The Chicago Red Stars went down a goal early, and were never able to recover in a 2-0 loss that saw the Houston Dash crowned champions of the NWSL Challenge Cup.
For the second straight season, the Red Stars are the league’s runners-up.
On a counter-attack in the fourth minute, tournament MVP Rachel Daly sprung Kristie Mewis on the left flank. Mewis beat Red Stars defender Kayla Sharples around the left corner, which caused Sharples to pull on Mewis’s shoulder, bringing Mewis to the Rio Tinto Stadium turf. Sharples earned a yellow card for the foul and Houston earned an early penalty kick.