Denver Summit Women

Match report

Denver Rapids Rout Chicago Red Stars in Group Stage Thriller

Denver Rapids overcame their recent woes with a comprehensive 6-1 victory over Chicago Red Stars at Centennial Stadium on Saturday evening. The hosts, who'd dropped points in their last three outings, turned in a performance that finally justified the faith placed in them. Chicago came into the match having salvaged some pride with a 3-2 win over Rising Louisville, but this result tells a different story entirely. The opening exchanges belonged to the home side. J. Sonis broke the deadlock in the thirteenth minute, and M. Kossler doubled the advantage six minutes later with a finish that left the visitors scrambling. By then the pattern was clear — Denver camped in the final third while Chicago struggled to string passes together. A yellow card for L. Ouahabi on the forty-first minute was the only disciplinary incident before half-time. The second half saw the visitors attempt a tactical shift, bringing on both L. Heaps and M. Hayashi at the break. It didn't immediately work. Y. Yamamoto struck in the forty-seventh minute, and J. Grosso added a fourth just six minutes later. N. Flint made it five in the fifty-sixth, and Kossler completed her brace with a sixth in the fifty-eighth. Chicago's manager responded with a wave of substitutions — D. Sheehan, T. E. Dellarose, J. Bike, and M. Johnson all came on in quick succession. O. Thomas pulled one back late on in the eighty-fifth, but the damage was already done. The statistics tell you everything you need to know. Denver enjoyed 62 per cent possession and created six big chances from ninety-four attacks. Chicago managed just one big chance from sixty-two attacks, and their goalkeeper made two saves from a total of four shots on target. The home side completed 436 passes compared to 238 for the visitors, and their 151 passes into the final third dwarfed Chicago's 29. For Denver, the result lifts them to ten points off the leaders while keeping them in touch with the playoff places. Chicago remain rooted to sixteenth with just sixteen points from twenty-two games — a gap that's widening by the week. The Red Stars had talked about building momentum, but this was a reminder that momentum requires results, not just effort. What stood out wasn't the scoreline itself, but how Denver controlled the tempo. They didn't need to go for the jugular immediately — they simply passed the ball about and waited for openings. Chicago's defenders worked hard, making fourteen tackles, but they were constantly under pressure. The home side's nine interceptions and eleven clearances showed they weren't just attacking; they were suffocating. The table tells a story of two teams in different seasons. Denver's seven wins and six draws from twenty-one games suggest consistency. Chicago's five victories from twenty-two matches, with sixteen defeats, points to a campaign still searching for direction. This result doesn't change everything, but it changes the conversation around both squads.

Prepared from match data

Video

Match highlights FULL HIGHLIGHTS | Denver Summit FC vs. Chicago Stars FC youtube

Key numbers

Possession, % 62 – 38

Shots on target 7 – 1

Shots off target 9 – 3

Big chances 6 – 1

⚽ 13' J. Sonis — Goal ⚽ 19' M. Kossler — Goal 🟨 41' L. Ouahabi — Yellow card ⇄ 46' L. Heaps — Substitution ⇄ 46' M. Hayashi — Substitution ⚽ 47' Y. Yamamoto — Goal ⚽ 53' J. Grosso — Goal ⚽ 56' N. Flint — Goal ⚽ 58' M. Kossler — Goal ⇄ 63' A. Oke — Substitution ⇄ 64' D. Sheehan — Substitution ⇄ 64' T. E. Dellarose — Substitution ⇄ 64' J. Bike — Substitution ⇄ 64' M. Johnson — Substitution ⇄ 73' M. Kossler — Substitution ⇄ 73' Y. Yamamoto — Substitution ⇄ 79' J. Joseph — Substitution ⚽ 85' O. Thomas — Goal

