-1 up when Ally Schlegel scored from 25-yards out in the 66th minute. Anderson got one hand to the shot but could only tip the ball onto the crossbar and into the back of the net. Vignola rocketed in a rebound from close range to make it 2-2. The tie was Alexander Straus' first game as Angel City head coach. Straus, who has never previously coached in the NWSL, arrived from Bayern Munich last week. Malonson scores and Bay overcomes Thorns 1-0 Alyssa Malonson scored her first career NWSL goal and Bay FC overcame the Portland Thorns 1-0 at PayPal Park. The Bay defender ran onto a pass by Penelope Hocking and smashed the ball into the roof of the Portland goal from a tight angle in the 39th minute. The Thorns finished the game with 55% possession and with 16 shots to Bay's 10. The loss ended a five-match undefeated streak for Portland (4-3-4). While Bay (4-4-3) picked up its fourth clean sheet of the season. Bay is the first team to prevent Portland from scoring since April 18. ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Well done, Illinois! State gives women's sports teams access to public funding
After decades of making do with leftovers and scraps, women's sports teams now officially have a seat at the table in Illinois. The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Act was amended last weekend to ensure women's teams are included in any conversations about public funding. The bill now goes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who intends to sign it. Advertisement 'That codification is everything,' Karen Leetzow, president of the NWSL's Chicago Stars, which led the push for the change, told USA TODAY Sports. 'When you look at history, so many examples (of inequities) exist and, absent legislation, nothing changes. To have it codified and to bring attention to past inequities and make sure that those don't happen in the future, is huge.' The Stars aren't asking for money. Not yet, anyway. Neither are the WNBA's Chicago Sky. That's not the point. OPINION: New York Liberty value soars. Time for WNBA owners to invest or get out of the way No women's team has ever gotten public funding for a facility in Illinois. Or most other states, for that matter. The idea they'd dare even ask is met with incredulousness — and, let's be honest, a healthy dose of condescending misogyny — while no one is surprised when a men's team puts its hand out. Advertisement By making this change, the Illinois legislature is sending a strong message that, in this state at least, women's teams are of equal value and worth to men's teams. That if the state has resources, the Stars and the Sky have as much right to them as the Chicago Bears, Chicago White Sox and any other team. Now, before the Neanderthals start howling that women's teams don't make money or that men's teams should get preference because they do, let's remember that men's professional sports have at least a half-century head start on women's teams. And for much of that existence, they've been bolstered by public support. That means the public built or helped build the stadiums and arenas in which they play and the infrastructure that made them accessible to fans. The same stadiums and arenas that are a significant source of their wealth. Advertisement Take the White Sox. While they technically are tenants at Rate Field, they own the stadium for all intents and purposes. They reportedly pay less than $2 million a year in rent for a ballpark built with public funds and, in return, get to keep the revenue from ticket sales, concessions, parking and merchandise. The team also gets the bulk of the profits from the naming rights deal. The White Sox signage is permanent. So, too, the spaces used by the players. Oh, the White Sox also get to set the calendar at Rate Field. If there's a concert or some other non-baseball event at the ballpark, it has to work with the White Sox's schedule and wishes. WOMEN'S PRO SOFTBALL IN ILLINOIS: Schedule, how to watch 2025 AUSL games The Stars, meanwhile, are basically house guests at SeatGeek Stadium in suburban Bridgeview — as they were not so subtly reminded last summer. Advertisement After the season had begun, the Stars learned that village officials planned to stage Riot Fest, a three-day punk, rock and alternative music festival, on the stadium grounds the same weekend the Stars had a home game. Nothing says professional like the sweet, sweet sounds of St. Vincent and Beck drowning out the P.A.! Riot Fest wound up being moved, but that's immaterial. The Stars have no control over their facility, financially or otherwise, which makes it hard — not impossible, but really, really hard — to build valuation. OPINION: Homes of their own critical for continued growth of women's sports. Stadiums equal revenue Still not convinced? According to Forbes, the Kansas City Current's $36 million in revenue last season was the most in the NWSL, more than $10 million more than the third-place San Diego Wave and triple that of eight clubs. Advertisement Why such a gap? Because the Current last year opened the first purpose-built stadium for a women's team and is now reaping the benefits. This year, in fact, Forbes estimates the Current will generate $45 million in revenue. 'As women's sports grow, we ought to have facilities of our own that we can monetize so hopefully we can grow,' Leetzow said. 'Without those resources, we are literally being starved. That is not going to help us move forward.' The Stars have already said they are planning to leave the geographically undesirable SeatGeek Stadium when their lease expires at the end of this season. The team prefers to train and play in the city, and is exploring its options. This doesn't mean the Stars will ask the state for money. But for the first time in their existence, it's an option. And that is another sign of progress, to have access to what men's teams have always had. Advertisement Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Illinois gives women's sports teams access to state public funding
