As she sat pensively awaiting the assembled media during Chicago’s pre-match media availability, ahead of their clash with the Orlando Pride, there was an air of nervousness about Sarah Luebbert. It’s perhaps easy to forget she’s still fairly new to all of this. It feels like she’s been around a while, though she’s still a rookie in relative terms. At least as far as the NWSL is concerned.
As a part of the 2020 NWSL draft class, she hasn’t had the easiest of inductions into professional soccer. The COVID-19 pandemic threw her entire career into limbo, not that you’d know it now. She continues to go from strength to strength.
The 2021 NWSL season was all about finding her feet; hence why she only featured 5 times that season. Not content with a bit part role, however, Luebbert wanted to challenge herself. She knew she needed to take herself out of her comfort zone. To prove herself. Following the end of the 2021 season she did just that. She joined the famed Club América, impressing the Águilas fanbase with 9 goals in 27 appearances, scoring in front of large crowds at the world renowned Azteca stadium.
It was an experience she believes served her well: ‘I think I gained a lot of great experience there, I got used to playing in front of big crowds (an average of 15,742 per match), getting to play some professional games, getting to play 90 minute games regularly.’
There’s definitely the feeling that Luebbert’s spell in Mexico has elevated her already lofty standing within the Red Stars organisation. She’s already being talked about as someone who can come in and contribute right away, it’s just finding the how and where for head coach Chris Petrucelli, which is something he is acutely aware of: ‘We were planning on having her back all along, and we’ve had her in our plans from the beginning. We’re gonna have to figure out how she slots in to the team… I think a big piece of it is, she is versatile.’
There’s no doubt she can have a positive impact on this Red Stars squad. Whilst Chicago clinched a play-off place last year, they weren’t entirely convincing. Particularly in front of goal, where they scored the fewest of any of the play-off teams (although, to their credit, they ran to the final). This is where Luebbert can help. The Missouri native knows how to score and create goals; she scored 29 and assisted 21 for the Missouri Tigers during her collegiate career.
She seemed to have no trouble finding the back of the net in Liga MX Femenil either. Luebbert’s finishing and intelligent movement is… Well, it’s just smart. This is a player who is so much more than a goalscorer. She’s quick, she’s strong, she’s intelligent. I’d go as far as to say she’s the whole package as a forward. Her burst of pace and agility on the half turn mean she can play anywhere across the front. She’s also pretty good in the air. I could go on. It’s not difficult to see what Petrucelli means by her versatility.
Chicago need a goalscorer. Since the departure of Sam Kerr to Chelsea, they’ve struggled to find a consistent goalscorer. In 2021 there top goalscorer was Kealia Watt with 5. In 2019 Kerr plundered 19. That’s quite the drop off. I’m not saying that Sarah Luebbert is going to come in and be the next Sam Kerr. I’m just saying there’s a void there. And it needs filling.
During the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, Chicago carved out 54 shots, hit 60 crosses and scored 8 times. It’s not an awful record, but it’s not stellar either. Even in the Championship game, only 3 of their 14 efforts at goal were on target. Only 1 resulted in a goal. They need someone to start putting these chances away.
Maybe, just maybe, Sarah Luebbert is the player to start doing that.
Written by Dan Berridge
*All statistics courtesy of worldfootball.net and fotmob.com
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