Match Recap: OL Reign Earns 1-1 Draw in Louisville

OL Reign (5-3-6, 21 points, 4th place) battled to a 1-1 draw against Racing Louisville FC (2-6-6, 12 points, 9th place) in their second game in four days.

OL Reign stepped onto the field and immediately dominated Racing Louisville, with midfielder Rose Lavelle and forward Jordyn Huitema finding shots less than 20 seconds into the match. It didn’t take much longer for the Reign to open the scoring in the match.

Forward Megan Rapinoe, back in the starting lineup after international duty and suspension, lofted a corner kick into the box, where midfielder Jess Fishlock was waiting at the top of the six-yard box to direct the ball on target and give her team the early lead on the road before Racing Louisville had the opportunity to take a competitive touch on the ball.

For the next 15 minutes, OL Reign continued to control the match, rarely giving up possession of the ball. From the 13th to 29th minute, OL Reign found ten shots, but as the game went on, Louisville got into the game a bit more and upped the physicality of the match.

In stoppage time of the first half, Louisville pulled a goal back, after forward Kirsten Davis gained possession of the ball and dribbled into OL Reign’s half until she was able to get a shot off. The teams went into the locker room tied 1-1.

OL Reign looked solid at the start of the second half and nearly found the go-ahead goal in the 49th minute, when defender Sofia Huerta and Fishlock both found shots on goal, but Racing goalkeeper Katie Lund made both saves to keep the game level.

The Reign had a scary moment before the end of the match, when Racing forward Jess McDonald found a breakaway in the 89th minute, but OL Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce did enough to cut McDonald’s shooting angle and pressure the ensuing shot from forward Rebecca Holloway off target.

Despite OL Reign controlling the majority of the match with nearly 61% of possession and 25 shots, the game ended 1-1 and the teams split the points.

Key Facts:

·       With OL Reign’s only goal in the match, midfielder Jess Fishlock scored the team’s fastest goal of the season, at 1:29.

UP NEXT: OL Reign’s next match is Sunday, August 7 at 3:00 p.m. PT back home at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. Get tickets HERE.

MATCH SUMMARY

2022 NWSL Regular Season

OL Reign 1-1 Racing Louisville FC

Date/Time: Tuesday, August 2, 2022, 3:00 p.m. PT

Location: Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, KY

Weather: 80, Sunny

Scoring Summary

RGN: Fishlock – 2’,

LOU: Davis – 45+1’

Discipline

RGN: Huitema (Caution – 55’), Heath (Caution – 90+2’)

LOU: Fox (Caution – 36’), Davis (Caution – 61’)

Lineups

RGN: GK Tullis-Joyce, D Barnes, D Hiatt, D Cook, D Huerta, M Fishlock, M Quinn (Van der Jagt 76’), M Little, M Lavelle (Latsko 90’), F Huitema (Watt 76’), F Rapinoe (Heath 76’)

Unused substitutes: GK Dickey, D McClernon, D Miramontez, F King, M Stanton,

Total Shots: 25 (Huitema – 7)

Shots on Goal: 11 (Fishlock, Huitema – 3)

Fouls: 11 (Fishlock, Huitema – 3)

Offsides: 1

Corner Kicks: 9

Saves: 0

LOU: GK Lund, D Bonner, D Fox (Nadim 46’), D Murray, D Lester, M Chidiac (Ekic 66’), M DeMelo, D Howell (Olofsson 66’), F Davis (Holloway 84’), F Milliet (Wyne 79’), F McDonald

Unused substitutes: GK Bloomer, D Martin, F Goins, M Malham

Total Shots: 6 (Davis – 2)

Shots on Goal: 1 (Davis – 1)

Fouls: 16 (Howell – 5)

Offsides: 2

Corner Kicks: 2

Saves: 12 (Lund – 8)

Budweiser Player of the Match: Jess Fishlock

Referee: Laura Rodriguez

Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Rodman

Assistant Referee 2: Sarah Gaddes

4th Official: Benjamin Meyer

Photo: Connor Cunningham