RECAP: Stars Earn a Point in 1-1 Draw Against Gotham FC
The Chicago Stars drew with Gotham FC at Seatgeek Stadium on Friday evening, 1-1.
It was the Stars’ first competitive fixture since June, as well as their first since the departure of Masaki Hemmi.
Interim head coach Ella Masar made her second-ever touchline appearance and first since 2023. The result brings the Stars to seven points on the season with 14 games played.
Gotham Make the Most of a Back-and-Forth First Half
In a physically combative first half, both sides had chances to forge ahead early. Gotham’s Jaelin Howell came close in the 5th minute. Her right-footed shot whizzed just wide of the returning Alyssa Naeher’s goal. The Stars responded with an opportunity of their own in the 10th minute. Ally Schlegel was barely beaten to an airborne ball by Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who punched it away.
A lovely team move from Gotham, 19 minutes in, nearly gave them the lead, as Howell found Khyah Harper in the penalty area. Harper’s short-range effort was blocked expertly by the well-positioned Sam Staab. The momentum shifted immediately over to the opposite side of the pitch, as the Stars failed to convert another chance. With 28 minutes on the clock, Cari Roccaro launched a long throw-in onto the head of Schlegel, who played in Bike from behind. Bike’s shot deflected out, and Chicago was unable to capitalize on the ensuing corner.
The visitors were ultimately the ones to break the deadlock, doing so in the 40th minute. Sarah Schupansky found space on the left flank and delivered a cross towards the back post. Harper’s diving header left Naeher with no chance and put Gotham up 1-0. Chicago came close through Schlegel three minutes later, as the striker forced Berger into a fingertip save off the crossbar. The offside flag went up a second later, though, nullifying the opportunity.
With seconds remaining in first-half stoppage time, Gotham’s Rose Lavelle rounded two defenders and scored, but her strike was chalked off for offside.
Stars Rewarded for Relentless Attacking in the Second Half
The Stars were far more proactive offensively after the break. Ludmila was the catalyst for a massive opportunity in the 58th minute, sending a lovely aerial ball into the path of Bike. The latter released Schlegel for a one-on-one situation, but Berger made a diving stop to deny the Stars striker. At long last, Schlegel’s perseverance was rewarded at the 68-minute mark as she leveled the game at 1-1. She drove a lovely header into the back of the net off a pinpoint cross by Julia Grosso.
Chicago could have and should have taken the lead in the 77th minute when a loose ball ended up just in front of Berger’s goal. Neither Schlegel nor Ludmila could force the ball over the line, however. Gotham then had their first real chance of the second half in the 82nd minute, but Taylor Malham stepped up to make a last-ditch tackle.
The closing stage of the game was end-to-end. Stars fans were left fuming when Ludmila, sprinting into the final third, was brought down from behind in the 84th minute. Advantage was played, but no card was shown at the next stoppage. Four minutes later, Naeher was forced into a reflex save following a strong headed effort by Lilly Reale.
The final opportunity of the game came in the sixth minute of stoppage time, as Shea Groom drove a shot into the legs of Berger. When the final whistle sounded, it felt like a hard-earned point for the Stars, yet at the same time, a missed opportunity to notch a second win.
The Beginning of a Positive Run?
Schlegel, though a prolific forward when at her best, has struggled for goals in 2025.
She got the monkey off her back with an excellent, persistent performance and her second goal of the season on Friday.
“Berger’s a world-class goalkeeper,” Schlegel said of the woman who denied her a brace or even a hat-trick. “She makes saves, and I just roll my eyes. I was very, very grateful to get that goal.”
Grosso was delighted to provide the game-winning assist. Her thought process in the moment was:
“Just hit it in the box.” Grosso was full of praise for Schlegel’s positioning and aerial presence, saying that “If I have Ally in the box, I’m finding her.”
Masar’s reaction to the performance was overwhelmingly positive.
“We were down at halftime, we had a hard conversation,” the interim head coach revealed. “All I told them was ‘be brave.'” Indeed, the second half was some of the highest-quality soccer the Stars have played all year. “When you’re 13th in the table, anything’s a point earned,” Masar quipped when asked about the result.
Looking Ahead to the Future
Naturally, the post-match press conference did not ignore the elephant in the room.
When asked about the head coach search, Masar stated:
“If the rumors are correct about who is coming in, then I know that no matter what happens, the club has made the best decision.” She also confirmed that she would remain in an assistant’s role for at least the rest of 2025. “I’m here until the end of the year for sure. I’m committed to these players.”
Only time will tell whether we’ve seen the last of Masar on the touchline. Regardless of what transpires in the coming days, the interim manager led her squad to a valuable point and a showing to be proud of.
Stars fans will hope that the club has officially turned over a new leaf after Friday evening.
Next up for Chicago is another home matchup.
The Stars take on the only side they’ve beaten this year, Bay FC, on August 10th at 1 pm.
“It doesn’t matter who it is next,” Masar said of the upcoming game. “It’s just about focusing on us and then there’s the benefit that we can say ‘hey, we’ve beat this team actually.'”
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