Match Recap: OL Reign Drops Three Points to North Carolina
OL Reign suffered its third consecutive loss, falling 2-1 to the Courage in the sweltering North Carolina 94-degree heat at Sahlen’s Stadium in Cary. This loss leaves OL Reign in eighth place in the ten-team NWSL.
OL Reign absorbed pressure from North Carolina early in the match, as the team adjusted to a new lineup that featured the regular season debuts of four players, including the centerback duo of Alana Cook and Sam Hiatt, goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi and midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsán. OL Reign held 56.5 percent of possession in the first half, but were unable to find the back of the net. Near the close of the first half, North Carolina opened the scoring on a cross from Merritt Mathias, which was finished by forward Jessica McDonald.
To start the second half, OL Reign adjusted to place more emphasis on the attack, including a series of subs that put Jess Fishlock and Quinn in the midfield and Leah Pruitt and Tziarra King up top. However, the Courage doubled their lead in the 77th minute when USWNT player Sam Mewis scored from inside the box.
Fishlock cut North Carolina’s lead in half in the 86th minute, after dispossessing a North Carolina player in and chipping the ball over the head of Courage keeper, Casey Murphy, from 35 yards. Five minutes of stoppage time were added to the clock, but OL Reign could not find an equalizer, conceding three points for the third game in a row.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Celia returns to the lineup after suffering an injury in the first match of the season
Sam Hiatt made her first appearance for OL Reign this regular season
Recent signings Sarah Bouhaddi, Dzsenifer Marozsán, and Alana Cook all made their first appearance since signing with the team
This is OL Reign’s first three-game losing streak since August 2013
Jess Fishlock came on the field as a sub for OL Reign for the first time in her career