Brazilian Ludmila pulls Stars into 1-1 draw with the Spirit

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Ludmila scored in the 67th minute to pull the Chicago Stars into a 1-1 draw with the Washington Spirit in the National Women's Soccer League on Sunday.

The Stars (1-9-8) are undefeated in five matches, all ties. The draw moved Chicago out of last place in the league standings, ahead of the Utah Royals.

The second-place Spirit (9-4-5) are undefeated in six straight matches.

Italian international Sofia Cantore scored for the Spirit from the center of the box on a ball that rebounded off players in front of the net in the 57th minute. It was her second league goal since joining the Spirit.

Brazilian Ludmila scored the equalizer for the Stars about 10 minutes later. It was her ninth goal this season.

It was Chicago's first match under interim coach Anders Jacobson, who will lead the team until new head coach Martin Sjögren takes over in 2026.

The Stars announced earlier this week that veteran midfielder Shea Groom was placed on the season-ending-injury list with a lower leg injury.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer