Rapinoe Nets Brace as OL Reign Gets Home Playoff Game
Photo: Leslie Smith
Chicago Red Stars 0-3 OL Reign
BRIDGEVIEW, IL—Megan Rapinoe’s career will not only continue, it will continue at home on Friday night after OL reign, led by a Rapinoe brace, defeated the Chicago Red Stars, 3-0, at SeatGeek Stadium. OL Reign finish in fourth place, while the Red Stars complete the season with the wooden spoon allowing a league-worst 50 goals on the season—including nine in the last two matches.
The Red Stars did play well in the first half keeping OL Reign off the score sheet. Alyssa Naeher made a couple of outstanding saves denying Rapinoe a couple of time and Arin Wright in her 150th start for the Red Stars clearing a Jessica Fishlock shot off the line. It would be goalless at halftime, but not for much longer.
In both the 47th and 50th minutes, Rapinoe found her spot and it was the far post curling in from just inside the area. Those were Rapinoe’s 50th and 51st goals for OL Reign.
Nine minutes later, Jess Fishlock got in behind the Red Stars defense after collecting a ball from Alana Cook and scored on the breakaway. The goal was initially ruled offside, but VAR reversed the call and OL Reign were up 3-0 and comfortably ahead in the match and comfortably in fourth place with results elsewhere falling in their favor.
“[It feels] great,” said Fishlock. “I think obviously it’s knowing that it was in our hands iis nice and then it’s down to us and it’s our responsibility. I thought we played well today, which is a credit to this, this group with so much pressure. Another clean sheet for [Claudia Dickey], which is great. She’s been fantastic for us not just this season, but last season too. So to keep building with her clean sheet after clean, she is nice for us.
“So yeah, we’re excited and now we just move forward to Friday. I think it was a, a really professional performance from us today.”
For the Red Stars’ Arin Wright, making her 150th appearance for the Red Stars, this will be her first season without playoffs and the club’s first since 2014.
“I think for me this year I have never played a season where we don’t make post-season,” said Wright. “So the feeling’s a little bit different for me this year. It feels a bit usually feel disappointment in a loss for me. It’s a bit of unfulfillment, like I feel unfulfilled by the season because I feel like I didn’t get as much out of it as I wanted to get out of it. So while I’m happy about seeing the growth of certain players and this team from day one, there is a bit that’s the hardest part about ending the season now is I just, I want more and you don’t get any more.”
Indeed, this is the last game of what was a difficult season to say the very least for the Red Stars. A new ownership group is in, they have already let go of Chris Petrucelli, they have several more decisions regarding players who are eligible for free agency this season, and the biggest decision will be what their vision will be for the Red Stars for 2024 and beyond.
Fans will hoped there is nowhere to go but up for the Red Stars after a season like this.
SCORING SUMMARY:
RGN-Megan Rapinoe (Quinn) 47
RGN-Megan Rapinoe (Fishlock) 50
RGN-Jess Fishlock (Cook) 59
BOOKING SUMMARY:
RGN-Veronica Latsko (caution, reckless tackle) 24
RGN-Alana Cook (caution, deliberate handball) 89
RGN-Bethany Balcer (caution, tactical foul) 90+3
CHI-Arin Wright (caution, tactical foul) 90+4
CHICAGO RED STARS (4-2-3-1): #1-Alyssa Naeher; #6-Casey Krueger, #3-Arin Wright, #28-Kayla Sharples, #23-Tatumn Milazzo; #4-Cari Roccaro, #5-Julia Bianchi (#8-Ella Stevens 60); #22-Bianca St. Georges (#24-Jenna Bike 86), #7-Yuki Nagasato, #20-Cheyna Williams (#55-Penelope Hocking 60); #25-Ava Cook (#34-Alli Schlegel 70)
Subs not used: #21-Emily Boyd, #14-Jill Aguilera, #2-Sam Fisher, #31-Amanda Kowalski
OL REIGN (4-3-3): #30-Claudia Dickey; #21-Phoebe McClernon, #3-Lauren Barnes, #4-Alana Cook, #22-Ryanne Brown (#11-Sofia Huerta 70); #5-Quinn (#7-Nikki Stanton 87), #24-Veronica Latsko, #2-Emily Sonnett; #15-Megan Rapinoe (#8-Bethany Balcer 76), #9-Jordan Huitema (#34-Elyse Bennett 87), #10-Jess Fishlock (#33-Olivia Van der Jagt 70)
Subs not used: #18-Laurel Ivory, #6-Angelina, #17-Sam Hiatt, #16-Rose Lavelle
TOTAL SHOTS: CHI 7-14 RGN
SHOTS ON GOAL: CHI 1-7 RGN
FOULS: CHI 11-11 RGN
OFFSIDES: CHI 0-5 RGN
CORNER KICKS: CHI 4-6 RGN
SAVES: CHI 4-1 RGN
Referee: Anya Voigt
Assistant Referees: Ethan Buege, Matthew Seem
4th Official: Emad Omanovic
VAR: Shawn Tehini
AVAR: Tom Supple
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and 56º
Attendance: 8,004
Woman of the Match: Megan Rapinoe (RGN)