Match Forecast: OL Reign Back at Cheney Against Orlando

OL Reign are set to play at Cheney Stadium for the first time since August 21 to take on the Orlando Pride. This is the second time that the two teams are meeting this season. After a game at Lumen Field, long spell on the road and an international break, the Reign are finally returning to Tacoma. 

WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 4:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, September 26 at Cheney Field in Tacoma, WA 

WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available on Twitch. Get tickets to attend in person here. 

2021 RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): OL Reign: 10-7-2 (32 points, second place), Orlando Pride: 7-5-7 (28 points, fourth place) 

Key Points Ahead of the Match: 

1. LAST MEETING – The last time that OL Reign and the Orlando Pride met was July 24, 2021, at Exploria Stadium in Orlando. The match was the first match to feature two interim head coaches and was the first time the Reign secured a victory at Exploria.  

The game ended in a 2-0 win for the Reign, beginning with a goal from Jess Fishlock. Tziarra King fed a through ball to Fishlock at the top of the 18-yard box. Fishlock pulled off a world class turn and put the ball in the back of the net in the 10th minute. Just minutes before halftime, it looked like Orlando had found an equalizer, but Sydney Leroux was flagged offside.  

After halftime, OL Reign came out with energy again and found a second goal in the 51st minute.  Eugénie Le Sommer played a back-heeled pass to King, who was just outside the box. King took a couple of touches before shooting the ball past Orlando’s goalkeeper, Ashlyn Harris.  

After losing the first meeting between the clubs in May 2016, OL Reign is unbeaten in its last 10 games against Orlando, with three wins and seven draws. 

“No matter who you get in the lineup, we’re going to bring the heat. I think that’s one of the coolest things about our team, is the depth that we have. As we keep going, you never know who is going to be out there, but you know that they are going to being their A-game,” said OL Reign forward Tziarra King. 

 
2. SCOUTING ORLANDO – The Orlando Pride are currently in fourth place in the NWSL standings with 28 points and a 7-5-7 record. Most recently, The Pride played on September 11 in Orlando against Racing Louisville. Orlando came away with a 3-1 win at their home field, with goals from Sydney Leroux, Marta and Alex Morgan. It is the first time that the trio has scored in the same game for Orlando, having first become teammates in 2018. 

Orlando scored the first goal of the match in the 30th minute, when Sydney Leroux dribbled inside the 18-yard box and cut the ball back to take a right footed shot. Just four minutes later, the Pride doubled their lead. Leroux tried to make a pass, but the was deflected. The deflection found Marta in front of goal, who capitalized on the opportunity.  

After half time, Louisville scored first. Yuki Nagasato found Cece Kizer open in the box and Kizer pulled off a fast shot to get the visiting side on the board. However, Orlando found a third goal in the 65th minute, this time from Alex Morgan. Leroux played Morgan, who found the corner of the goal for the final goal of the match.  

 
3. BACK TO BUSINESS – OL Reign have not played a match since September 4th when the team had to use their depth and determination to earn a draw on the road against Louisville. Following that match, the team expected to play their third consecutive game on the road on September 12 against the Washington Spirit, but the Spirit forfeited and OL Reign was awarded a 3-0 win. There was then a weeklong break in the NWSL to accommodate for the September FIFA international match window. Six OL Reign players – Angelina, Shirley Cruz, Jess Fishlock, Rose Lavelle, Jimena López, and Dzsenifer Marozsán – were called up to play with their respective national teams during the break. 

However, prior to the extended break, OL Reign were on the roll, winning seven of their last nine games. The Reign have also won five straight home regular season matches for the first time since a six-game home win streak in 2015. 

“We actually played a 60-minute game when we knew that the Washington game was off, so we didn’t miss anything there. The days off were already planned in, we just got an extra day. We have come back this week, and everyone looks fresh and ready to go. The biggest thing is we want to carry on with the momentum we set forth before the break,” said Head Coach Laura Harvey. 

4. MEETING BETWEEN LEAGUE LEADERS – Orlando has scored a league-high 21 goals from open play in the 2021 regular season, which is four more than any other NWSL team. OL Reign and Orlando are tied for second place in goal scoring in the league with total 24 goals scored this season. 

The Pride’s Sydney Leroux leads all NWSL players for open play goals this season with eight. Tied for most total goals this season with Leroux, is OL Reign’s own Bethany Balcer. Balcer leads the league in goals per 90 minutes with an average of 0.79 (minimum 750 mins played). The young forward has scored in consecutive games and is looking to score in three straight games for the first time in her career. 

Other notable league leaders from the teams are Jess Fishlock and Ashlyn Harris. Fishlock is tied for second place in assists, with four on the season. Orlando goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris is third place in the league for saves made with 56 saves. 

MultiCare Injury Report: 

OUT 

Rosie White - Illness 

Megan Rapinoe – Right Thigh

Kelcie Hedge - Excused Absence

Amber Brooks - COVID Protocol

Machaela George - COVID Protocol

QUESTIONABLE 

None