Chicago Red Stars vs. Atlanta Beat: A Play-by-Play (and Other Miscellany)
T-30: Today, the Chicago Red Stars take on the Atlant Beat at Toyota Park in Brdigeview. Here are the lineups. As you can see, the Beat line-up is a big more fortified from the last time.
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T-20: A new face is at the helm at Chicago in Omid Namazi. He brings a wealth of experience to the club as a player and as a coach.
Namazi enjoyed a 19-year career as a professional player during which he garnered many individual accolades and awards. A four-time MISL All-Star player, he was also voted the 2000-01 MISL Defender of the Year.
Prior to playing indoors, Namazi also enjoyed a very successful career for numerous outdoor teams such as the Washington Diplomats, the Maryland Bays and the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. While playing for the Philadelphia KiXX in 1997, he was also called up by the NY/NJ MetroStars of Major League Soccer.
Finally, Namazi spend some time as the Head Coach/VP of Soccer Operations for the New Jersey Ironmen of the Major Indoor Soccer League from 2007-2009, while coaching the San Diego Spirit of the WUSA in 2003.
T-10: As you can see, there is a new look to this Atlanta BEat lineup, with a number of St. Louis Athletica players exiled to Atlanta. Let's see if this will make a difference in the result today here in Bridgeview.
T-5: Daniel Fitzgerald is our match referee today.
First Half Start: 3:08 P.M.
1' - We are underway.
3' - Corner for Mami Yamaguchi is cleared. Good chance early.
4' - Tough collision by the Japanese international. Ouch. Talk about a clash of head with Natalie Spilger. Ayayay.
5' - And they say the women's game ain't physical. It's that, AND surreal. Ten on 10 for now.
6' - Mercy. Back to action we go. Here it Kate Markgraf. The tandem of Tina Ellertson and Kia McNeill will be critical to Atlanta's chances today.
7' - Hope Solo with the clearance for the Beat.
8' - Some inclement weather is on hand here in Chicagoland.
9' - Yamaguchi may be looking like a bust today. Ramona Bachmann will be heading in pretty shortly.
10' - Whitney Engen prevents Eniola Aluko from getting to that one in Atlanta's defending third. Goal kick.
Substitution Chicago Red Stars
IN 12 Elise Weber
OUT 13 Natalie Spilger
Substitution Atlanta Beat
IN 10 Ramona Bachmann
OUT 9 Mami Yamaguchi
13' - Easy save for Hope Solo.
14' - This has been a possession war. Here comes Chicago. Too ambitious an opportunity for Marian Dalmy. Goal kick Solo.
16' - Offisides, Aluko. So we are early in this match, and it is scoreless. Only highlight being a bloody clash of heads between Mami Yamaguchi and Natalie Spilger.
17' - Missed opportunity for Cristiane off the corner.
18' - Kia McNeill getting some tackles done. Did I see some simulation?
20' - Here is Formiga. Red Stars trying to slow down the pace and get an attack going.
22' - And that was a header by the Beat...to Hope Solo? Interesting. Cristiane with a chance go offsides.
24' - Here's Megan Rapinoe. Atlanta clears that cross. It's been one defense after another.
26' - Drums are in motion.
28' - Oooh, Hope Solo had to walk the tightrope and make that save.
30' - A little bit of technical difficulties were seen in the broadcast by Fox Soccer Channel.
31' - Some good footwork by Bachmann, but she gets whistled.
34' - Tina Ellertson got hit badly with that corner off the forehead. A 2009 WPS All Star, Ellertson will look to make a return to the big show at the Owls' Nest.
35' - Corner is denied, and now another free kick. Katie Larkin, feeling a little woozy.
36' - One one goal so far for Cristiane so far this year. Not like last season, where she scored seven times.
37' - Atlanta takes this corner short. Too long a chance for Aluko, and now Bachman is shake up.
38' - What is with the poor match fitness today, Atlanta? Mercy! Goal kick, Loyden.
39' - Throw-in, Atlanta. These Beat side will look to salvage what they can to get a halftime lead.
40' - Chalupny almost got to that one.
41' - Clockwork defending in their own half for Chicago.
42' - This is Leigh Ann Robinson. She tries to find Bachmann, but it won't work. Here come the Red Stars.
