CHICAGO RED STARS 3 - 1 FC GOLD PRIDE

Cristiane recorded the first hat trick in Women’s Professional Soccer history Sunday, helping the Chicago Red Stars to a 3-1 win over FC Gold Pride in front of 5,127 at TOYOTA PARK.

The Brazilian sensation doubled her goal-scoring production for the season to six goals, including the first penalty kick goal in Red Stars franchise history. After being fouled in the box by Marisa Abegg, Cristiane was awarded a penalty kick in the 31st minute, which she buried to the right of FC Gold Pride goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart.

Cristiane struck again in first-half stoppage time, taking a feed from Megan Rapinoe and dancing around Barnhart before taking a shot that deflected off defender Erika and slowly trickled into the net, giving Chicago a 2-0 halftime advantage.

FC Gold Pride cut the lead in half in the 64th minute. Rapinoe fouled Tiffeny Milbrett in the box, earning the FC Gold Pride forward the game’s second penalty kick. Milbrett put her shot into the left corner of the net for her third goal of the season.

But momentum swung back to the Red Stars seconds later when Cristiane fired a rocket past an outstretched Milbrett and in to the upper left corner. Lindsay Tarpley picked up the assist on Cristiane’s final score of the night before the Brazilian was subbed out in the 67th minute.

The Red Stars have won consecutive matches for the first time in franchise history and moved into fifth place in the WPS standings – one point behind a two-way tie for third. Chicago now embarks on a two game road trip during which the Red Stars will face each of the teams directly above them in the standings, beginning at Boston on Wednesday.

The Pride looks to get back in the heart of the race for the WPS Championship next Sunday, July 19 when the team returns home to Buck Shaw Stadium to host the Boston Breakers. The Pride is 1-0-1 against the Breakers. Sunday will be the third and final time these teams will meet during the regular season.

Chicago Red Stars Head Coach Emma Hayes

“We went into this game hoping to build on some momentum in our play from the result last week. The atmosphere of the locker room and what we have been doing in training has been great. Tonight, we went out and I don’t think it was our best game. But, we showed what you do when your best players do their very best things.”

“Cristiane showed her quality as a world class finisher and I will credit the assisters as well.”

“Who’s laughing at us now? We might have started slowly in this season but we’re ready to go for playoffs.”

“Winning is their motivation and proving that they are more than just the talent on paper. That they in reality and actual fact are going to be chasing the WPS championship.

Chicago Red Stars Forward Cristiane

“I think for me, I’m very happy to score three goals because they are three important goals for my team. We needed this, so I’m going to continue to look for this in the next game.”

“About my substitution, I left the game happy about the work that I did and I understood why Emma wanted to take me out. For me it was no problem.”

Chicago Red Stars Midfielder Megan Rapinoe

“We have to win to be honest. We just got to keep winning and if that doesn’t motivate you then you probably shouldn’t be playing the sport.”

FC Gold Pride Head Coach Albertin Montoya

“I thought it was an exciting game for the fans, it could have been 6-6 or 7-7.”

“We had to make a couple of adjustments and Chicago took advantage of that and got in behind Osborne and put it away.”

On opening the second half shorthanded:
“How Chicago is so dangerous on the attack, I need Kristen (Graczyk) back on the field and unfortunately it took 25 minutes to get her stitched and back and I just couldn’t wait that long. You saw what they did in a few minutes that we were playing the first half short. My plan was to put Brandi in the attack […] but it took us so long because I wanted Kristen back on the field. Also, I was told she was coming back in 30 seconds and I waited […] and sent several people in and they came back and said its 15 minutes now. I wasn’t too happy about that.”

Lineups:

Chicago Red Stars – Jönsson; Spilger, Oakes, Dieke, Vandenbergh; Carney, Lloyd, Klein, Rapinoe (Igwe, 68); Tarpley (Adams, 81), Cristiane (Masar, 67).

FC Gold Pride – Barnhart; Robinson, Buehler, Graczyk (Weimer, 52), Abegg; Formiga, Osborne, Milbrett (Arakawa, 72), Sissi; Sinclair, Erika (Chastain, 47).