OL Reign defeat Kansas City Current 2-1 in Seattle
OL Reign 2
Kansas City Current 1
June 10, 2023
Lumen Field – Seattle, WA
NWSL Regular Season
There is a cluster of teams in the top half of the NWSL table within a handful of points of each other. The shifting landscape of the top six order adds additional drama to the matches and scoreboard watching, even in June. OL Reign are entering a stretch where after Saturday’s match they have four of five on the road going into the international break. Points are essential.
Kansas City Current visited Seattle on Saturday evening looking to move off the bottom of the table. A surprisingly slow start and an early season coaching change has been the story of 2023 for the Current, and grabbing points in Seattle would do well to spur them on as they wind toward the world cup break and digging out of the bottom tier of the table.
The hosts continued to be without Rose Lavelle and Jessica Fishlock in the midfield for the match, while Lu Barnes made her 200th NWSL appearance. The Current injury report was even more extensive.
The match got off to an auspicious start as Megan Rapinoe went down and came off after just over a minute of play, seemingly favoring her left calf.
With a few other collision stoppages and yellow cards, the first thirty minutes was a disjointed affair. There were a few chances along the way for both sides, but at the thirty minute mark Vanessa DiBernardo forced a high flying save from Reign keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce. The save and the moment seemed to kick start the pace of play.
In the thirty-sixth minute Sofia Huerta would get the hosts on the board, converting a handball penalty into a one goal lead. Huerta was called into penalty duty with Rapinoe, Lavelle, and Fishlock all out.
The first half wound down with a flurry of chances in front of the Current goal, but the visitors managed to keep the difference at one going into the interval.
With the one goal margin, neither side could afford to take too much off the gas early in the second half. Even with the injuries, the Current still had Debinha. The Brazilian would show her class, dancing through the Reign defense early in the half, laying the ball off eventually.
Elyse Bennett nearly broke the game open in the early stages, but her flick on past Current keeper Cassie Miller was just cleared as it got to the line.
Michelle Cooper was able to work a long range shot thru the Reign defense, but a VAR reversal for offside kept the match one nil with a half hour to go.
Reign forward Jordyn Huitema would get her head on a Huerta cross scoring to the near post, making it two nil in the sixty eighth. Huitema had begun the play trailing, made a long run as the build up slowed, and timed her run to beat everyone to the ball.
The Reign defense had clamped down after the VAR goal reversal, minimizing the Current chances as the Reign offense managed to grab the second goal. However, in stoppage, the Current would finally break through to cut the lead to 2-1 as Izzy Rodriguez slid thru and got enough of a low cross.
The late goal created a frantic several minutes of stoppage time, with Debinha garnering a yellow on a collision with Tullis-Joyce on a well placed cross.
The match would end 2-1 OL Reign over Kansas City Current.
Three points at home are huge for the Reign as they stay up near the top cluster of the table. Kansas City continues to have an unlucky season as they look to work their way out of the NWSL cellar.
BOX
Scoring
RGN: Huerta – 36’, Huitema – 68’
KC: Rodriguez – 90+1’
Discipline
RGN: Sonnett (Caution – 16’), Cook (Caution – 19’)
KC: Debinha (Caution – 90+5’)
Lineups
RGN: GK Tullis-Joyce, D Huerta, D Cook, D Hiatt, D Barnes, M Sonnett, M Van der Jagt (Quinn 62’), F Huitema, F King (Stanton 83’), F Bennett (Balcer 62’), F Rapinoe (Latsko 7’)
Unused substitutes: GK Dickey, M Angelina, M Canales, D Brown, D Holmes
Total Shots: 11 (Huitema – 4)
Shots on Goal: 6 (Huitema – 3)
Fouls: 12 (Sonnett – 4)
Offsides: 1
Corner Kicks: 5
Saves: 2 (Tullis-Joyce – 2)
KC: GK Miller, D Soto, D Robinson, D Merrick, D Del Fava, M Mace, M DiBernardo, M Debinha, M Curran, F Kizer, F Hamilton
Unused substitutes: GK Franch, D Winebrenner, F Spaanstra, M Childers
Total Shots: 6 (DiBernardo – 2)
Shots on Goal: 3 (DiBernardo, Kizer – 1)
Fouls: 9 (Debinha, Mace – 2)
Offsides: 1
Corner Kicks: 2
Saves: 4 (Miller – 4)
Referee: Elijio Arreguin
Assistant Referee 1: Darren Bandy
Assistant Referee 2: Ricardo Ocampo
4th Official: Jaclyn Metz
VAR: Adorae Monroy
AVAR: Katherine McCormick
PIC