**Bridgeview, Ill.** – The Chicago Red Stars defeated the Houston Dash, 3-0, at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday night as a Penelope Hocking brace in six minutes in the first half was added onto by a Yuki Nagasato goal five minutes into the second half to ensure the victory. The win is a consolation for Chicago, though, with both teams out of UKG NWSL Challenge Cup playoff range prior to kickoff.
The hosts dominated the majority of the attacking chances early on, with Nagasato having a go in the 13 ^th minute and Hocking forcing a good save out of Campbell in the 25 ^th minute to threaten the Dash defense. The two then traded chances with Hocking and Houston attacker María Sánchez getting particularly involved.
However, Chicago’s pressure would pay off in the 37 ^th minute when Hocking produced an unbelievable effort from just inside the box to the top far corner, a goal worthy of putting any team in front. Hocking was on the ball a few feet inside the penalty area on the left side when she picked her head up and took aim at the top right side of the goal, curling an arching shot that soared past Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell and into the back of the net for the game’s opening goal.
Six minutes later, Chicago defender Casey Krueger, who also got the assist on Hocking’s first goal, was pressing high up the field and intercepted a pass from a Houston defender deep inside Dash territory. Krueger then worked her way down the left side of the field before lifting a cross toward the run of Hocking at the back post. The goalkeeper Campbell looked to have gotten a slight touch on the ball in, but regardless, left her net in attempts to collect which allowed Hocking to volley in from close range into an unguarded goal to double the lead.
That scoreline held into the halftime interval with the Red Stars putting themselves in a great position for a first Challenge Cup win of the competition.
Into the second half, Chicago needed just five minutes to find their third and final goal of the net, this time through Nagasato. Involved yet again, the defender Krueger received a pass on the left flank again and cut toward the top of the box. However, she then played a sly reverse pass into the penalty area where Nagasato was running to meet it near the penalty spot. With a poised finish, Nagasato would roll a low left-footed effort past Campbell as she held her run to score from an onside position and give her team a three-goal cushion.
Although by no means were those the only chances produced by the two sides, Kruger’s three assists and Hocking’s brace far outshined any of what followed through the second half. In the end, Chicago not only earned a clean sheet in the competition, but they held on for a first competition win of 2023.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights