Mallory Swanson Scores, Red Stars Share Points with Orlando Pride

The Chicago Red Stars continued their unbeaten run to start the 2024 NWSL season, sharing the points after a 1-1 draw against the Orlando Pride in Florida on Friday.

Chicago went down before halftime but forward Mallory Swanson scored her first open-play goal in the NWSL since October 2022 to extend the Red Stars’ unbeaten streak.

Swanson created a couple of chances for Chicago early on before the match began to turn in Orlando’s favor. Chicago’s No. 9 made two runs down the left side and played crosses that didn’t connect with a teammate.

Orlando captured the early lead thanks to a dangerous corner kick by Angelina in the 21st minute. The Pride’s corner kick was played to the near post by Angelina and Chicago’s Taylor Malham got her head on the ball first but knocked it into her own net as goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was making a run toward the ball, putting Orlando up 1-0.

Chicago nearly leveled before halftime when Julia Bianchi stole the ball in Orlando’s half of the pitch and immediately played it to Ally Schlegel near the Pride’s penalty area. Schlegel had time and space but her shot went right at Orlando’s Anna Moorhouse for an easy save.

Play finally shifted in the Red Stars' favor in the second half.

Maxi Rall made a run down the right side in the 64th minute before playing a pass to Jenna Bike at the edge of the penalty area. Bike played a ball over Orlando’s defenders to Swanson and Chicago’s USWNT star scored to tie the match at one.

Chicago managed to somehow finish the match with all 11 players on the pitch despite a lengthy VAR review for a potential red card on Natalia Kuikka and over 10 minutes of second-half stoppage time.

Match Observations

The first 15 minutes of the match were largely played in the midfield and the hosts had the only half-chance on goal. Mallory Swanson created two chances for Chicago down the left side but couldn’t find a teammate with either cross. Orlando’s Adriana had a breakaway in the eighth minute that was stopped 35 yards from Chicago’s goal when Sam Staab tapped the ball away toward Natalia Kuikka, but the hosts came close to scoring in the 14th minute. Marta created chaos at the edge of Chicago’s penalty area and the loose ball fell to Angelina, but the Orlando winger’s shot missed high of the net.

Nádia Gomes did well to get around Marta on the left side and win her side a free kick in the 17th minute. Mallory Swanson took the subsequent free kick and hit it toward the six-yard box, but the ball was half-cleared. Cari Roccaro collected the loose ball but her long-distance effort missed harmlessly wide of the goal.

Orlando took the lead in the 21st minute with the help of the Red Stars. Angelina played a corner kick to the near post that glided off the head of Chicago's Taylor Malham past Alyssa Naeher and into the net to give the hosts the 1-0 lead. Angelina deserves plenty of credit for playing a very nice ball near the goal, but there was clearly a miscommunication between Malham and Naeher because the ball should’ve gone through to the goalkeeper.

Chicago should've tied the match in the 31st minute after creating a turnover inside Orlando’s half of the pitch. Julia Bianchi made a sliding tackle and collected the loose ball, looked up, and played a pass to Ally Schlegel. The second-year forward had time and space in the middle of the pitch but her shot went right at Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, who made the easy save. If Schlegel went to either side of Moorhouse with her shot, she likely would've tied the match.

Jenna Bike won her side a free kick just outside the Orlando penalty area a yard from the end line in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, earning the Pride’s Brianna Martinez a yellow card in the process. Mallory Swanson’s effort found Maxi Rall at the far post but the right back’s header was half-cleared. Natalia Kuikka collected the loose ball and took a shot from distance that flew well wide of the goal.

Chicago was down a goal at halftime and Orlando had all six corner kicks in the first half. The Pride outshot the Red Stars 9-6 while each side recorded a single on-target effort before the break.

After Jenna Bike got Chicago’s first shot on goal of the second half in the 56th minute, Orlando went on the break. Angelina brought the ball into the Red Stars' penalty area before playing a pass to Marta on her right. Marta cut to her left and struck a shot that curled just wide of Chicago’s net, going out for a goal kick.

Everyone in the soccer world has been waiting for this moment, and Mallory Swanson finally delivered her first goal of the season in the 64th minute. Maxi Rall did well to bring the ball down the right side before playing it to Jenna Bike just outside the 18-yard box. Bike found Swanson on the right and Chicago’s No. 9 beat Moorhouse with her shot to tie the match at one. The goal was Swanson’s first in open play in the NWSL since Oct. 2, 2022, and the assist was the first in Bike’s professional career.