Around OL: Lyon Take Second Place in WICC

Olympique Lyonnais took second place in the WICC tournament after beating FC Barcelona in their first match, but narrowly falling to the Portland Thorns in the championship match. In an action-packed game, a late goal from Morgan Weaver made all the difference at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. 

The match was physical and fast from the start and the tempo only increased as the game went on. OL’s Melvine Malard picked up the first yellow card of the match just 12 minutes in. Lyon outshot Portland 10 to three in the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net. 

Possession was nearly equal, but Lyon did well to minimize Portland’s offensive threat and earn eight offside calls. Through the half was wildly entertaining, the teams went into halftime scoreless.  

The two teams fought hard for control of the match in the second half. Portland matched Lyon’s 10 shots with three of those shots on the goal this half, leveling the playing field. The Thorns ramped up the pressure and attempted to pin Lyon in their own half. While Lyon found ways to break through the pressure at times, Portland continued to press on. 

In the final minutes of the match, Portland found the game winning goal. Weaver was played in behind by Christen Westphal and put the ball in the net from a very difficult in the 87th minute to secure the WICC title for the Portland Thorns. 

Lyon will return to France in preparation for their first league game of the season in the D1 Arkema. They are set to take on Stade de Reims on Friday, August 27 at 9:30 a.m. PT.