It was billed and marketed as the Olympic send-off for Chicago Red Stars and USWNT players Julie Johnston, Christen Press and Alyssa Naeher, but all the scoring came from other sources. Make no mistake about it, Chicago’s triad of United States Women’s National Team members were all dominant Saturday night, but the more overt contributions came from more obscure Red Stars players in the resounding 3-0 defeat of the lowly Boston Breakers.
The next time Johnston, Press and Naeher play in Chicago, it will be on international duty versus South Africa on July 9th at Soldier Field.
That match will be the penultimate friendly for the United States Women’s National Team before they head to Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The next time we’ll see Chicago’s stellar troika play at home for the Red Stars, it’ll be in September after the Olympiad, but Saturday saw the score sheet dominated by names other than the big three
“It’s nice that we were able to get some other people in the score sheet, in the long term that will provide in more space for Christen,” said Red Stars Head Coach Rory Dames.
“What’s everyone gonna write about now that Sofia finally scored when Christen is here?” Dames asked rhetorically as he once again showcased his dry wit.
Sofia Huerta scored once in each half (her first goals in a game where Press was also active), and Vanessa DiBernardo, described by Dames Saturday night as the club’s most consistent player, bagged a pair of assists to lead Chicago to a 3-0 victory over the 1-7-1 Boston Breakers.
Casey Short scored the Red Stars third and final goal of the evening.
Said Dames of the USWNT trio: “In the long term we’d like to get more space for Christen. We obviously made a lot of moves to get Alyssa for a reason, and Julie is Julie. They’ve laid a good foundation.”
“The biggest difference with national team players is the mental component, meaning their confidence and competitiveness. That said, their individual quality on the field is also unique. Alyssa is a world-class goalkeeper and Julie’s confidence and sophistication are now even greater than they were last year. Christen wants most of the chances to fall to her, and our team is set up so they do. All her goals so far have been spectacular, which shows just how special she is around the box.”
“We have a few proven internationals like that, and then we have four of five players who have the potential to be in the national team pool and who are right on the cusp. If they keep building their quality and confidence, I fully believe it’s a matter of time for them to get there.”
The Red Stars will take on fellow NWSL title contenders Portland Thorns Wednesday night in the Pacific Northwest. That will be the final game Chicago has their USWNT trio at their disposal until after the Olympics. U.S. Camp opens July 1, the same day the Red Stars will take on the Washington Spirit on the road.
Saturday night saw Naeher, the National Women’s Soccer League Player of the Month for May, record her sixth shutout in eight games this year. Chicago currently remains top of the NWSL table by embracing the same exact qualities and traits that saw the USWNT win the Women’s World Cup in Canada last summer.
There’s elite level goalkeeping plus top notch defense, and just enough offense to consistently get results. The common thread is Julie Johnston, 2015 World Cup Golden Ball finalist and anchor of the back line.
“Our backline has improved throughout the season,” said Julie Johnston.
“With three of us now playing regularly for the second straight year, it helps having that experience together. Casey is also in excellent form and is very confident and comfortable with her role. We always work together back there and really trust each other. I’m sure we’ll only keep getting better as we keep working on specific things.”
There’s also a lot of continuity and synergy between Julie Johnston and Alyssa Naeher, teammates for both club and country.
“Of course, it’s also huge for us having the confidence, experience, vision and communication of Alyssa to count on. Playing with her on the national team has been so helpful to me personally.”
“She holds me accountable and really pushes me hard, which plays a big part in allowing me to be at my best.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram