Reign FC Picks Up First Defeat in a Close Game vs Chicago Red Stars
The Reign lost a close game to a refreshed Chicago Red Stars squad in the first road game of the season. Head Coach Laura Harvey had only one chance going into the game, given the opening day success in Seattle. Chicago also went into this fixture after an opening day victory, defeating the Utah Royals on the road. Ji So-Yun, yet again, proved to be a major asset to the Reign squad by putting on another fantastic display, scoring her first Reign goal in the second half. By the end of the match, the result did not play into the Reign's favor. Head Coach Laura Harvey spoke about the team's circumstance of chasing the game, directing responsibility on the the team as a whole: "I think it was us, totally us."
The OL Reign’s Road to the NWSL Championship
The OL Reign are set to play in their first NWSL Cup Final since 2015 and will therefore have the long-awaited opportunity to earn a first championship star. Saturday will also be the final career match of OL Reign’s Megan Rapinoe and Gotham’s Ali Krieger, both of whom are two-time Women’s World Cup Champions for the US Women’s National Team.
Angel City FC’s remarkable turnaround season came to an end Friday night.
Although Angel City fell short in the last minute they still gave it there all and fought aggressively for 88 competitive minutes.
Orlando Pride’s Grit: 88 Minutes with a Player Down
When Orlando Pride launched an attack led by Marta and earned a corner kick early in the second minute of the first half, OL Reign countered swiftly. Goalkeeper Ana Moorhouse fouled the home team's forward, prompting the referee to brandish a red card without hesitation, reducing Orlando Pride to 10 players. In response, the technical director substituted Jordi Listro with Carly Nelson as the goalkeeper.
Orlando Pride escaped the opportunity to be in the Playoffs seeds
In the game's pivotal moment, it was the forward Julie Doyle of the Orlando Pride who unleashed a powerful strike, only to see it collide with the crossbar, denying her side a potential breakthrough.