Eugénie Le Sommer Named NWSL Player of the Week

The National Women’s Soccer League announced today that it has named OL Reign forward Eugénie Le Sommer as the league’s Budweiser Player of the Week for her performance against Orlando Pride on Sunday, September 26 at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma. Le Sommer scored two goals in OL Reign’s 3-0 win over Orlando to secure her second ever NWSL brace. 

Le Sommer’s quality was on full display Sunday evening. She led the team with two goals, six shots total and two shots on target, as well as five open play crosses. The forward connected 30 passes and gained possession for the team five times thanks to her aggressive pressure. 

In the 28th minute of the match, Le Sommer scored the second goal of the night for OL Reign, when she received a ball from fellow Olympique Lyonnais loanee Dzsenifer Marozsán well outside the 18-yard box. Le Sommer did not hesitate as she saw Orlando’s goalkeeper off her line and hit a beautiful shot into the back of the net. 

Le Sommer did not stop there. Just four minutes later, in the 32nd minute of the match, the French forward found yet another goal. This goal came from a top-tier passing sequence beginning with Kristen McNabb finding Jess Fishlock down the line. Fishlock played a ball back to Marozsán just outside the 18-yard box. Marozsán took just one touch to pick out Le Sommer’s run in the six-yard box and found her feet. Le Sommer took a quick touch before finding the lower right of the goal. 

The 32-year-old has had a huge impact on the second half of OL Reign’s season and is an integral part of the team’s success. She joined the team on loan from Olympique Lyonnais in June and has played in 13 matches since arriving in Tacoma. She started twelve of those matches, playing a total of 953 minutes. She has cemented her place in the OL Reign season leaders lists, with five goals and three assists this season. 

“I think that third goal is the best goal I’ve ever seen live, and that’s a big statement because I’ve seen some good goals from this team and through the years,” said OL Reign Head Coach Laura Harvey. 

This is Le Sommer’s second time receiving this award. She previously won in Week 11 of this season for her performance against Racing Louisville, where she scored her first NWSL goal and earned her first NWSL brace.