Chicago Stars Earn Back-to-Back Comeback Draws
The Chicago Stars are the NWSL’s greatest paradox.
They’re on a four-game unbeaten streak under Ella Masar since the summer break. Yet, at the same time, they haven’t won a game since April 13th.
The club has recorded four consecutive draws ahead of the arrival of new interim head coach Anders Jacobson next week.
After picking up two draws that feel like losses to start Masar’s time in charge, the Stars did the opposite this week. Facing two difficult matchups in the span of four days, Chicago twice came back from a multiple-goal deficit to earn a point.
A 3-3 draw against the Seattle Reign on Monday was capped off by a last-second goalkeeper equalizer from Alyssa Naeher. Fast forward to Friday, and Ludmila stole the show off the bench, scoring a hat-trick en route to another 3-3 result against the North Carolina Courage.
Unbelievable Second-Half Surge in Seattle
Monday night will go down in history as one of the most improbable comebacks in NWSL history. The Stars came into the fixture hoping to build on recent positive momentum. Any excitement for the match vanished by the 46th minute. After going down 2-0 in the first half, Chicago conceded immediately after half-time and seemed to be in for a rout.
Instead, Masar’s warriors roared back in spectacular fashion. At the 73-minute mark, Ludmila brought life into the game with a well-taken goal assisted by Ally Schlegel. Five minutes later, Taylor Malham found Camryn Biegalski in the final third with a beautiful ball. Biegalski took full advantage of the opportunity, smashing her finish in off the inside of the post. It was her first career goal and narrowed the Reign’s lead to 3-2.
The Stars pushed for an equalizer, but Seattle held strong for over 20 minutes. Finally, in the dying embers of stoppage time, the visitors won a corner. Julia Grosso headed the ball goalwards and forced a gravity-defying stop out of Claudia Dickey. The ball bounced around the danger area unclaimed before Naeher finally pounced, converting from point-blank range. Not only did the goalkeeper’s strike complete the biggest comeback in Stars history, it also earned the USWNT legend her first career goal.
Deja Vu in Bridgeview
Unfortunate scheduling meant the Stars were forced to play the last game of matchday 16 and the first game of matchday 17. Back at Seatgeek Stadium on Friday evening, Chicago played a rotated squad against North Carolina. While the hosts held strong in the first 45 minutes, the Courage opened the scoring early in the second half through Manaka Matsukobo, who chipped Naeher beautifully. They doubled their lead 13 minutes later, as Tyler Lussi just got her effort under the bar and over the line.
It was shaping up to be that kind of night for the Stars. That all changed starting in the 76th minute. Ludmila, who had sat out the first half, scored one of the goals of the season to pull Chicago within one. The Brazilian took on four defenders and sent a curving finish into the top corner. The fans went into complete delirium, and another comeback was on the cards.
Five minutes later, the Ludmila show ran an encore. This time, she sprinted into the penalty area down the left side before scoring with her left foot. In a matter of minutes, Chicago had leveled the game and had hopes of coming away with all three points. To their credit, the Courage responded incredibly well. Straight from kickoff, the visitors threatened, and they retook the lead in the 83rd minute. Meredith Speck set up Jaedyn Shaw for an easy finish, and North Carolina led again, 3-2.
To the surprise of no one, the Stars refused to buckle. With 86 minutes gone, they won a corner, which Manaka Hayashi stepped up to take. Somehow, Ludmila was left unmarked at the back post. Chicago’s maestro headed the ball into the back of the net, tying the game and completing a perfect hat-trick.
Resilience and Entertainment
Something’s in the air in Chicago. The Stars have four points from four games since the summer break. It might not seem like an impressive mark for a team that wants to challenge for a playoff spot, but Masar’s two predecessors each managed three points across six and seven games, respectively. The club’s not in a position to seriously threaten for a top 8 finish, but if they can turn this late-game magic into a victory every once in a while, anything is possible.
Next week will be a clean slate for Chicago. Despite her success over the last month, Masar will step back down to an assistant coaching role. The interim head coach job will be taken over by Anders Jacobson ahead of Martin Sjorgen’s arrival next year.
With the squad responding well to Masar’s leadership over the last few weeks, it remains to be seen what tactical changes Jacobson will want to make.
The potential for this squad is on full display. Back-to-back comebacks show just how resilient the Stars are.
They next take on the high-flying Washington Spirit on Sunday at 3 pm.
It’s a tough first test for Jacobson, but at this point, you can never count the Stars out.
Discover more from Chicago Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
