OL Reign 3
Orlando Pride 0
NWSL Regular Season
October 1, 2022
Seattle, WA – Lumen Field
OL Reign host Orlando Pride Saturday night in Seattle with the NWSL Shield on the line. With the earlier in the day 3-3 draw between Portland and Gotham in the books, the Seattle side would take the Shield with 3 points.
The 2022 season for the Reign has been a lot of early pressure and opportunites, but not a lot of goals. It has been the stingy Reign defense that has propelled them to the top of the table. However, in the 8th minute Jordyn Huitema found a wide open Megan Rapinoe and the Seattle side had an early lead.
The struggle in Seattle this year has been in not extending leads, which has come back to bite them in dropped points. Jordyn Huitema would get the second in the 24th minute, getting in behind the Pride defenders off a Quinn through ball to slot home a two goal lead.
Orlando pressed and countered throughout the first half, getting in to the Reign defensive end a number of times, but then finding the OL defense tightening up to stop them. On a couple occasions it looked promising only to be stopped.
Pride forward Leah Pruitt made a number of dangerous runs. Orlando created some chances on the counter, but the Pride kept finding multiple Reign defenders on the final pass.
Bethany Balcer made it three nil in the 31st minute, connecting a one touch volley on the end of a Jessica Fishlock cross, and the Reign looked to be in firm control going into the half.
Reign clinch the shield.
As the second half progressed the score line remained three nil. The Reign still pressed high and created chances, but often it was with a few less numbers on the attack.
The Pride continued to poke into the Seattle defense, working to get around the Reign backline as the middle remained relatively clogged. They did have opportunities, but the Reign defense was more bend than break, converging on the ball in numbers when possible.
Orlando goes into the offseason with a number of good young players and a promising future.
With the NWSL not playing all the final matches simultaneously, OL kicked off knowing the home field and bye week was safe. Three clubs entered the day with a legit chance of claiming the Shield with the correct results. The Reign saw those earlier favorable results and capitalized on the opportunity early, playing out the second 45 to secure a third NWSL Shield for the club.
The upcoming international break makes the bye week even more valuable than ever, as the players coming back to Seattle and Portland will have a few extra days time off to recover without the additional travel of a playoff road match.
OL Reign will host the winner of the Houston and Kansas City match at Lumen Field on October 23.
Reign clinch the shield.
BOX
Scoring
RGN: Rapinoe – 8’, Huitema – 24’, Balcer – 31’
ORL: None
Discipline
RGN: Balcer (Caution – 46’)
ORL: Montefusco (Caution – 29’), Hanson (Caution – 56’), Petersen (Caution – 69’), Dougherty-Howard (Caution – 90’)
Lineups
RGN: GK Tullis-Joyce, D McClernon, D Cook, D Hiatt, D Barnes (Huerta 60’), M Fishlock, M Quinn (Canales 78’), M Lavelle (Van der Jagt 62’), F Rapinoe (King 73’), F Huitema (Athens 78’), F Balcer
Unused substitutes: GK Ivory, F Latsko, M Stanton,
Total Shots: 14 (Balcer – 3)
Shots on Goal: 3 (Three tied with – 1)
Fouls: 8 (Balcer – 3)
Offsides: 3
Corner Kicks: 2
Saves: 1 (Tullis-Joyce – 1)
ORL: GK McLeod, D Strom, D Montefusco, D Pressley (Celia 56’), D Lawrence, D Petersen (Abello 65’), M Dougherty Howard, M Hanson (Listro 56’), M Jondottir, F Pruitt (Doyle 56’), F Jenkins (Bugeja 65’)
Unused substitutes: GK Moorhouse, M Reiss, M Tymrak
Total Shots: 5 (Five tied with – 1)
Shots on Goal: 1 (Listro – 1)
Fouls: 14 (Dougherty Howard, Petersen – 3)
Offsides: 0
Corner Kicks: 2
Saves: 0
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva
Assistant Referee 1: Katarzyna Wasiak
Assistant Referee 2: Kali Smith
4th Official: Kelsey Harms
(Editor’s Note: You can view more of Paul Kahl’s photos through this link, and Melissa Levin’s photos with this link.)
