Red Stars are eliminated from NWSL playoffs

The Red Stars’ season ended Sunday night with a 2-1 loss to the San Diego Wave in the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.

The Wave’s Alex Morgan scored in the 96th minute to give San Diego the victory.

The Red Stars opened the scoring when forward Yuki Nagasato intercepted a pass from Wave goaltender Kailen Sheridan and scored in the 10th minute.

The Wave’s Emily Van Egmond evened the score in the 67th minute after the Red Stars failed to clear the ball.

San Diego will next play the Portland Thorns on Sunday at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon.

The NWSL playoffs are being held in the shadow of the release of an explosive report from former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates detailing the league’s failure to protect its players from systemic abuse.

In Chicago, according to the findings, Red Stars majority owner Arnim Whisler ignored reports of mental and emotional abuse at the hands of former coach Rory Dames. While he turned a blind eye, the players kept working, enduring abusive environments in which Dames allegedly called Black players thugs and others trailer trash in pursuit of their dreams in the NWSL.