RED STARS VS SPIRIT PREDICTIONS AND PICKS
This week, the first international window in the NWSL season begins, giving teams a break in the season to allow time for U.S. Women’s National Team friendlies. After this break, the Chicago Red Stars are scheduled to face off against the Washington Spirit at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL on June 19th, 8pm EST.
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Predicted Starters
Chicago Red Stars: Alyssa Naeher, Casey Krueger, Kayla Sharples, Tierna Davidson, Sarah Gorden, Morgan Gautrat, Danielle Colaprico, Vanessa DiBernardo, Mallory Pugh, Makenzy Doniak, Kealia Watt
Washington Spirit: Aubrey Bledsoe, Emily Sonnett, Paige Nielsen, Sam Staab, Kelley O’Hara, Tori Huster, Andi Sullivan, Dorian Bailey, Trinity Rodman, Ashley Hatch, Ashley Sanchez
Chicago Red Stars Struggle with Consistency
The Red Stars are entering this match coming off the heels of their biggest win of the season, a surprising 1-0 defeat of the North Carolina Courage in arguably the best performance they have had all season. However, they have struggled immensely with inconsistency and injuries this season. If the Red Stars hope to be a contender in the playoffs, they need to maintain their scoring momentum and continue to play at the level they performed at last Saturday.
Washington Spirit Trying to Keep the Momentum Going
The Washington Spirit are a solid team, currently third in the league behind the undefeated Orlando Pride and the Portland Thorns. They dominated Orlando last Sunday, and if it weren’t for Ashlyn Harris’ astounding performance and the goal they handed Orlando quite carelessly, they probably would have won 3-0.
This says a lot about the athletic ability of the Spirit; their performance against the first in the league was admirable and, if they only maintained their focus, could have been a huge win.
If they strive to up their game and perform at an even higher level, the Spirit will certainly be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs and perhaps they will even achieve the first or second-team spot.
Red Stars vs Spirit Predictions
Out of this break, I think that the Red Stars will be unable to maintain their scoring momentum and that the Spirit will emerge victorious in this matchup. If the Spirit continue to play at a high level and continue to exceed expectations, they have a real chance of propelling themselves to the first or second spot in the league.
Allyson Park is a writer and media intern for Knup Sports and the Sports 2.0 Network covering a variety of topics including football, soccer, and baseball. Connect with Allyson on Instagram @allysonpark01.
