When a soccer team is struggling, the immediate reaction is often to do whatever is necessary to stop conceding goals and then worry about the rest later. Without a win in three games and following back-to-back losses, the mentality of the Chicago Red Stars against the Washington Spirit on Saturday night was clearly to defend and counter when possible.
Despite the departures of Alyssa Naeher and Tierna Davidson for the Olympics, the Red Stars gave perhaps their best defensive performance of 2021 while doing enough on offense to get back into the win column.
“If you ask any of us it was a must-win game,” said defender Kayla Sharples, who caused the game’s only goal with a header that the Spirit’s Julia Roddar deflected into her own net.