Chicago Dutch Lions FC (3-1-2) traveled to Green Bay to rematch the Green Bay Glory on Sunday. The Lions entered the match with a lot at stake, as a victory would put them in a tie for second place with the Milwaukee FC Torrent, the Lions’ previous opponent. The team picked up valuable three points with a 5-2 win.
After a slow start from both sides, the pace finally picked up. Sophia Senese put the Lions on the board before back-to-back goals in a 30-second span from Abby Schwartz in the 33rd minute gave the Lions their largest first-half lead of the season.
Green Bay began to move the ball and find the open net past Sarah Teteak, which cut the lead to 3-1 entering halftime. Despite the goal the Lions played very well and several great passes from Abbey Hillman and Katharine Stephens allowed the offense to find their rhythm, as continuous strikes at the net gave the Lions plenty of chances to break the match open, which then carried over into the second half.
While the Lions controlled the majority of the time of possession, Green Bay made things interesting when they cut the match to 3-2 early in the second half, as it looked like a comeback was beginning to brew. Eventually, it was CDL FC's capitalizing on Glory mistakes which allowed the Lions to seal a 5-2 victory. The decider was when Alexa Juraez scored off of a penalty kick after Green Bay committed a foul against Schwartz near the end of regulation.
Nikhil Erlebach was proud of the way his girls were able to bounce back and seize a crucial road win that may pay dividends as the season winds down. The loss dropped Green Bay to 0-1-6 on the season. “The girls were much more efficient in the final third today and scored five nice goals away from home. We are happy to go back home with three points in the bag. We want to thank the Glory for being great hosts and putting together an amazing event today,” Erlebach said.
Now, the focus shifts to a rematch against the Chicago City Soccer Club, who the Dutch Lions defeated 2-1 back on June 12 in Lisle. The match is set for an 8:30 p.m. kickoff on June 30 at the Chicago Hope Lions Complex, as CDL FC will look to complete a second-straight sweep ahead of a potential conference title showdown against the Chicago Red Stars Reserves July 7 at 6 p.m.
