That's it! Chicago wins 3-0!
89' : Press with another chance but she misses the net as she tries to round the keeper!
84' : Chicago in control here with six minutes left in the 90....
70' : Press sees her header go just wide! The striker is getting closer....
67' : Press has a go and forces a great save from Stout!
62' : GOOAL FOR THE RED STARS IT'S CASEY SHORT! 3-0!
62' : Game is beginning to get a little bit physical here.
47' : GOAL FOR THE RED STARS IT'S HUERTA AGAIN!
About to start the second half!
That's the half! The Chicago Red Stars lead the Boston Breakers 1-0
2 minutes of stoppage time.
45' : Simon is causing problems for Chicago. Her shot forces Naeher to make a save.
43' : Simon with another chance but her shot goes over the goal.
39' : Chicago with another chance! But Amanda DaCosta slips at a crucial time.
35' : Chicago with a chance inside the box but they can't get any clear shots on goal.
34' : Kyah Simon has a shot on Chicago's goal but it's blocked by Julie Johnston.
32' : Casey Short makes a run into the box and the ball ends up in the back of the net but the flag is raised for offsides.
29' : Boston tries to counter but the cross into the box goes over everyone and for a goal kick.
28' : Danielle Colaprico makes an impressive run but her shot ends up being a simple save for keeper Libby Stout
20' : Chicago is controlling the game so far. Amanda DaCosta sees her volley go wide of the target.
11' : Press has her shot from outside the box go just outside the box.
8' : Christen Press finds herself 1 on 1 but the flag is raised right after she touches the ball for offside.
6' : Chicago still putting on the pressure here. Vanessa DiBernado's shot goes wide of the goal.
3' : GOOOAL FOR THE RED STARS! IT'S SOFIA HUERTA WITH THE FINISH IN THE BOX!
1' : Here we go!
The change in the Red Stars lineup is Mautz in for Jen Hoy
Starting lineup for the Boston Breakers : Libby Stout, Whitney Engen, Kassey Kallman, Julie King, Stephanie McCaffrey, Louise Schillgard, Kyah Simon, Kristie Mewis, Mollie Pathman, Brooke Elby, Angela Salem
Starting lineup for the Chicago Red Stars : Alyssa Naeher, Arin Gilliland, Alyssa Mautz, Casey Short, Julie Johnston, Vanessa DiBernado, Sofia Huerta, Amanda DaCosta, Sam Johnson, Christen Press, Danielle Colaprico
The game will kick off at 8 P.M ET at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL. If you want to watch the game then watch the game on the NWSL YouTube channel. Follow along here for all the action. We will talk about the lineups when they are released.
This will be a grind it out type of game for both teams as both teams struggle to score, specifically Boston. The Breakers only have scored two goals this season, the lowest total in the NWSL right now. They have no attacking presence whatsoever and playing against Chicago's defense won't help either. The Red Stars defense has been like a brick wall this season. The addition of Alyssa Naeher has helped the team so much along with new addition Casey Short. Samantha Johnson and Julie Johnston provide a solid back centre-back pairing while Arin Gilliand is still learning things on the right-hand side. But Chicago has struggled to score more than one goal in this game. Although they have a great goal scorer like Press, Chicago still doesn't seem to find a way to put the ball into the back of the net. It's really surprising considering the talent that Chicago has going forward.
Chicago are used to losing both Press and Johnson as they lost both stars last summer during the Women's World Cup. The Red Stars played great while their two stars were out and even maintained a spot near the top of the NWSL table. Much of that was due to their youth in the attack, namely the trio of Vanessa DiBernado, Danielle Colaprico, and striker Sofia Huerta. All three of those players stepped up for Chicago and played brilliantly last season. Colaprico turned out to the best league wide as she won Rookie of the Year honors. But all three are good in their roles. Huerta is solid up top as a second striker or next to the main striker Christen Press. She can also be put on the wing, as we saw in the first half against Portland. Colaprico is good in the middle of the park and she provides the link between offense and defense. She can retain possession well but her main strength is on the offense providing the ball to the strikers. DiBernado also provides a good presence in the midfield, specifically right in front of the back line.
This will be the Olympic Send-Off game for both teams as they prepare to be without their USWNT team players for a while. Those set of players will be competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. Chicago will lose Christen Press, Julie Johnston, and Alyssa Naeher. Boston will be losing Whitney Engen and possibly Stephanie McCaffery.
As for Boston, any points will do for the team that sits at the bottom of the NWSL standings. Boston has four points this entire season and they really want to get out of the cellar of the league table. They sit two points behind 9th place FC Kansas City so a win would get them out of the bottom. The Breakers earned their first point of the season three weeks ago with a win over the Washington Spirit. But then they followed that up with their worst performance of the season. Boston was smashed 4-0 by Western New York, who have undergone a resurgence back to the top of the NWSL table. But then they drew 1-1 against FC Kansas City so things are beginning to look up for them. But then again, they could just fall flat against Chicago. You never really know with this Boston team.
This game is a must win for Chicago if they want to stay at the top of the NWSL table. The Red Stars lost their top spot to Portland Thorns FC as the Thorns beat the Western New York Flash today 2-0. Chicago is now two points behind Portland but also has a game in hand. A win here puts them in first place while a draw or a loss puts them in jeopardy of dropping to third place as they are right now tied on points with WNY. After two draws, a win would Chicago wonders when it comes to their standing in the NWSL table and their confidence moving forward. The Red Stars are one of the top teams in the NWSL and have depth everywhere on the roster. They are rock solid on defense but their offensive struggles have the coaching staff worried as of late.
Hello, and welcome to VAVEL USA's live coverage of the Chicago Red Stars vs Boston Breakers at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL. My name is Vijay Vemu and I will be providing updates for you as well as coverage for the game. The match will start at 8:00 PM Eastern Time, so make sure to stay tuned here for updates.