Match Forecast: OL Reign Host Chicago Red Stars in Third Challenge Cup Match

OL Reign (0-1-1, 1 point) will host the Chicago Red Stars (0-1-2, 2 points) at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma on Tuesday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m. PT in its third match of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup presented by Secret Deodorant.

“As a team, we are not happy with the result of our last game against Portland. We know we will need a strong performance against Chicago this week,” said OL Reign head coach Farid Benstiti. “It was a good week of training, so we come into this game very positive. It is good that the players are ready and want to be back out on the pitch.”

Last Match: 2-0 Loss vs. Portland Thorns FC

OL Reign played its Cascadia rival, Portland Thorns FC, last Wednesday, April 21, in its first road match of the year. The game marked the return of several players that were away on international duty for OL Reign’s first match of the Challenge Cup. Quinn returned from their time with the Canadian national team and started the match, while Megan Rapinoe and Wales’ Jess Fishlock entered the match in the second half.

What started as an evenly matched game quickly tilted in the favor of Portland in the 16th minute, when Amber Brooks fouled Sophia Smith just outside the 18-yard box. Lindsey Horan took the free kick for the Thorns and placed the ball up and over the OL Reign wall past goalkeeper, Karen Bardsley, into the upper corner of the goal. Portland doubled their lead at the beginning of the second half, capitalizing on sloppy play from the Reign in the 46th minute. Portland outshot the Reign 29 to 10, forcing goalkeeper Karen Bardsley to make seven saves throughout the match.

“Right now we obviously just got our internationals back, so we have to get on the training field and work really hard as a group,” said OL Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock, “Our last two games, we have to be better and I have no doubt we will do that. We haven’t scored a goal and we have some stuff to figure out. Credit to Portland—I thought they were great—and we’ve got some time now to figure out what we need before the league [regular season] starts.”

The loss puts OL Reign in fifth place in the five-team Western Division of the 2021 Challenge Cup, with one point and a negative two goal differential.

Scouting Chicago

The last time OL Reign took on the Chicago Red Stars was July 18, 2020, during the quarterfinal of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. The two teams were deadlocked at 0-0 after 90 minutes, sending the match to penalties. Nicole Momiki, Bethany Balcer, and Darian Jenkins netted their PKs for OL Reign, but that wasn’t enough to come away with the victory. Chicago won 4-3 in the shootout and advanced to the next round of the Challenge Cup, where they went on to beat Sky Blue FC (now NJ/NY Gotham FC) 3-2 to move on to the final, where they lost 2-0 to the Houston Dash.

In their last match, the Red Stars squared off against Kansas City, battling to a 1-1 draw in Chicago. Chicago went down 1-0 in the 79th minute, but Chicago forward Katie Johnson was quick to find an equalizer just two minutes later. The Red Stars saw the return of their international players, including Alyssa Naeher, Tierna Davidson, and Julie Ertz, who are all expected to be available for Tuesday’s match.

The tie puts Chicago (0-1-2) in third place in the five-team Western Division, with two points and a negative one goal differential.

“I want us to come away with three points at home,” Benstiti said. “We will focus on our principles and be prepared to battle for the full 90 minutes. I know we can achieve this goal.”

Karen Bardsley Tied for Second in Saves

Goalkeeper Karen Bardsley earned a clean sheet in her NWSL debut against the Houston Dash in Tacoma on Friday, April 16, after OL Reign signed her on loan from Manchester City on February 22, 2021. Bardsley has been a key player for the Reign this Challenge Cup, playing every minute of both matches while making 10 saves in two games. Seven of those saves came in Reign’s most recent match against Portland, where Bardsley was tested throughout the match.

Bardsley was nominated for Challenge Cup 2021 Verizon Save of the Week last week, thanks to her diving save in the 50th minute of OL Reign’s match against Portland to deny forward Sophia Smith a goal.

Bardsley’s 10 saves in two matches brought her into a three-way tie for the second most saves in the 2021 NWSL Challenge cup. Portland goalkeeper Adrianna Franch and Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe also have 10 saves, and Orlando goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris sits in first place with 13 saves.

Update on 2021 Challenge Cup Standings

Both OL Reign and the Chicago Red Stars will be looking to earn their first victory of the 2021 Challenge Cup on Tuesday night.

With two games left to play, OL Reign is in fifth place in the five-team Western Division, with one point and a 0-1-1 record. In fourth place is Kansas City (0-1-1) with one point, followed by the Chicago Red Stars in third place with two points, and the Houston Dash (0-0-2) with two points in the second position. Portland Thorns FC have the top position in the table and a trip to the Challenge Cup championship match locked up, with 9 points and a perfect 3-0-0 record with one match remaining.

Over in the East, NJ/NY Gotham FC (2-0-0) leads the division (based on head-to-head finish and goal differential) with six points, followed by the North Carolina Courage (2-1-0), also with 6 points, Orlando Pride (1-1-1) with four points, Washington Spirit (1-2-0) with three points, and Racing Louisville (0-2-1) with one point.

MultiCare Injury Report

OUT

Sam Hiatt – Head

Kelcie Hedge – ACL

Ally Watt – ACL (SEI)

QUESTIONABLE

None

How to Attend

Tickets for the game are available by calling (866)99-REIGN or by visiting Ticketmaster.

How to Watch

Fans can watch on Paramount+ in the U.S. and on Twitch internationally.