BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Leave it to the Chicago Red Stars to set a Women’s Professional Soccer record for offensive production.

The Red Stars became the first team in WPS history to come from behind to win a game, scoring a pair of second-half goals Wednesday night to beat Washington, 2-1, in front of 4,127 at TOYOTA PARK.  In the process Chicago ended its WPS-record scoreless streak at 451 consecutive minutes, snapped a nine-match winless streak and kept itself in the heart of the league playoff race.

Cristiane got the Red Stars (3-6-5) on the board in the 48th minute with a brilliant goal scored with her back to the net.  Lindsay Tarpley had her initial shot deflected by Washington goalkeeper Erin McLeod, but the deflection found its way straight to the Brazilian striker, who kicked it backwards with her left foot straight in.

Tarpley would record the game-winner in the 61st minute.  The Chicago forward took a feed from Megan Rapinoe, spun around a Freedom defender and buried her shot in the upper left corner for her third goal of the season, retying Cristiane for the team scoring lead.

Washington (4-5-4) nearly earned a draw in the match’s final minute.  During stoppage time Abby Wambach took a shot from the right side of the goal line that deflected off Red Stars goalkeeper Caroline Jönsson to a wide open Lisa De Vanna, but the forward was unable to strike the ball and it continued harmlessly out of bounds.

The Freedom opened the match’s scoring when Wambach took advantage of a deflection off a Chicago defender to score her third goal of the season in the 34th minute.

The two goals highlighted a strong offensive night for the Red Stars, who outshot Washington by a 28-16 margin.  Carli Lloyd had a shot cleared off the line by Washington defender Cat Whitehill in the match’s opening minute and Cristiane barely missed on more goals when two of her shots hit the crossbar.

With the win, Chicago moves into fifth place in the WPS standings with 14 points – two back of Washington for the league’s fourth and final postseason berth.  The Red Stars have played one more game than the Freedom.

The Red Stars return to the field on Sunday, July 5th for an exhibition with the Ireland Women’s National Team.  The match will take place at 3 pm at the Benedictine University Sports Complex in Lisle, Ill.  The Red Stars then return to WPS action the following Sunday, July 12th, when they host FC Gold Pride at 7 pm.  The game will be a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the U.S. victory in the 1999 Women’s World Cup and feature special appearances by World Cup team members Brandi Chastain and Brianna Scurry.  Tickets are available by calling (866) WPS-2009 or logging on to www.chicagoredstars.com.

Washington Freedom (4-5-4, 16 pts) at Chicago Red Stars (3-6-5, 14 pts)
July 1, 2009 – TOYOTA PARK

SCORING
                                        1              2              FINAL
Washington                        1              0              1
Chicago                             0              2              2                                                                                             

SCORING SUMMARY:
1. WAS – Abby Wambach, 3 (Lisa De Vanna, 2), 34.
2. CHI – Cristiane, 3 (Lindsay Tarpley, 2), 48.
3. CHI – Lindsay Tarpley, 3 (Megan Rapinoe, 2), 61.

Washington Freedom – McLeod; Krieger (Singer, 80), Whitehill, Sauerbrunn, Bompastor; Lindsey, Sawa, Moros (Eyorokon, 88); Gilbeau (Senty, 68), Wambach, De Vanna.

Chicago Red Stars – Jönsson; Spilger, Oakes, Dieke, Östberg; Carney, Lloyd, Klein, Rapinoe; Tarpley (Masar, 90+), Adams (Cristiane, 88).

STATISTICS
SHOTS:                                 WAS – 16 CHI – 28
SHOTS ON GOAL:                  WAS – 8 CHI – 10
SAVES:                                  WAS – 8 CHI – 7
FOULS:                                  WAS – 7 CHI – 9
CORNER KICKS:                     WAS – 7 CHI – 5
OFFSIDES:                             WAS – 2 CHI – 4

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
CHI – Natalie Spilger (Caution), 35.

Referee: Sandra Serafini
Referee’s Assistants: Kristine West; Miguel Panduro, Jr.
4^th Official: Ian M. Gut
Time of Game: 1:52
Attendance: 4,127
Weather: 64 degrees, cloudy.

All statistics included in this box score are unofficial.

POSTGAME QUOTES

Chicago Red Stars Head Coach Emma Hayes

“What we did differently this week, as you know, we put the ball in the back of the net.”

“I knew that they were going to go on and win the game and come from behind.  The law of averages suggests that the amount of chances we have, we have to bloody put the ball in the back of the net.”

“I think for anybody watching us play, they want us to score because we deserve it.  For our fans tonight and the players, I’m delighted.  The pressure is taken off of them and I don’t care what anyone says we’re a match for anyone in this league.”

“Washington being second or third in this league, I thought we crushed them tonight.  Credit to the players they put all the hard work in.”

Chicago Red Stars Forward Lindsay Tarpley

“I was really proud of the way we came together and kept fighting.  Throughout this whole season we have continued to fight for each other and push through this time.  So to be able to come from behind was a big thing for us.”

“It feels good to put the ball in the back of net and to walk out of here with a win.  I think that we’re continuing to hold ourselves to high standards.  We put pressure on ourselves, good pressure and we expect a certain level.  If we don’t reach that level, we’re disappointed.”

Red Stars Forward Cristiane

“I always get anxious when I miss goals because I know that they’re important.  I think that we have a peace about playing, a calmness especially in the first half.”

Washington Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra

“We gave up an early goal and gave them some momentum and confidence.  It’s a game of inches and a game of bounces.  They just got one more than we did.”

“I think defensively we were giving away the wrong spaces and giving them opportunities to serve our box and we weren’t staying with our runners.  I think that Chicago wanted to get on the end of the balls more then we wanted them.”

Freedom Forward Abby Wambach

“Cristiane is a relentless forward.  Tarpley scores tons of goals.  We have to find a way to keep leads and I think that’s just experience factor.  But, at what point do you stop saying this is a new team, a new league, and stop making excuses and start playing well.”