![]() ![]() Despite her relatively young age, the midfielder is the longest-tenured member of the Chicago roster, having first laced up for her hometown club during its amateur days in the 2011 edition of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL). When asked about the challenges that come with four straight matches at opposing teams’ venues, DiBernardo declined to attribute it too much significance to the stretch. I do think that has made me mentally stronger.” I wasn’t always able to talk to family and friends back home because of the time difference, which had me focusing on my own thoughts a lot and trying to learn more about myself. I had already been outside my comfort zone while traveling with the youth national teams, but this was the first time I was abroad for a significant amount of time. ![]() “Off the field, being in Australia allowed me to grow as a person. As a result, when the NWSL season came around, I felt a little more comfortable and prepared for it than some players who maybe hadn’t played in a match since last fall. “It definitely helped me being in a competitive environment, playing games, and training with multiple people rather than trying to stay fit on my own. “Obviously I’ve now experienced both – not playing at all during the offseason and coming back ready after going on loan,” she said. Of course, another likely reason for DiBernardo’s success thus far in 2016 is her temporary stint with Australian topflight outfit Perth Glory Women during the offseason, which saw the Chicagoland native find the net a stunning six times in eight appearances. Of course, I’ve only played ten games in my new role, so I’m still working on getting even more comfortable.” I feel like I can just play now and don’t have to think as much. “Part of that is filling a different role than I was playing previously and getting on the ball a lot more, which gives me more of an ability to impact the game. “I’m a lot more comfortable this year,” said the 24-year-old, whose three assists have her once again tops on the Red Stars. Despite the third-year professional having finished the 2015 season tied for second in the NWSL with five assists, many feel she has contributed even more to her side’s play over the course of the first half of the current campaign. The clash at Providence Park saw yet another solid showing by DiBernardo, who was recently dubbed “our best player in terms of complete 90-minute performances” by Head Coach Dames. It’s unfortunate that the key moments didn’t go our way.” That says a lot, given we were on the road and up against one of the best teams in the league. There were stretches of the game when we played some of our best soccer of the year. Said Chicago midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo, “We were a little disappointed with the outcome because our overall play was good but we gave up a couple of really frustrating goals. ![]() In the recent meeting with Portland in front of a hostile crowd of 16,931, the Red Stars battled their star-studded opposition to a fairly even affair, only to concede twice before the break, courtesy of strikes by Canada legend Christine Sinclair and Denmark striker Nadia Nadim. ![]() CT, with the action being streamed live here. The meeting with the Flash will be a test of the character of Head Coach Rory Dames’ squad, which recently fell 2-0 to new National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) leaders Portland Thorns FC for their first defeat following an eight-game unbeaten run.Ĭhicago takes on Western New York on July 1 at 6 p.m. – This coming Friday, the Chicago Red Stars travel to take on Western New York Flash in the second of four consecutive fixtures away from their home venue, Toyota Park in Bridgeview. Would remain in pursuit of NWSL top spot with away win over third-place opponentĬhicago, Ill. ![]()
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