International Recap: OL Reign Players Come Up Big Over International Break
Over the June FIFA international match window, OL Reign had eight players called up to their national teams, including Nicole Momiki, Megan Rapinoe, Rose Lavelle, Alana Cook, Quinn, Angelina, Jess Fishlock, and Shirley Cruz. They played in a total of 11 matches from June 9 to June 16, coming away with eight wins, one loss, and two draws collectively.
OL Reign forward Nicole Momiki appeared in both of Japan’s matches. In the first match, Japan took on Ukraine and came away with an 8-0 win. Momiki entered the match as a substitute in the 60th minute. After a strong half an hour of play, Momiki scored Japan’s eighth and final goal of the match with a powerful shot from the six-yard box.
In Japan’s next match against Mexico, Japan won 5-1 and Momiki earned a spot in the starting XI. She got on the score sheet again, this time in the 53rd minute before subbing out in the 58th minute.
In the USWNT’s first match of the Summer Series, Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle both made the start in their 1-0 win against Portugal. Rapinoe was subbed out in the 73rd minute and Lavelle played the entire match. In its second match, the United States won 4-0 against Jamaica. Rose Lavelle made the start but had to be subbed out in the 33rd minute of the match due to an ankle injury. USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski subsequently stated that Lavelle rolled her ankle slightly and decided to come out as a precaution. Megan Rapinoe and Alana Cook did not appear in the match. In its final match of the Summer Series, the U.S. took on Nigeria and came away with a 2-0 win. Megan Rapinoe started the match and was subbed out in the 88th minute.
After missing Canada’s first match against Czech Republic, Quinn started in Canada’s second match of the international break against Brazil. They played 60 minutes before being subbed off in the second half. Both of Canada’s matches ended in 0-0 draws.
Angelina was on the bench for Brazil in both games over the international break, but did not feature in either match. Brazil beat Russia 3-0 in its first match and tied 0-0 with Canada in its second match. This was Angelina’s first call up to the senior national team for Brazil.
Jess Fishlock was called up to play in Wales’ match against Scotland, the only game for Wales over the June FIFA window. Fishlock started the match and played all 90 minutes. Ultimately, Wales fell to Scotland 1-0 in a hard-fought match.
Shirley Cruz and Costa Rica faced off against Guatemala twice, coming away with a 3-1 win in the first match and 4-1 win in the second. In the first match, Cruz subbed on in the 56th minute of the match, making an impact in the midfield until the final whistle. In the second match, Cruz started and scored the first goal for Costa Rica, in the 15th minute. She was subbed out in 60th minute after a standout performance.
OL Reign is back to NWSL play this Saturday, June 19, when the team travels to North Carolina to face off against the Courage at 1:00 p.m. PT. The game will be featured on CBS in the U.S. and internationally on Twitch.