Match Forecast: OL Reign Prepared for Historic Doubleheader Against Portland
OL Reign are set to play their fiercest rival, Portland Thorns FC, this Sunday, in a unique doubleheader experience at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. The Reign and Thorns will battle first at 4:00 p.m., followed by a match between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers.
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 4:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, August 29 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available on Paramount+ or get tickets here.
2021 RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): OL Reign: 7-7-1 (22 points, fourth place), Portland Thorns FC: 10-3-2 (32 points, first place)
Key Points Ahead of the Match:
1. LAST MEETING – The last time that OL Reign and the Portland Thorns met was back in May of this year. It was the Reign’s second game of the season, their first on the road. OL Reign initially went down a goal at Providence Park in Portland but scored two of their own to comeback and win the game.
All three goals were scored in the first 15 minutes of the match. Portland struck first in the fourth minute of the match when Christine Sinclair lofted a ball into the net over the head of OL Reign goalkeeper Karen Bardsley who was off her line. The Reign responded in the ninth minute thanks to a Megan Rapinoe shot on a perfectly placed freekick from outside the box. Shirley Cruz scored the game winning goal in the 15th minute of the match when she beat Portland’s defense to a ball and hit a shot low and hard to the near post. Portland had 60% of possession throughout the match and took nearly double the number of shots of OL Reign, but the Reign held on to the victory.
OL Reign have won four consecutive home matches with its most recent win being a 3-2 comeback victory over Gotham FC. OL Reign is looking to win five straight home matches for the second time in club history, joining a six-game home winning streak in 2015.
2. SCOUTING PORTLAND – The Portland Thorns are currently in first place in the NWSL standings with 32 points and a 10-3-2 record. Portland has looked strong this season and won the 2021 Challenge Cup before the season started and won the WICC tournament last weekend. Most recently in NWSL action, Portland played NY/NY Gotham FC at Providence Park in Portland.
The Thorns took control early, and the club’s attack outshot Gotham FC, 15-1 in the first half. Opting to press high, Portland found the back of the net in the 28th minute when Sophia Smith took the ball from a Gotham defender and nailed a shot to the right post. Before the first half was over, Portland found a second goal, when Smith was taken down in the box and the home team was awarded a penalty kick. Christine Sinclair stepped up to the spot and converted the kick, putting Portland up 2-0.
NJ/NY Gotham FC found one goal back in the second half. Carli Lloyd got her head on the ball in the box and beat Portland’s goalkeeper in the 78th minute. Though Gotham adjusted in the second half, it was not enough to come away with a point and Portland picked up their 10th win of the season.
3. FOCUSING ON THE LITTLE THINGS – In OL Reign’s game against NJ/NY Gotham FC last weekend, they key to winning the match the was the team’s response going into the second half. The first half performance from the team was not horrible and the team had a lot to build on. Most importantly, focusing on the details that cleaned up their play. One of the focuses in the match against Portland will be quality play in both 18-yard boxes. Defensively, keeping things tight and not allowing Portland any good chances in the box. Offensively, getting forward to take every chance given in the box and punish Portland’s mistakes in and around that area.
“In the second half of the game against Gotham, we did really well. We won the second balls, and our mentality was that we weren’t going to be beaten. We were really good in our box and in their box and we started to win our individual battles in the second half, which was a big turning point in the game,” said head coach Laura Harvey.
4. UNPRECEDENTED OCCASION – This weekend is a very special occasion for the PNW soccer community, with OL Reign and Sounders FC both set to face off against their Portland rivals on Sunday. The two teams have partnered to put on an exclusive doubleheader at Lumen field in Seattle, featuring a blockbuster day of soccer with OL Reign taking on the Portland Thorns at 4:00 p.m. PT followed by Sounders FC battling the Portland Timbers at 7:30 p.m. PT.
This exclusive event offers soccer fans in the Puget Sound the unique opportunity to see both their women’s and men’s professional teams play at the same venue on the same day against their biggest rivals. OL Reign and Portland Thorns FC will also honor their eight Olympians, who are all back for the match.
“We’re definitely going to set the tone for the boys. Jess and I have been here for nine years, and we’ve supported the boys for a long time, we’re just happy to come together and bring communities together to be able to do this,” said Lauren Barnes.
“I hope that moving forward that this event is so successful, that it’s not just once a year, but it’s a regular thing,” added Jess Fishlock. “We have two great teams here, two successful teams. It actually makes a lot of sense to do this as much as you can.”
MultiCare Injury Report:
OUT
Ally Watt – Right Knee
Rosie White - Illness
QUESTIONABLE
None