OL Reign draw with Portland, secure top seed in Challenge Cup semis

Yet another shutout secures a home semifinal for the Reign in the NWSL Challenge Cup.

The Portland Thorns had the bulk of the possession, but neither side manufactured much danger as OL Reign pitched their sixth consecutive Challenge Cup shutout, securing the top seed and home-field advantage for the knockout rounds. Veronica Latsko rattled the post in the 25th minute, and Bethany Balcer got her head to a Latsko cross in the 13th, but there were few other chances in a hard-fought game where the Reign needed only a draw to secure their place.

WHAT WORKED: PITTSBURGH VS. PITTSBURGH

The chances were few and far between, with real looks at goal hard to come by, but when they did come, Veronica Latsko had her fingerprints all over them, repeatedly tormenting her fellow yinzer Meghan Klingenberg down the right-hand side. A dangerous cross in the 13th minute found Balcer’s head and nearly an opening goal; twelve minutes later, she got a look of her own and smashed her shot off the post.

In the second half, she nearly found Elyse Bennett in the penalty area twice, with both opportunities narrowly failing to develop.

Latsko remains a tireless pressing menace for the Reign, an asset in defense and a constant threat in transition. Like most fullbacks Latsko’s faced this season, Klingenberg struggled to find an answer.

WHAT WORKED: LOCKING IT DOWN

The Reign finished the group stage allowing zero (0) goals in six matches. They also only scored seven goals of their own during the first phase, but when you put together six consecutive shutouts, you give yourself six really good chances to pick up points. The Reign finished with four wins, two draws, and eleven other offenses in the league who’ll wonder what, exactly, they have to do to break this side down.

They’ve done it with the presumptive starters, with the backups, and with the double secret backup backups. For the sixth time in this competition, the Reign organized well, snuffed out chances before they could develop, and frustrated every attacking player who tried to try shit in their final third.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK: BEATING UP ON BOATS

Balcer went down after a pass in the 21st minute and was able to resume play, but as the first half developed, she took a number of hard challenges, culminating in one that left her laid out in midfield in stoppage time. She was able to finish out the half, but was replaced on the field by Elyse Bennett, and didn’t return for the second frame.

All the Reign needed was a point, and with the depth and quality available, rotation and caution with players is sensible — and per Laura Harvey, the halftime sub for Boats was always by design. But it’s never good to see a player down on the pitch for an extended period.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK: THE POST

The post is a thief of joy.

“We haven’t conceded a goal.”

“I thought again we were really defensively solid, didn’t give them a lot of opportunity,” head coach Laura Harvey said after the match.

“We had a few chances where if we just had a little bit more quality, we could’ve got a goal, but I think the biggest thing for me is we’ve played six games, we’ve been very purposeful with how we’ve rotated our team. Our group has the most parity across the four teams and we haven’t conceded a goal — I think that’s an exceptional stat.”

“I just think in general it’s been top to bottom work effort and everyone’s been unreal on the field when they’ve had the opportunity to do what they’re needed and their role is, so it’s been executed great,” rookie Shae Holmes added.

“Hard but good.”

“I think we always come into these games, we know exactly what we’re going to get — we’re going to get a good competition, we’re going to get a hard-fought battle and I think we’re happy to come out of that with the result we got — clinched first seed in the Challenge Cup, get to host at home, and, yeah, got the job done,” Tziarra King offered, when asked about her thoughts on the match.

Shae Holmes added, “I think everyone did a good, hard battle tonight, especially towards the end because we knew we just needed that one point. Yeah, feeling good overall. So yeah, hard but good.”

The Reign will host Racing Louisville at Lumen Field in the NWSL Challenge Cup semifinals at 7 PM PT on Wednesday, September 6.