By Marilia Macedo
At SeatGeek Stadium, in Bridgeview, IL, on June 4, OL Reign didn’t get any points away from home when they fought against Chicago Red Stars, suffering a 1-0 loss.
In the opening minutes, Reign kept Chicago under pressure, making a good job defensively and not allowing them to play the way they wanted, blocking Pugh. Later on, when she found two big opportunities, Cook and Tullis-Joyce were able to stop her. Moments later, Barnes kicked in, trying to surprise the goalkeeper, but Naeher managed to send it to a corner.
Colaprico also had her chances, but Tullis, once again, made good saves, at least until the break.
However, in the first minute of the second half, the Red Stars found a way to open the scoring with Pugh. This time Tullis couldn’t save it. The goalkeeper has been a key player in keeping Reign with a low number of goals conceded, helping the team to score points, even if through draws. In addition to her, Cook has also been playing her role well, being one of the defensive highlights of the Seattle team.
DiBernardo also had the chance to double the score, but Phallon stretched herself sending the ball to the corner. To try to react in a match that was not favorable for the visitors, Lavelle tried a good attempt from outside the box – but it was not enough to draw. Reign struggled, but the Red Stars made a great and solid defensive game, blocking Huerta and her crossings, making things even harder for the visitors, and they couldn’t reach the tie.
The next game for Laura Harvey’s squad will be against San Diego Wave on Sunday, June 12, at 2 pm PT.