Match Recap: OL Reign Dealt First Loss of the Season by Spirit
OL Reign was dealt a loss at Cheney Stadium on Sunday afternoon, in a chippy match against the Washington Spirit in the club’s third match of the 2021 NWSL regular season. An OL Reign own goal in the 52nd minute decided the intense, end-to-end battle.
OL Reign started the match on the front foot, applying immediate pressure to the entire Washington team. The Spirit defended back-to-back OL Reign attacks, very rarely getting the opportunity to get forward and create an offensive play of their own. Rose Lavelle, who made her OL Reign debut, had a big presence in the midfield for OL Reign, connecting with her new teammates early on.
The best chance of the half for either team came in the 17th minute, when Lavelle gained possession of the ball and dribbled through several Washington Spirit players in the attacking half of the field and played a pass in to Tziarra King across the area. King collected the ball and found the back on the net, but was ruled offside, leaving the score level at 0-0. Neither team found a goal before halftime.
When the second half started, the momentum shifted, and Washington started on the attack. Lauren Barnes held down the backline for OL Reign, as they defended an onslaught of attacks from the Spirit. In the 52nd minute, Washington scored the lone goal of the match, taking advantage of a crowded OL Reign 18-yard box. In all the chaos, the ball last went off Megan Rapinoe and into the back of the net.
Down a goal, OL Reign increased the intensity of their pressure, in turn increasing the physicality of the game. In the 83rd minute of the match, OL Reign goalkeeper, Karen Bardsley, went down on a non-contact injury and had to be helped off the field. Bardsley was replaced by rookie Ella Dederick.
After 6 minutes of stoppage time the score line remained unchanged, leaving OL Reign with its first loss of the 2021 season.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Farid Benstiti made three changes to the starting lineup from the match against Portland, with Amber Brooks getting the start and sliding Madison Hammond from center back to outside back. Rose Lavelle got the start in midfield, while Tziarra King replaced Pruitt in the starting XI.
With the loss OL Reign moved to seventh in the NWSL standings, with one win, one draw, and one loss this season. They are tied on points (four points) with five other teams.
This is the first time that OL Reign has lost to the Washington Spirit since September 7, 2016.
Rose Lavelle started the match, making her OL Reign debut.
Ella Dederick subbed in for Karen Bardsley, making her professional soccer debut.