**BRIDGEVIEW, Ill.** – Gotham FC traveled to SeatGeek Stadium on Sunday afternoon where it defeated Chicago, 2-1, thanks to first half goals from Jenna Nighswonger and Lynn Williams that lifted the visitors to victory. A second half goal from Chicago’s Ella Stevens made the contest exciting, but ultimately the hosts would be unable to find a second and get a result over the line.
Gotham opened the scoring early on, finding the back of the net after just five minutes. In possession down the right side, a ball played into the box somehow squeezed around multiple Chicago players and landed right at the feet of Nighswonger after a failed clearance. With little to do just a couple of yards from the goal line, Nighswonger bundled the ball over the line and Gotham held an early advantage.
Two minutes later, Chicago had put the ball in the back of the net through defender Bianca St-Georges, but just as the hosts were celebrating their equalizer, the flag came up on the far side for offside and the goal was wiped out.
Gotham would continue to press toward the Red Stars’ goal with forward Yazmeen Ryan having an opportunity in the box on the right side, but her powerful drive toward Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher sailed over the bar as Ryan failed to keep the effort down. Then, in the 32 ^nd minute, a distance effort from defender Kelley O’Hara was seeking the bottom left corner of the goal, but Naeher was in perfect position to make the save and keep the deficit at one for Chicago.
One of the best looks in the first half for Chicago came in the 35 ^th minute when forward Penelope Hocking found her way behind the defense and inside the box approaching goal. Stevens had played Hocking in, but as she inched toward goal, Gotham goalkeeper Mandy Haught was quick off her line to smother Hocking’s shot and prevent the breakthrough.
Then, just before the end of the half, Gotham found a second and decisive goal as a precise finish from forward Lynn Williams increased the challenge for Chicago in the second half. Williams was just outside the box when she settled a pass from teammate Sinead Farrelly and turned toward goal, aiming for the bottom left corner. Her low drive picked out exactly that spot as the ball soared past Naeher and in, and the visitors found themselves up two heading into the halftime break.
Out for the second half, Chicago’s chances of a comeback were greatly increased by an early goal from forward Ella Stevens off a corner kick. Midfielder Julia Bianchi was on corner kick duty and swing in a ball toward the middle of the penalty area that Stevens was able to leap to meet. From there, a strong header into the ground bounced through a packed set of bodies and into the back of the net to pull one back for the Red Stars.
As pressure piled on, Chicago hit the post with an effort in the 62 ^nd minute and kept on pressing for an equalizer as Hocking and Stevens combined once more, this time with Hocking beating the goalkeeper but being unable to beat the post as the tension increased.
Though the Red Stars would not go quietly, in the end, Gotham was able to do what was required to hold on and secure another big three points, bouncing back from a league loss to return momentum in its favor. For Chicago, it’s a second loss in the last three games (D1) as they remain bottom of the league standings as one of just three teams with one win or fewer through six games.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights