Match Forecast: OL Reign Takes on North Carolina in First Match After International Break

OL Reign and the North Carolina Courage are set to meet for the first time this season in OL Reign’s annual Pride Match, presented by Starbucks. Both teams are playing their first match back following the international break.

WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. PT on Friday, July 1 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington    

WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available on Paramount+. Tickets for the match are available here.

2022 REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): OL Reign: 3-2-4 (13 points, 5th place), North Carolina Courage  2-4-1 (7 points, 12th place)

Key Points Ahead of the Match:

1. LAST MEETING – OL Reign and North Carolina have not met in over a year. Their last meeting was in June 2021, in Cary, North Carolina. The Reign spent most of the first half absorbing pressure from the Courage and were successful for most of the half but conceded a goal just before halftime. After the halftime break, OL Reign shifted their efforts into the attacking half of the field and continued to build momentum with a series of smart substitutions. However, the Courage found a second goal in the 77th minute of the match, when Sam Mewis gained possession of the ball inside the box and found the back of the net.

Jess Fishlock cut North Carolina’s lead in half in the 86th minute, after working to dispossess a Courage player and chipping the goalkeeper. The Reign played with a sense of urgency looking for the equalizer, but ran out of time, ultimately falling 2-1 on the road.

2. SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA– Currently, the Courage are in 12th place in the NWSL standings. They most recently took on the Houston Dash and lost 4-3 dominant start to the match. The Courage are unbeaten on the road in three matches, while OL Reign are unbeaten at home throughout this season and have not  allowed a goal in their last four home matches, dating back to May 8, 2022.

3. MISSING INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS – Both teams are missing many international players for this match, so they will be relying on their depth to find success in this match.

For OL Reign, eight players are out on international duty with their countries – Angelina (BRA). Alana Cook (USA), Sofia Huerta (USA), Jordyn Huitema (CAN), Rose Lavelle (USA), Jimena Lopez (MEX), Quinn (CAN), and Megan Rapinoe (USA).

For North Carolina, Debinha (BRA), Casey Murphy (USA), Diana Ordoñez (MEX), and Havana Solaun (JAM) are out.

“I think it's an opportunity. We said this a lot in preseason that the Challenge Cup was an opportunity for people and I think this stage of the season is another opportunity for people and it probably comes at a really good time where it may have been tough for some players in the journey that they've currently been on, but this period can give them an extra bit of life and really prove how valuable they are to the team. So, for me, I'm glad that we have this period to be able to give other people opportunities because I do truly believe that it is an opportunity,” said OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey.

4. NEW FACES – While OL Reign will be without eight international players, there are several new faces joining the team for this match. Forward Tobin Heath and midfielder Kim Little, both signed earlier this season, are available for selection in tonight’s match.

“I think bringing in Tobin and Kim in this period, who have experience of what it takes to be successful in this league, can only help the other players to be able to do the bit that they need to do as well. I think that that mixture of the young players that we have and the older players that we have coming in, together, to push through these three games, I think it's going to be vital," added Harvey.

In addition to Heath and Little, OL Reign announced the signing of three Nation Team Replacement Players – defenders Ryanne Brown, Elli Reed, and Jodi Ulkeku.

MultiCare Availability Report:

OUT

None

QUESTIONABLE

None

INTERNATIONAL

Angelina (BRA)

Alana Cook (USA)

Sofia Huerta (USA)

Jordyn Huitema (CAN)

Rose Lavelle (USA)

Jimena Lopez (MEX)

Quinn (CAN)

Megan Rapinoe (USA)