Match Forecast: OL Reign Ready to Face off Against Chicago
OL Reign are set to play their third match this season against the Chicago Red Stars. This match will decide who takes the series this season, as each team has won a game apiece. Both teams will be looking to earn three points this Sunday as the playoffs inch closer.
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 4:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, October 10 at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available on Paramount+. You can get tickets to see the action in person here.
2021 RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): OL Reign: 11-7-2 (35 points, second place), Chicago Red Stars: 8-7-5 (29 points, fifth place)
Key Points Ahead of the Match:
1. LAST MEETING – The last time that OL Reign and the Chicago Red Stars met was July 18, 2021, at Toyota Park in Chicago. The Reign scored first in the match and has 61% of possession but were dealt a 3-1 loss on the road.
OL Reign started the game well, applying intense pressure to Chicago and that pressure paid off early on. In the 12th minute, Celia crossed the ball into the box to Bethany Balcer, who directed it beyond Chicago goalkeeper Cassie Miller into the back of the net. The Reign maintained their lead through the first half, but did not manage to do so in the second.
The momentum shifted in favor of the Chicago Red Stars when the Reign conceded two back-to-back own goals in the 48th and 55th minutes. These two unlucky goals put the Red Stars in front and left the Reign scrambling to make a comeback. In the 64th minute, Mallory Pugh scored a third for Chicago. The 3-1 score line held to the end of the match.
2. SCOUTING CHICAGO – The Chicago Red Stars are currently in fifth place in the NWSL standings with 29 points and a 8-7-5 record. Most recently, Chicago traveled to Portland and picked up a 2-1 win against the Thorns.
Portland took the lead in the 24th minute, when Christine Sinclair hit a curling shot from outside the box and found the back of the net. However, Chicago responded immediately and scored the equalizer in the 25th minute when Kealia Watt capitalized on a Bella Bixby deflection. Then, in the 65th minute, Mallory Pugh sent a cross to the far post and Rachel Hill was there to get on the end of it and score the game winning goal for the Red Stars.
This will be the fourth meeting in all competitions between the Reign and Red Stars in 2021, with one meeting during the Challenge Cup and two in the regular season. The home team has won each of the first three. The Red Stars defeated the Reign, 3-1 in their last meeting, but have never won two in a row against the Reign in all NWSL competitions.
3. TEAM OF THE MONTH SHOWDOWN – Both OL Reign and the Chicago Red Stars had multiple players named to the September Team of the Month that will be going head-to-head over the weekend. Sofia Huerta, Dzsenifer Marozsán, Bethany Balcer and Eugénie Le Sommer have had a huge impact on OL Reign’s success this season, particularly when it comes to creating offensive opportunities.
These offensive threats will take on the defensive rocks at Chicago. Tierna Davidson and Casey Krueger came up big in securing Chicago’s unbeaten record through September. Midfielder Morgan Gautrat is also a key player for Chicago and played every minute in September.
In addition, Balcer was named Player of the Month and is the current leading goal scorer in the NWSL. She is one goal away from becoming the third Reign player with double digit goals in a regular season after Kim Little (twice) and Megan Rapinoe.
4. PLAYOFF PUSH – In the last month of the regular season, every team is pushing for a spot in the playoffs, making every game a must win situation. Including their forfeit win over Washington, OL Reign have won eight of their last 10 NWSL matches, only picking up one draw and one loss. Since the start of the that run, the Reign have an NWSL-high 25 points, with Portland second on 19 points in that time. No other team has more than 13 points in that span.
The Red Stars have drawn three consecutive road matches, the club’s first three-match unbeaten run on the road since a four-game winning streak in June-August 2019. Prior to this run, only one of Chicago’s last 23 away matches in all NWSL competitions had ended in a draw. OL Reign extended their home win streak to six games with their win over Orlando, which is the longest home win streak for the Reign since summer 2015.
“You know our team. We’re motivated and competitive because you know whatever’s happening in our league, we’re frustrated or mad and we’re hoping to carry that out onto the field and really be competitive and allow that to show,” said defender Lauren Barnes. “We’ve come together as a collective we’re just really excited. We have some really important games coming up in this little end of the season stretch, so we’re just really excited to get back out there.”
MultiCare Injury Report:
OUT
Megan Rapinoe - Right Thigh
QUESTIONABLE
None