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NWSL Results: Chicago tops Gotham in Lewandowski’s final match

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

One match took center stage on Saturday night in the National Women’s Soccer League, as Gotham FC hosted the Chicago Red Stars and celebrated the final match of Gina Lewandowski’s professional soccer career. 

The Skinny: The Chicago Red Stars went into Red Bull Arena and scored three goals to snatch three points from a struggling Gotham FC side. Three different players scored for the Red Stars.

One Key Moment: While all three goals took their turn to expose the Gotham defense, the first goal from Chicago was truly one for the highlight reel. Tatumn Milazzo did the work, dribbling and weaving her way through the left side of the pitch. She snuck the ball through the Gotham penalty area and found Sarah Luebbert (well, Ella Stevens, who flicked the ball over to Luebbert for the assist), who joined back with Chicago in June after being on loan for a year at Club América. 

Inside the Game: With still a whole weekend of action left, Chicago has jumped up to first place with the victory. With Mallory Pugh and Bianca St. Georges on international duty — both will be competing at the Concacaf W Championship, which starts on Monday, July 4 — Chicago looked toward young and veteran players to fill in the goal-scoring shoes.

That was no problem for the Red Stars, as Luebbert kicked off the scoring off the Milazzo slicing and dicing through Gotham. Vanessa DiBernardo added a second goal in the 25th minute with Milazzo earning the assist. DiBernardo dribbled through McCall Zerboni and then fired off a shot, with three Gotham players surrounding her, tucking it into the corner of the net.

Stevens added the final cherry on top with a flick past Gotham goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris in the 84th minute. Yuki Nagasato was credited with the assist, sending the ball up and over Ali Krieger, Nahomi Kawasumi, Caprice Dydasco and Lewandowski.

Gotham now sits in 10th place with nine points, just above Orlando and North Carolina, respectively. Gotham’s loss now brings their losing streak to three games, while Chicago continues its unbeaten streak of either wins or draws, bringing it to eight games.

Jul 2, 2022; Harrison, NJ, USA; New Jersey/New York Gotham FC defender Gina Lewandowski (12) poses with her family and supporters at a ceremony before playing against the Chicago Red Stars in a NWSL match at Red Bull Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports.

The Goals

  1. Chicago Red Stars — Sarah Luebbert (Ella Stevens), 16′
  2. Chicago Red Stars — Vanessa DiBernardo (Tatumn Milazzo), 25′
  3. Chicago Red Stars — Ella Stevens (Yuki Nagasato), 84′
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