Pugh Ignites Red Stars to Win over Houston

BRIDGEVIEW, IL-Mallory Pugh’s brace was more than enough for Chicago to shutout visiting Houston Dash 2-0 Saturday night at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday night. It was the Red Stars’ first home victory of the season.

This was the second meeting in the NWSL Challenge Cup with the Red Stars winning the first one 3-1 over the Dash in Houston. Chicago now has a pair of victories over Houston, and they improved its record to 2-1-1 good for seven points and leads its group with two matches remaining. Kansas City Current also has seven points and had beaten Chicago in their first meeting, but the Red Stars lead on goal differential. Racing Louisville is a couple points back with five with a 1-1-2 mark. Houston, with the loss drops to 1-3-0 and three points.

“First of all, Mallory (Pugh) makes me a better coach and makes the team a better team,” Chicago Red Stars head coach Chris Petrucelli said. “Her ability to change the game really makes the difference. If you look at the game overall, we had more of the game and the play more. Most of the scoring chances come from Mallory and that made a huge difference in the game.”

The Red Stars ability to possess the ball and control its matches have shown how much they improved their competitive play.

“I just think we kept the ball better in this game,” Petrucelli said. “On days that we keep the ball, we will be hard to beat. In the first half, our possession was really good and dangerous, and honestly fun to watch.”

Mallory Pugh opened the scoring with a swift move towards the near post and received a ball from Vanessa DiBernardo. Pugh took control and slotted the ball inside the back post for a Red Stars 1-0 lead in the 31st minute.

Pugh scored her second goal again from the right side after a pass from Bianca St. Georges and fired a shot into the back of net in the 82nd minute.

“”I think it was really exciting that we got a win,” said Pugh, who now has 4 goals in the Challenge Cup. “It puts us in a great position and overall, it was a great performance. We needed a win that was exactly what we needed. On the two goals, they were both great balls and those are scenarios that you practice in training. I think it’s the repetition and it paid off.”

Alyssa Naeher earned another clean sheet for a second straight match. She made one save with a lot of credit going to the defense and the rest of the team with the control of play and pushing forward throughout the match.

Chicago Red Stars will next travel to play at Racing Louisville FC on April 16, 2022, 6:30 p.m. CT at Lynn Family Stadium.