Match Forecast: OL Reign Set to Wrap Up Road Trip Against Houston

OL Reign and the Houston Dash are set to meet in an important game this evening at 5:30 p.m. PT. A win in this match would clinch OL Reign’s spot in the 2022 NWSL playoffs.

WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, September 24 at PNC Stadium in Houston, Texas

WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available on Twitch.

2022 REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): OL Reign: 9-4-7 (34 points, 3rd place), Houston Dash: 9-5-6 (33 points, 4th place)

Key Points Ahead of the Match:

1. LAST MEETING – OL Reign and the Houston Dash last met at Lumen Field on August 7 this season. Prior to that match, the teams had not met in 2022. In the 16th minute of the match, OL Reign took the lead when 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. The Reign went into halftime up 1-0, but in the second half, a penalty kick and 55th minute goal lifted Houston to a win.

2. SCOUTING HOUSTON– Currently, the Dash are in 4th place in the NWSL standings, with 33 points – just one point behind OL Reign. The team most recently took on the Chicago Red Stars and earned a 1-0 win in the crucial match. The Dash have not played a game since Saturday, September 17, making them one of the few teams across the league that did not have a midweek match up. Unbeaten in their last five road games, OL Reign looks to make it six, while the Dash are currently on a five-game unbeaten streak at home.

3. CHANGES – The Dash have made some big changes since the two teams last met, most notably shifting to be a high pressing team. That, combined with the high stakes nature of this game, could make the match look a bit different than when the teams met in August.

“Yeah, I think that they've become a high-pressing team, which is probably the biggest change, which I think I wouldn't say took people by surprise, but I think it just changed the dynamic of what you thought you were coming up against when you play Houston and I expect nothing different tomorrow, honestly,” said OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey.

“I think they'll come after us, especially with the fact that they didn't have a midweek game and we did. But then that lends to the fact that in behind them that there's space. I think you've just got to work out how you find that space and it lends into that then from that high press, they've created chances, some of which were against us, to create chances on the other end of the field, so I think that's probably the biggest change with them, that they've become a bit more of a high-pressing team," Harvey said.

4. RUTHLESS MENTALITY – In addition to roster depth, one thing that sets OL Reign apart is the mentality of the team. After two huge results on the road, they are looking to get three points tonight and clinch their spot in the NWSL playoffs.

“We’re really excited, just to close out our weeklong road trip and hoping we can get a win. We're just going to go into it with a great mentality and a great fight, like we always do into every game and just do our best,” said OL Reign midfielder Olivia Van der Jagt.

“I think we obviously set ourselves up with the performances and results that we put in, in the last two games, where this game now has a lot of different potential outcomes to it. But I think for us, honestly, the biggest motivator is, we felt like when we played these guys at home, we had a three-minute bullet where we let them in the game and that was something that I've said a lot, that it was a big turning point for us, I think, in how we reviewed what happened in that game and just mentality-wise what we know we needed to change. That's honestly what sort of kick-started this run that we've been on. So yeah, I think we're just excited to one, get after the game tomorrow and two, for this crazy, long road trip to come to an end,” said Harvey.

MultiCare Availability Report:

OUT

Angelina (SEI - right knee) 

Tobin Heath (SEI - left knee)

Sinclaire Miramontez (SEI - right foot)

Jodi Ulkekul (SEI - right knee)

QUESTIONABLE

None

INTERNATIONAL

None