Match events

13' 1:0 Denver Summit Women Goal J. Sonis assist: Y. Yamamoto
19' 2:0 Denver Summit Women Goal M. Kossler assist: L. Heaps
41' 2:0 Chicago Red Stars Women Yellow card L. Ouahabi
46' 2:0 Denver Summit Women Substitution L. Heaps off: N. Flint
46' 2:0 Chicago Red Stars Women Substitution M. Hayashi off: J. Grosso
47' 3:0 Denver Summit Women Goal Y. Yamamoto assist: N. Flint
53' 3:1 Chicago Red Stars Women Goal J. Grosso
56' 4:1 Denver Summit Women Goal N. Flint
58' 5:1 Denver Summit Women Goal M. Kossler assist: A. Oke
63' 5:1 Denver Summit Women Substitution A. Oke off: N. Means
64' 5:1 Denver Summit Women Substitution D. Sheehan off: D. Lynch
64' 5:1 Chicago Red Stars Women Substitution T. E. Dellarose off: A. Gasper
64' 5:1 Chicago Red Stars Women Substitution J. Bike off: N. Gomes
64' 5:1 Chicago Red Stars Women Substitution M. Johnson off: E. Egizii
73' 5:1 Denver Summit Women Substitution M. Kossler off: O. Thomas
73' 5:1 Denver Summit Women Substitution Y. Yamamoto off: C. Pickett
79' 5:1 Chicago Red Stars Women Substitution J. Joseph off: S. Charley
85' 6:1 Denver Summit Women Goal O. Thomas assist: D. Lynch

Statistics

62 Possession, % 38

7 Shots on target 1

9 Shots off target 3

6 Big chances 1

94 Attacks 62

3 Corners 2

8 Fouls 3

3 Free kicks 7

2 Offsides 3

0 Yellow cards 1

0 Red cards 0

3 Goal kicks 14

21 Throw-ins 15

All statistics

8 Aerial duels 8

71 Backward passes 50

2 Blocked shots 2

11 Clearances 14

26 Crosses 7

14 Dribbles 2

54 Failed passes 71

0 Goalkeeper saves 2

9 Interceptions 9

17 Key passes 2

19 Long passes 46

151 Passes into the final third 29

315 Passes in the opposition half 106

201 Passes in own half 210

0.39 Shot accuracy 0.17

2 Shots from outside the box 2

16 Shots inside the box 4

4 Aerial duels won 4

7 Successful crosses 2

6 Successful dribbles 0

14 Successful long passes 24

6 Successful tackles 8

436 Successful passes 238

8 Tackles 14

490 Total passes 309

Line-ups

Starting XI
#	Player	number
36	Kath Asman	36
2	Megan Reid	2
3	Kaleigh Nicole Kurtz	3
6	Janine Elizabeth Beckie	6
7	A. Oak	7
8	Emma Rigby	8
10	Lindsey Michelle Horan	10
24	Delanie Breann Sheehan	24
9	Yazmeen Ann Ryan	9
18	Yuzuki Yamamoto	18
25	Klara Melissa Kössler	25

Substitutes
#	Player	number
17	Jordan Nytes	17
4	Natalie Mees	4
16	Carson Pickett	16
5	D. Lynch	5
14	J. McCormack	14
34	Meg Boud	34
26	Natasha Flint	26
33	Olivia Thomas	33

Show full squad

Chicago Red Stars Women

Starting XI
#	Player	number
27	Katherine Ann Lund	27
3	Sam Staab	3
5	Michelle Chinwendu Alozie	5
29	Leila Ouahabi El Ouahabi	29
77	Maitane López	77
16	Manaka Hayashi	16
25	Aliyah Farmer	25
34	Tessa Dellaroze	34
4	Jenna Baik	4
8	J. Joseph	8
23	Mikayla Johnson	23

Substitutes
#	Player	number
1	Alyssa Naeher	1
7	H. Grosso	7
10	Brianna Alexis Smalls Pinto	10
14	Taylor Malham	14
20	Bea Franklin	20
28	Emma Edjici	28
31	Anna Gasper	31
11	Nadia Gomes	11
18	Simone Charley	18

Show full squad

Recent form