Mallory Swanson Returns as Chicago Stars Vs Bay Fc Opens at 5 PM
chicago stars vs bay fc brought Mallory Swanson back into the picture for Chicago Stars, who visited Bay FC in NWSL action on May 24, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Bay FC entered the match having failed to win in four of their last five outings, while Chicago arrived as the league’s bottom side.
Swanson Joins Chicago Stars
Swanson returned to the field from maternity leave against North Carolina Courage and came off the bench there, giving Chicago another attacking option for the trip to Bay FC. For a team that had lost four straight and had won just once in five games, that kind of addition was the clearest personnel change on the board.
Chicago’s recent results put the spotlight on any available attacking help. The Stars beat Boston Legacy FC 2-0 in late April, but that was their only win across their last five matches, a stretch that ended with four consecutive losses.
Bay FC’s Recent Run
Bay FC’s form line was uneven but not empty. They went one win, two draws and two defeats across their last five matches, scored two goals and conceded six, and the sequence included a 3-0 home loss to Gotham FC and a 2-0 defeat at Portland Thorns in their most recent outing.
That run also included draws against Utah Royals and Boston Legacy FC, plus an away win over San Diego Wave FC. Emma Coates had no injury or suspension concerns listed ahead of the fixture, so Bay FC went into the match with a full set of choices available.
Martin Sjoegren’s Bottom Side
Chicago carried a different kind of pressure into the game. Martin Sjoegren’s side sat at the bottom of the league, and the absence list showed no injuries or disciplinary concerns in the available data, leaving form and execution as the main issues rather than availability.
The matchup gave Bay FC a chance to reset against the league’s lowest-ranked team, while Chicago looked to stop the slide and see whether Swanson could help change the look of the attack after her return from maternity leave. The result at 5:00 PM would tell which side handled the moment better.