43' - Ambitious shot by Megan Rapinoe, but that is high. A frustrating state of affairs for the fourth and seventh-ranked teams in the power rankings—respectively—as of last week.
44' - Sunshine peeking through the clouds at Bridgeview's Toyota Park.
45' - Set piece time. Loyden grabs this one.
45' + 1' - One last series for Chicago here.
45' + 2' - This may end up to be a scoreless first half and it is.
Chicago Red Stars 0
Atlanta Beat 0
46' - The second half is now underway. Let's see what happens with the adjustments made in the change rooms.
48' - A shot by Cristiane is save by Solo. Offsides, nonetheless.
49' - She was looking for the back post on that opportunity. Goal kick.
50' - Cristiane on the transition again, and Solo is back with another save. Well, she sure is a big upgrade from Bret Maron, isn't she?
51' - Set piece, Angie Kerr to take. Didn't materialize.
53' - Rapinoe has had an off game today. She almost was able to redeem herself, but Solo has there with the save.
54' - A dangerous chance for McCall Zerboni.
55' - Substitution Atlanta Beat
IN 13 Johanna Rasmussen
OUT 12 Lori Chalupny
57' - Wide shot from Cristiane off the delivery by Casey Nogueira.
59'- Red Stars parking the bus, and everyone gets off to stymie the Beat attack.
60' - Solo resets the rotation.
61' - High shot by Johanna Rasmussen.
62' - Substitution Chicago Fire
IN 10 Kosovare Asllani
OUT 7 Megan Rapinoe
64' - Throw-in for the Beat. Clouds gathering again, and the Red Stars go on the attack.
65' - Yamaguchi is a distressed figure, bandaged and sidelined as a precaution.
66' - Atlanta's backline keeps Cristiane in check.
70' - So we are 70 minutes into this contest, and it's still scoreless.
Substitution Atlanta Beat
IN 4 Stacy Bishop
OUT 5 Katie Larkin
71' - Corner for Chicago.
72 - Little misdirection on the dummy by Dalmy and katie Chapman blows the easy finish. This has been the story of the state of affairs so far for Chicago.
73' - Solo should have snatched that one. Here comes another corner. And the Red Stars crank the heat up. The Beat keeper gets that one.
74' - Kosovare Asllani wanted to get to that one, but Solo is there to stop her. Another save.
75' - Atlanta is forced to play a defensive game again. I wonder if Gareth O'Sullivan may want to shake up the training and provide some new scenes.
76' - And another Beat player is down. It's Chalupny. She's shaken up after colliding with Formiga.
77' - Chicago deflects that opportunity. Corner for Atlanta. That went well; there was no one in the neighborhood. Is Aluko losing her touch after St. Louis Athletica folded?
78' - Atlanta tries to draw people forward, but again, no one is in the neighborhood in their attacking third. This is what has doomed the Beat this season.
80' - If the Beat want to get in a rhythm and contend for the postseason, surely this habit has to stop.
81' - Here's Casey Nogueira. She wants to give Chicago the lead. Leigh Ann Robinson wants none of it.
82' - Sparse crowd today at Toyota Park.
83' - Corner for the Beat. Can Aluko connect this time? No, ma'am! Picked the wrong spot and crashed into the net, and now Kia McNeill is shaken up.
84' - Oh, it's just a cramp. Oh joy. Sub time.
Substitution Chicago Red Stars
IN 3 Ella Masar
OUT 27 Casey Nogeuira
85' - Ambitious one-timer from Asllani. Bachmann almost blew her assignment. Solo with the save.
87' - Corner, and Solo is there again.
88' - In other action, the Philadelphia Independence are leading Sky Blue FC 2-1.
89' - Two minutes of stoppage time are on the way. Aluko offsides.
90' - Corner for the Atlanta Beat. Formiga cramped up a little.
90' + 1' - Solo with the save. This will surely be a scoreless game.
Yellow card 12 Elise Weber
Chicago Red Stars
90' + 2' - Jillian Loyden hasn't had to do much work today. Goal kick. Unbelievable, a new lineup, and STILL the Atlanta Beat are out of rhythm.
Stay tuned for the next edition of the weekly WPS Power Rankings.
Chicago Red Stars 0
Atlanta Beat 0
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