Seattle Reign FC 2
Washington Spirit 0
NWSL Regular Season – September 11, 2016
Seattle, WA – Memorial Stadium
NWSL season 4 hit the home stretch with drama and meaningful games. Washington Spirit and Portland Thorns were playing for the NWSL Shield, home field for the semifinals, and seeding. Chicago needed any positive result to clinch a playoff spot. Western New York was in the same spot as Chicago. Seattle simply needed to win and get help.
Adding to the drama, Seattle had the national spotlight related to the ongoing national anthem protests a high profile player like Megan Rapinoe has become a leader of. Washington Spirit ownership had added to the spotlight a week earlier by preempting any protest, leaving lingering questions about how Seattle would handle the situation for the 2nd half of the home and home series being played on 9/11.
Then, mid-week, it was announced that Reign FC captain Keelin Winters was retiring, making the match her final home game in Seattle after four seasons in the NWSL and one with Seattle Sounders Women in 2012.
Seattle was mostly finally healthy, still missing Scottish international defender Rachel Corsie, but able to start Megan Rapinoe for the first time in the season in game 19. Washington
Both teams played the match with pace. Washington has been dangerous all season, leading the Shield race going into the final two weekends and featuring a threat like Crystal Dunn. Several opportunities in front of the Seattle goal were mad scrambles and forced Reign keeper Haley Kopmeyer to make 6 saves and defenders to clear away balls from the goal line on more than one instance. Seattle’s recent line up tweak to move Merritt Mathias, Rapinoe back in the starting line up, and the dangerous Seattle midfield contributed to a barrage of 23 shots, 14 on goal.
In the 27th minute Rapinoe was sent down the left side of the box where she struck a low hard dart of a cross that the sliding Bev Yanez was able to connect with for a one goal lead. The question of how long Rapinoe could go while starting was answered when she was finally subbed in the 75th minute. Four minutes later, Keelin Winters grabbed her first goal of the season to make it 2 nil. With scoreboard watching indicating the end of the Thorns and Flash match going favorably for Seattle, the likelihood of game 20 being meaningful seemed likely.
The Spirit did not go down without a fight, with late pressure creating chances to cut the lead and a stoppage time goal line clearance by Seattle being necessary.
Match day 20 for the NWSL has four matches out of five that will determine a Shield winner, seeding, and the playoff life of two teams. With an international break in between, that will be a long two weeks for some.
Photos by Vanya Tucherov
