Match Forecast: OL Reign Travels to Portland to Face Thorns
OL Reign will face rivals Portland Thorns FC on Wednesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m. PT. The match will be OL Reign’s second contest in five days as part of the NWSL Fall Series.
“Of course, playing at this pace is not unfamiliar to us after the Challenge Cup,” OL Reign head coach Farid Benstiti said. “We have had a few days to recover and now must build off the result in Utah.”
Last Match: 2-2 Draw at Utah Royals
OL Reign opened its four-match Fall Series slate with a 2-2 draw against Utah Royals FC on Saturday, September 26. The club conceded two goals in the opening 22 minutes, including a headed goal from rookie Royals forward Tziarra King.
OL Reign responded with two goals in five minutes, starting in the 23rd minute with Bethany Balcer’s second goal of 2020, which she curled to the right side of the net. Rosie White also notched her first goal of the year in the 28th minute, taking a layoff pass from Jasmyne Spencer and threading a low shot through traffic to the left post for the equalizer.
The match also marked the debuts of OL Reign forward Leah Pruitt and defender Madison Hammond. Pruitt, who was picked up by the club in June while recovering from injury, subbed on for Jasmyne Spencer and played the final 20 minutes. Hammond, the first Native American player in the NWSL, subbed on for Kristen McNabb for the final 14 minutes of play to see out the draw.
Midfielder Shirley Cruz was named as OL Reign’s Budweiser Player of the Match. The midfielder took 56 touches and completed 89.6 percent of her passes in 70 minutes of play, before making way for Morgan Andrews.
Scouting Portland
Portland started off the Fall Series with a 3-0 win over Utah on Sunday, September 20. Simone Charley, Sophia Smith and Lindsay Horan all scored for the Thorns in the decisive victory.
The club completed the transfer of forward Tobin Heath to FA Women’s Super League side Manchester United on September 9, but will still boast the services of Canadian international Christine Sinclair and U.S. Women’s National Team midfielder Lindsay Horan, who did not play against OL Reign in the Challenge Cup due to injury.
“We always expect matches with Portland to be a strong challenge,” Benstiti said. “I want us to focus on our principles and make sure that we are ready to play a full 90 minutes the way we want when we take the pitch on Wednesday.”
Injury Report – Presented by MultiCare
Two players will be unavailable for selection due to injury in Wednesday’s contest. Midfielder Kelcie Hedge remains on the season-ending injury list while she recovers from a torn ACL, while defender Julia Ashley is unavailable due to a back injury. Additionally, defender Sam Hiatt is questionable with a face injury.
How to Watch
The match will be streamed live for both U.S. and international fans on Twitch.