Preview: Spirit faces Chicago Red Stars in Richmond for Summer Cup Clash
Richmond, Va. (07/30/2024) – The Washington Spirit will face the Chicago Red Stars on Wednesday evening in both sides’ final group stage match of the NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup. The match begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT at City Stadium in Richmond, Virginia and will be broadcast on Paramount+.
The Spirit
The Spirit fell short in its most recent NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup match against NJ/NY Gotham FC by a score of 1-0. The Spirit lineup witnessed further alterations with a Starting XI that saw the addition of two more newcomers — Maya Gordon and Jill Aguilera. Both players were announced as short-term loans only a day before the match. The start marked Gordon’s inaugural NWSL match, and she totaled a game-high ten final third entries.
Defensively, the Spirit showcased resilience, thwarting several Gotham attempts at goal. Despite tallying 18 shots, only six shots came on goal for the opponent, and Aubrey Kingsbury recorded four saves.
The Spirit utilized all five substitutions, spreading the workload as much as possible. No Spirit player finished the match with more than one shot.
Currently, the Spirit sits in second place of Group D on the Summer Cup table with three points. Gotham is in first place, having not lost a game the entire tournament. The top four group stage winners will advance to the semifinals taking place in Kansas City on Tuesday, August 6.
Last time out against the Red Stars, the Spirit dominated to the tune of 4-2. Croix Bethune recorded a Spirit record three assists in the match, becoming the fifth player in NWSL history to do so. Two of those assists were to Brittany Ratcliffe, who also turned in a record performance, scoring a brace for the first time in her career.
In non-regular season or group stage matches, the Spirit has never lost to the Red Stars, holding a 2-0-1 record. One of the victories, a Challenge Cup matchup, also took place at a neutral site, Zions Bank Stadium (Herriman, Utah).
Eleven teams throughout the NWSL currently sit at three points through two Summer Cup matches, so advancement to the Summer Cup semifinal could get interesting.
In its next regular season match, the Spirit will play the currently second-ranked Kansas City Current on Sunday, August 25 at 12 p.m. EDT. This match will be the first match of a historic doubleheader at Audi Field. At 4 p.m. EDT that same day, English rivals Chelsea and Arsenal will face off in the sides’ first-ever matchup in the United States. One ticket gets you access to both matches. Fans can find these tickets at WashingtonSpirit.com/friendlies.
The Opposition
Last Friday, the Red Stars fell at home to Chivas Femenil, 0-1. Both clubs entered the contest after dropping the first Summer Cup match, though, a 45th-minute Chivas Femenil goal was the decider.
The Red Stars outshot Chivas Femenil and put more shots on frame but couldn’t find the equalizer. A team whose success comes on the counterattack, the Red Stars even controlled possession and had thirty more final third entries than the opponent.
The Red Stars are one of only four teams to not secure a win so far this tournament and are the only team to not score a goal in either Summer Cup match. Thus, the Red Stars are statistically eliminated from advancing out of the group stage.
The Chicago backline will be without its back line anchor and former Spirit Sam Staab after the defender tore her Achilles earlier in the tournament. Staab has been placed on the season-ending injury list. She was named to two of the three NWSL Best XI of the Month this season.
Other news out of Chicago includes the signing of Brazilian international, Ludmila, who will join the Red Stars in Chicago following the Paris Olympics. Ludmila joins the Red Stars from Spanish side, Atlético Madrid, where the forward spent seven seasons.
The Spirit owns a 12-11-8 all-time record (all competitions) versus the Chicago Red Stars. At neutral venues, the Spirit is a perfect 2-0-0 versus the Red Stars, including the club’s most notable victory – the 2021 NWSL Championship match played in Louisville, Kentucky. Despite being ahead in the all-time series, Chicago has outscored Washington 37 to 34 through 31 matches.
The next match for the Red Stars is on Saturday, August 24 at 7:30 p.m. EDT against Racing Louisville FC.
What is the Summer Cup?
Announced in May, the NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup debuted this season in a groundbreaking international collaboration between the United States and Mexico’s most talented women’s soccer leagues. All 14 NWSL clubs and the six Liga MX teams with the most points during 2023-24 league play – Tigres UANL, Club América, Chivas Femenil, Rayadas de Monterrey, Pachuca and Tijuana – are participating.
The Spirit is in Group D with the Chicago Red Stars, Chivas Femenil and NJ/NY Gotham FC.
How does it work?
In five groups of four, all clubs will play a three-match group stage with the top four group winners advancing to the semifinals, taking place at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City on Tuesday, August 6. This means one team will win its group and not advance to the Summer Cup semifinals. Winners of the semifinal matches will face off in the Summer Cup final taking place at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, October 25.
How can I watch?
CBS Sports is the exclusive English-language distributor of all Summer Cup matches. All matches will stream live on Paramount+, with 11 matches simulcasting on CBS Sports Golazo Network and 12 matches simulcasting on CBS Sports Network, including the semifinals and championship match.
TUDN, the sports programming branch of Spanish-language network Univision, will air three group stage matches while NWSL+ will serve as the Spanish-language home for the remaining group stage matches in the U.S.
The post Preview: Spirit faces Chicago Red Stars in Richmond for Summer Cup Clash appeared first on Washington Spirit.