WPSL Wrap Up: Week 4

Wednesday:

Chicago Red Stars Reserves vs Chicago City SC

The Battle of Chicago (as City billed it) began as RSR games in general have been played, with the professional academy women rolling over their newly scheduled neighbors. It finished 5-0.

Saturday:

Minnesota TwinStars FC vs Chicago Red Stars Reserves

Next up for the division leaders were the Dragons of TwinStars, but the team from Illinois show no sign of slowing down and they dispatched MNTS in Minnetonka with an identical 5-0 score.

Milwaukee Torrent vs Dakota Fusion FC

In a league with fine margins of error but large goal difference, Torrent and Fusion entered the match as the only two remaining sides without a win in the division but it was the Wisconsin side who capitalized on poor positioning by debuting keeper Brianna Andrade and a travelling roster of only 13 women, to score 6 without reply - most within the last ten minutes of each half.

Andrade was chipped by Crohn in the 21st minute, Celarek in the 42nd and a Robyn Elliott cross-shot in 1st half injury time which was the first goal of the UW-Oshkosh player’s hat trick - the first by anyone from Torrent in WPSL. Johnson also scored after Eberhardy’s shot on goal was blocked by the Fusion keeper.

It was 2-0 after 41 mins and despite the three goals let in before half-time, Fusion kept their hosts to only 1 more - when Elliott finished her scoring in the 82nd minute.

Fire SC 98 vs Chicago City SC

The scrap for 2nd place continued apace at Sea Foam Stadium, with Emily Heslin heading a Hanna Norman corner home for the home side after only 9 mins. In the 27th minute, Roxy Roemer continued her rich vein of form with an Olimpico, unassisted goal from a corner. With Fire in control, the final goal was added by Taylor Bare's finish to a Annie Williams free kick.

Sunday:

Minnesota TwinStars FC vs Chicago City SC

Jordan Rowan-Stafford’s shot was the first real action, deflected for a TwinStars corner in the 21st minute. Jade King’s corner was headed home headlong by Emily Bunnell. Action was end to end, with City arguably having the better chances but not breaking through, before the half. The two sides traded attacking waves until the 60th minute when Bunnell was almost robbed by a City attacker. Dade’s shot was deflected over for a corner for City and pressure continued with Madonia shooting tamely into the MNTS keeper’s mitts.

Straight after the mandatory water break, CCSC’s Brooklyn Deming launched a somersaulting long throw into the box and it was flicked home to level the score. It was a sucker punch but it was reflective of a long period of City attack. Another Deming throw resulted in a corner which was deflected wide of the near post. Both teams had good chances blocked or just wide before the TwinStars took home all three points through a goal in the 83rd minute after an unnecessary foul by City on the 35 yard line was lofted all the way in unassisted by Hannah Pavek.

Fire SC 98 vs Chicago Red Stars Reserves

In a game where the expansion side out of St Paul could have grabbed a full handful of Red Star coat tails, they were instead also dispatched. This RSR team find a way to win. Every game. In this case, solid goalkeeping kept a hot Fire attacking line quiet and a wind assist gave the leaders the lead in the 20th min. Fire could have tied it 3 mins later but a penalty kick was stopped by the diving RSR (and under 18 national team) keeper Mackenzie Wood . Fire had the majority of the chances on the counter but no finish before the Red Stars Reserves doubled their lead with a blistering volley in the 38th min.

Channing Foster made it 3-0 with a rising shot from 20 yards out and the scoring was completed in the 84th minute off a rebound.

Week 5 schedule*:

Wednesday:

Chicago City SC vs Chicago Red Stars Reserves

Bringing the Red Stars Reserves in from the suburbs, the second part of the Battle of Chicago will be held at DePaul’s urban campus - as the expansion side continue their conscious effort to tap as many of the soccer fields available in the City of Chicago. CCSC will hope that the Blue Demon spirit will help them overcome an RSR side which has thus far found a number of different gears in making it to 7-0-0.

Minnesota TwinStars FC vs Milwaukee Torrent

Fresh from their win against Illinois’s expansion team, the Dragons face Wisconsin’s only women’s league team. Torrent are fresh from their first ever win in the league and will be looking to continue the positive momentum but TwinStars’s talented squad will be looking to protect the bright blue home turf and string together their own run of results.

Friday:

Dakota Fusion FC vs Milwaukee Torrent

These two teams turn around and play each other for the 2nd time in a week. Fusion will try to begin their season ending home stand with a performance closer to that of the second half of this week’s game than the first half against a team which only played on Wednesday down in Minnetonka and opted to travel up to Fargo on Thursday instead of back and forth.

Saturday:

Fire SC 98 vs Chicago Red Stars Reserves

The top two sides in the division matchup again, this time at Sea Foam, with the dynamics little changed. Hard fighting and talented newcomers Fire will have to refuel and try again against the iceberg on which all attacks in the North have so far floundered.

Sunday:

Milwaukee Torrent vs Chicago City SC

Two expansion sides battle it out once more, with Chicago City the latest visitors to Wauwatosa in search of points to keep up with their noisy neighbors. Torrent will be hoping for a triumphant return home following a gruelling road trip involving Minnetonka and Moorhead in three days.

Dakota Fusion FC vs Minnesota TwinStars FC

Fusion continue their home-heavy schedule (no more road games) with the visit of a TwinStars team who took a 1-0 win away from their first matchup - also their first ever game, with a goal from Soderholm. A Fusion side looking to build in the face of extinguished playoff hopes will keep pushing in search of a evasive point and possibly more.

Monday:

Minnesota TwinStars FC vs Fire SC 98

The second instalment of the metro derby pits an inconsistent Dragons side against a club whose strength has generally leant some much needed competition to Red Stars Reserves for the coveted 1 and only spot in the WPSL playoffs available to the division winners and the rapidly developing fan base will provide some welcome accompaniment.

*For exact kickoff times, locations, and tickets, visit the websites of the home club, which can be found by clicking the bolded team