OL Reign (10-4-7, 37 points, 1st place) rounded out their three-game road trip with a 2-0 win against the Houston Dash (9-6-6, 33 points, 4th place). This hard-fought win clinched OL Reign’s spot in the post-season.
OL Reign started the match with a spot of defensive work, as Houston used their fresh legs to press offensively and hold a high defensive line. However, OL Reign’s defense was up to the task. The team worked together to thwart Houston’s forward advances, not allowing the home side a single shot on target in the first half.
OL Reign displayed great patience, working the ball around the field to break Houston’s high press. Just before the half hour mark of the match, OL Reign midfielder Quinn made a great recovery run on defense to prevent Houston’s promising attack. Just moments later, they showed their skill offensively, when they played a perfectly placed through ball to forward Megan Rapinoe in transition, catching Houston’s backline off guard.
Rapinoe settled the ball and dribbled toward the endline before playing a cross into the box. Midfielder Rose Lavelle slid in, attempting to get on the end of the ball, but just missed. A Houston defender got a touch on the ball but redirected it straight into the path of OL Reign forward Bethany Balcer, who coolly tapped the ball into the back of the net to put OL Reign up in the 29th minute of the match. The lone goal saw OL Reign through to halftime with the lead.
After halftime, OL Reign had some more defending to do. Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce made a diving save in the 48th minute to preserve OL Reign’s lead. As the game went on and a playoff spot was on the line, things became more intense and more physical, with the Dash conceding 17 fouls compared to OL Reign’s seven.
OL Reign found the breakthrough goal once again in the second half. This time, the attack was led by forward Jordyn Huitema, who subbed onto the field at halftime. Huitema won her battle with a Houston player, sliding to play a ball through to Lavelle, who split the defense before firing a shot at goal. Her shot hit the post and bounced back out into the box. However, forward Veronica Latsko put herself in a great position to finish the rebounded ball, tapping it off the left post and into the back of the net to double OL Reign’s lead in the 76th minute.
Continuing their season long streak of not conceding a goal in the final 15 minutes of play, OL Reign was professional and intention in seeing out the last 15 minutes of the half, limiting Houston to just two shots in that time. At the final whistle, OL Reign secured the 2-0 win and with that, their spot in the 2022 NWSL playoffs. The team is currently in first place in the NWSL standings, fighting for the NWSL Shield.
Key Facts:
· With tonight’s win, OL Reign moved up to first place in the NWSL standings and became the second team to clinch a spot in the 2022 NWSL playoffs.
· OL Reign remains undefeated in their last six road games, outscoring their hosts 11 to five in those meetings. The Reign finished a three-game week on the road with all nine points earned, becoming the only team to accomplish this in 2022.
· Tonight’s match featured another new starting XI for OL Reign, which means they now have 20 different starting XIs in 21 games played this season.
· Forward Bethany Balcer scored the opening goal in the 29th minute. Balcer has six goals this season, which is tied for first on the team with forward Megan Rapinoe. Since entering the league in 2019, the 25-year-old has 21 goals all-time in the regular season, which ranks second in the league.
· In her ninth start of the season, forward Veronica Latsko scored the second goal of the match in the 76th minute, giving the Reign a 2-0 lead. The goal marks Latsko’s first with OL Reign and eighth all-time.
UP NEXT: OL Reign is back home at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington on Saturday, October 1 at 7:00 p.m. PT, for their last match of the 2022 NWSL regular season, against the Orlando Pride.
MATCH SUMMARY
2022 NWSL Regular Season
OL Reign 2-0 Houston Dash
Date/Time: Saturday, September 24, 2022, 5:30 p.m. PT
Location: PNC Stadium, Houston, Texas
Weather: 87, Clear
Scoring Summary
RGN: Balcer – 29’, Latsko – 76’
HOU: None
Discipline
RGN: Fishlock (Caution – 60’), Rapinoe (Caution – 67’)
HOU: Schmidt (Caution – 61’), Visalli (Caution – 78’), Groom (Caution – 87’)
Lineups
RGN: GK Tullis-Joyce, D Huerta, D Cook, D Hiatt, D Barnes (McClernon 65’), M Fishlock (Stanton 72’), M Quinn (Van der Jagt 66’), M Lavelle, F Rapinoe (Athens 90+2’ 56’), F Latsko, F Balcer (Huitema 46’)
Unused substitutes: GK Ivory, GK Dickey, D Lopez, M Canales, F King
Total Shots: 8 (Latsko – 3)
Shots on Goal: 3 (Three tied with – 1)
Fouls: 7 (Latsko – 3)
Offsides: 7
Corner Kicks: 3
Saves: 3 (Tullis-Joyce – 3)
HOU: GK Campbell, D Chapman (Gauvin 46’), D Prisock, D Naughton, D Dydasco (Jacobs 69’), D Gareis, M Schmidt, M Viggiano (Ogle 75’), M Sánchez, F Prince (Groom 81’), F Alozie (Visalli 69’)
Unused substitutes: M Eddy, GK Harris, M Anderson, F Abam
Total Shots: 17 (Three tied with – 3)
Shots on Goal: 3 (Gauvin – 2)
Fouls: 17 (Alozie, Schmidt – 4)
Offsides: 0
Corner Kicks: 7
Saves: 1 (Campbell– 1)
Budweiser Player of the Match: Bethany Balcer
Referee: Matthew Franz
Assistant Referee 1: Matt Trotter
Assistant Referee 2: John Krill
4th Official: Melvin Rivas
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Match Recap: OL Reign Hold Down Houston to Clinch Playoff Spot - OL Reign
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