Match Recap: OL Reign Falls 2-1 to Houston

OL Reign (5-4-6, 21 points, 6th place) lost 2-1 to the Houston Dash (7-4-3, 3rd place) on a sweltering day in Seattle.

OL Reign started the game on the front foot, earning two shots in the first 15 minutes of the match, compared to Houston’s zero, before finding a goal in the 16th minute of the match. Midfielder Kim Little looped a ball into forward Megan Rapinoe at the top of the box. Rapinoe took one touch into the box before ripping a shot into the far corner of the goal to put OL Reign up 1-0.   

In the 31st minute of the match, defender Sofia Huerta nearly found a second for OL Reign when Rapinoe crossed a ball to Huerta at the top of the box, but her shot smashed into the post. Midfielder Jess Fishlock followed up with a shot, but it was kept out of the net by Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell. At the half, the Reign had a 1-0 lead.

After halftime, Houston found a goal back on a penalty kick, when OL Reign was whistled for a handball in the box. Houston forward Ebony Salmon stepped up to the spot and found the lower left corner of the net to tie the game up.

In the 55th minute, Houston scored a second goal, off the foot of Salmon again. Midfielder Shea Groom played a through ball behind the defense to allow Salmon to get in on goal. On the other end of the field, Fishlock went down in the box in the 57th minute, but play went on.

Through the rest of the second half, the Reign fought to find an equalizer, but did not find a breakthrough, dropping three points to the Dash to end their three-game week.

Key Facts:

·       With OL Reign’s only goal in the match, forward Megan Rapinoe notched her first goal of the 2022 season

·       Subbing in the 63rd minute, Nikki Stanton earned her 100th regular season NWSL appearance

UP NEXT: OL Reign’s next match is Sunday, August 14 at 12:00 p.m. PT against NJ/NY Gotham FC at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. Get tickets HERE.

MATCH SUMMARY

2022 NWSL Regular Season

OL Reign 1-2 Houston Dash

Date/Time: Sunday, August 7, 2022, 3:00 p.m. PT

Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

Weather: 82, Sunny

Scoring Summary

TEAM

RGN: Rapinoe – 16’

HOU: Salmon – 53’, 55’

Discipline

RGN: Huitema (Caution – 41’), Quinn (Caution – 52’), Barnes (Caution – 64’), Lopez (Caution – 86’)

HOU: Prisock (Caution – 19’), Chapman (Caution – 37’), Groom (Caution – 65’)

Lineups

RGN: GK Tullis-Joyce, D Huerta, D Cook, D Lopez (Latsko 89’), D Barnes, M Fishlock, M Quinn (Stanton 63’), M Little, M Van der Jagt (Watt 76’), F Huitema (Heath 63’), F Rapinoe

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

Total Shots: 10 (Rapinoe – 5)

Shots on Goal: 6 (Fishlock – 3)

Fouls: 11 (Huitema – 4)

Offsides: 7

Corner Kicks: 2

Saves: 1 (Tullis-Joyce 1)

HOU: GK Campbell, D Chapman, D Prisock, D Naughton, D Jacobs (Hanson 46’), D Sanchez (Gareis 80’) M Viggiano, M Schmidt, M Groom (Ogle 68’), F Salmon (Abam 80’), F Prince (Eddy 90+3’)

Unused substitutes: M Visalli, GK Harris, D Alozie, F Farquharson

Total Shots: 7 (Sanchez, Salmon – 2)

Shots on Goal: 3 (Salmon – 2)

Fouls: 11 (Groom – 3)

Offsides: 2

Corner Kicks: 4

Saves: 12 (Campbell – 5)

Budweiser Player of the Match: Megan Rapinoe

Referee: Danielle Chesky

Assistant Referee 1: Christian Clerc

Assistant Referee 2: CJ Koll

4th Official: Gloria Resendiz