Match Forecast: OL Reign Return to Lumen Field for Match Against Chicago
OL Reign and the Chicago Red Stars are set to meet for the second and final time this season tonight at 7:00 p.m. PT at Lumen Field in Seattle. Coming off the international break, the teams are back-to-back in the standings, with OL Reign in 5th place on 27 points and Chicago in 6th place on 26 points.
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. PT on Friday, September 9 at Lumen Field
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available on Paramount+ and Twitch internationally.
2022 REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): OL Reign: 7-4-6 (27 points, 5th place, Chicago Red Stars: 7-5-5 (26 points, 6th place)
Key Points Ahead of the Match:
1. LAST MEETING – OL Reign and the Chicago Red Stars last met in June of this year. Chicago came away with a narrow 1-0 win. The Reign started the match by applying heavy pressure on Chicago but did not threaten much in the attacking third of the field. Chicago found the lone goal of the match in second half and OL Reign were unable to find an equalizer, picking up their second loss of the season.
When asked what to expect from Chicago, OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey said, "The same, probably. It was probably the least threatening we were in any game this year, so I would expect it to be very similar."
Midfielder Nikki Stanton added that the team expects the standard blue-collar mentality from Chicago, as it’s part of the team’s identity. “I think that It's kind of been ingrained in the way that they train in their culture there. But yeah, I would say that they always kind of stick to that kind of mentality, for sure,” said Stanton.
2. SCOUTING CHICAGO– Currently, the Red Stars are in 6th place in the NWSL standings, just above the playoff line. The team has one less point than the Reign, who are currently in 5th place. Most recently, Chicago played Racing Louisville FC on August 27 and came away with dominant 4-0 win. Mallory Pugh and Yuki Nagasato both scored two goals to secure the road win for Chicago.
3. RETURN FROM INTERNATIONAL BREAK – OL Reign had eight players out on international duty last week. The majority of those players have returned and are available for the match tonight. Because of the quick turnaround, OL Reign may need to rely on their depth for this match – something the team proved is no obstacle to success with their recent Women’s Cup win in Louisville. According to OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey, training this week has prepared the team for the game tonight.
“It's been good, obviously had a lot of people away. It was good to get everyone back together again today. Yeah, as prepared as we possibly can be for tomorrow. I think the Women's Cup was a really good opportunity for players to get minutes who haven't had them. With the schedule, the way that it has played itself out, I think that it could be a huge factor in tomorrow's game, for sure."
The Reign have also showed that their depth is a valuable asset to the team, as they have only named the same starting XI just once in their 17 regular season matches.
4. PLAYOFF PUSH – As the playoffs near, OL Reign continues to fight to secure their spot. The team is seeking their third consecutive win for the first time this season. Since their last meeting on June 4, the Reign have only tallied two losses compared to Chicago's four.
OL Reign has several key players in peak form. Forward Megan Rapinoe, who is returning from international duty and was most recently named NWSL Player of the Month in August, is coming off her second consecutive game with at least one goal and one assist. Defender Sofia Huerta, who is also returning from international duty, is one assist away from tying the league career assist record (30).
MultiCare Availability Report:
OUT
Angelina (SEI - right knee)
Jess Fishlock (excused absence)
Tobin Heath (left leg)
Sinclaire Miramontez (right leg)
Jodi Ulkekul (right knee)
QUESTIONABLE
None
INTERNATIONAL
None