Sky Blue FC battled to a 1 – 1 draw on the road Wednesday night against the second place Chicago Red Stars. Chicago jumped out to the early lead, but Sky Blue equalized just before half time thanks to a brilliant effort by forward Sam Kerr.
It was a back-and-forth battle from beginning to end with both teams putting up nearly identical lines. Both teams put four shots on goal, while Chicago barely edged Sky Blue in the shots token department, 12 to 11.
“I am disappointed for the players because I feel we played well enough to leave here with three points,” Blue FC Technical Director & Head Coach Jim Gabarra said. “Chicago is a difficult team to play, and I was very pleased with how we performed outside of the first 20 minutes. In the second half, we really instilled our will and style of play, and we did a very good job of creating chances.”
The first 20 minutes is where Chicago made their mark on the match, as they mustered five shots in total, including the opening score by forward Adriana Leon in the 15th minute. Defender Arin Gilliland was on the receiving end of a cross to the left flank where she brought the ball in near the left side of the goal herself, before sending a pass to the opposite side of goal where Leon was waiting to put it in with a back-heel. A little bit of flash on the finish to put the Red Stars up 1 – 0.
Sky Blue went on to even the score 1 – 1 in the 36th minute. Kerr created the goal solely on her own, as she dispossessed Chicago defender Julie Johnston around midfielder and burst toward the goal, beating one defender and splitting two others with a shot that beat a diving goalie Michele Dalton to the right of goal.
The score would remain 1–1 for the remainder of the match. Though, early in the second half Sky Blue nearly struck again when a 49th minute corner kick by defender Kelley O’Hara met the head of a running defender Hayley Haagsma in the box. The attempt looked to be the go-ahead score, but instead it was sent away on the line by a well-positioned Leon, who seemingly did it all for her side in the match.
Sky Blue were more aggressive in their push for the late go-ahead goal as they took three shots in the final ten minutes of game-time, keeping the Red Stars on their heels, but they were unable to find the back of the net.
The draw leaves Sky Blue with a lot of work to do, as they sit in eighth place on the table with a record of 4-7-6 with only three games left to play. The Red Stars comfortably sit in second place with a record of 7-2-7.
Sky Blue’s two-game road trip is over and they return home to Yurcak Field in Piscataway, NJ for the rubber match of a three-game set with the Portland Thorns on Saturday, August 22.
