Julia Bianchi and Maxi Rall scored their first NWSL goals, helping the Chicago Red Stars beat Seattle Reign FC 2-1 on Saturday in their home opener at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview.
Alyssa Naeher became the first NWSL goalie to win 50 matches with one club for the Red Stars, who improved to 2-0-0 for the first time in franchise history. They beat the Utah Royals 2-0 on March 16 in Sandy, Utah.
Bianchi opened the scoring at 41 minutes, 51 seconds, getting control of a loose ball at the top of the box and drilling a shot into the top-left corner of the net. The Reign’s Ji So-Yun tied the game briefly in the 63rd minute, scoring from just outside the box.
Four minutes later, Taylor Malham sent a cross to the back post, and a hard-charging Rall finished lower left to put the Red Stars up to stay.
Chicago Fire 1, New England Revolution 1
Nacho Gil scored late in the first half, and the New England Revolution tied the Chicago Fire 1-1 on a rainy Saturday in Foxborough, Mass., to end a MLS season-opening four-game winless streak.
Fire goalkeeper Spencer Richey blocked Carles Gil’s left-footed shot, but Gil was in front of the goal and headed the ball down and into the net in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Richey stopped shots from Tomás Chancalay and Ian Harkes in the 86th and 87th minutes, respectively, and finished with three saves.
Fabian Herbers crossed the ball to Hugo Cuypers in the center of the 6-yard box, and Cuypers lofted his shot just under the crossbar and scored in the 20th minute for the Fire (1-2-2), who rallied late to beat Montreal 4-3 in their last match.
Earl Edwards Jr. made one save in his first start for the Revolution (0-4-1) filling in for goalie Henrich Ravas, who is on international duty with Slovakia.
Tribune news services contributed.
