Match Forecast: Reign Travel to Portland to Take on Thorns FC
OL Reign (0-0-1, 1 point) will travel to Portland on Wednesday, April 21, to play its first road match of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup presented by Secret Deodorant against the Portland Thorns (2-0-0, 6 points) at 7:00 p.m. PT at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon.
Last Match: 0-0 Draw vs. Houston Dash
“We are glad to have the first game out of the way,” said OL Reign head coach Farid Benstiti. “The second game is easier because you become more familiar with each other. This time, we must be more efficient in front of goal. Rivalry matches are always exciting, and we are looking to traveling to Portland.”
OL Reign played the Houston Dash last Friday, April 16, in its opening match of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup. The game marked the first time in 566 days that fans were able to attend a Reign match at Cheney Stadium. Allie Long was a last-minute scratch from the starting lineup after sustaining a leg injury during pre-match warmups. Angelina, who made her NWSL debut, took Long’s spot in the starting eleven.
The two teams battled to a scoreless draw, with OL Reign outshooting Houston 11 to 8 while maintaining 53.7% of possession. The Reign dominated the second half, putting in 17 crosses, but were unable to finish their chances. Goalkeeper Karen Bardsley made 3 saves to keep Houston off the score sheet.
The draw puts OL Reign in third place in the five-team Western Division of the 2021 Challenge Cup behind the Dash (0-0-2, 2 points) and the Thorns.
Fishlock is Back
OL Reign had five players called up to their national teams during the April FIFA window. Two of those players, Karen Bardlsey and Nicole Momiki, appeared against Houston, playing 90 minutes and five minutes respectively. Bardsley earned her first clean sheet of the season. Megan Rapinoe, Quinn, and Jess Fishlock are all expected to be available for selection in Wednesday’s match against Portland.
Fishlock finished up her loan with Reading FC on April 6. During her time at Reading—which began in August 2020—Fishlock started 18 of 19 matches for the team and played a full 90 minutes in the majority of those matches. Fishlock scored two goals and earned three assists for Reading, and was nominated as Barclays FA Women’s Super League Player of the Month in December.
After ending her loan with Reading, Fishlock, who is the most capped Welsh player (122), competed with the Wales Women’s National Team in two international friendlies during the April FIFA window. She had a solid showing in Wales’ matches against Canada and Denmark, finishing off the international break with the equalizing goal in the 60th minute of Wales’ final match against Denmark.
“I’m super excited to be back with the team and looking forward to working my way back into the group. This season has been a long time coming and everyone can’t wait to see what we can produce,” Fishlock said. “I always seem to come back for a Portland game... it’s just in my blood. I cannot wait to hear the fans, hear the boos... try to silence them and get back into a real football environment.”
Scouting Portland
The last time OL Reign face off against long-standing Cascadia rival the Portland Thorns, was the 2020 Fall Series, where Portland defeated the Reign 2-1 in Tacoma, on October 10, 2020. Currently, the Portland Thorns are in first place in the Western Division of the 2021 Challenge Cup, with two wins under their belt.
Most recently, Portland defeated the Chicago Red Stars (0-1-1, 1 point) 1-0, thanks to a 66th minute goal from Morgan Weaver. In their first Challenge Cup match, Portland narrowly defeated Kansas City (0-1-0, 1 point) 2-1, with goals from Rocky Rodriguez and Tyler Lussi. Portland will be back with its full squad as Lindsey Horan, Crystal Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn, Sophia Smith, and Christine Sinclair all return from international duty.
“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 to the pitch on Wednesday.”
Examining the Challenge Cup Standings
OL Reign are looking for their first win of 2021 to overtake the Houston Dash in the standings. A win or draw against Portland would also prevent Portland from clinching their spot in the Challenge Cup championship match.
So far, Portland is the only team in the West Division of the Challenge Cup to secure a win. OL Reign, Houston, and Chicago have all earned draws, while Kansas City only has a loss on their record. In the case of a tie in the standings, goal differential may come into play. Portland has a goal differential of two, OL Reign and Houston are at zero, and Chicago and Kansas City both have a goal differential of negative one.
After tonight, there will be just four matches left in the Western Division to determine who will take the number one spot. The winner of the Western Division will take on the winner of the Eastern Division in the championship game on Saturday, May 8, at a to-be-determined location.
Multicare Injury Report
OUT
Sam Hiatt – Head
Kelcie Hedge - ACL
Ally Watt – ACL (SEI)
QUESTIONABLE
Allie Long – Lower Leg
How to Watch
Fans can watch the match on CBS Sports Network in the U.S. and on Twitch internationally.
Next Home Match
Following the match in Portland, OL Reign will take on the Chicago Red Stars in Tacoma on Tuesday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m. PT. Tickets for the Chicago game are available by calling (866)99-REIGN or by visiting Ticketmaster.