Match Forecast: OL Reign Ready for Big Match Against the Spirit in Front of Record-Breaking Crowd
OL Reign is set to play their final regular season home match at Lumen Field against the Washington Spirit. In front a record-breaking crowd, the Reign will continue to push for a playoff spot while celebrating the iconic Megan Rapinoe.
WHEN AND WHERE: The Reign kickoffs at 5:00 p.m. PT at Lumen Field in Seattle, WA
WHERE TO WATCH: Fans can tune in to watch the match on CBS in the United States while fans abroad will be able to watch on NWSLSoccer.com. Tickets to the match are available HERE to catch the action in person.
2023 NWSL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): OL Reign: 8-8-4 (28 points, 6th place), Washington Spirit: 7-5-8 (29 points, 5th place)
Key Points Ahead of the Match:
1. LAST MEETING – The last time OL Reign and the Washington Spirit met was the first match of the regular season. In the match, OL Reign narrowly fell 1-0. The lone goal of the match was scored in the 54th minute by Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman. All-time, the teams have met a total of 29 times. The Reign have won 13 of the 29 meetings, in addition to earning seven draws and nine losses. They have scored 44 goals all-time – 11 more than the Spirit.
2. SCOUTING WASHINGTON – The Spirit’s most recent match was Saturday, September 30 against the Kansas City Current, where they came away with a 2-1 win. The Current took the lead early in the match on a Debinha penalty kick, but the Spirit made a second half comeback to salvage the game. The win for Washington snapped a seven-game winless streak in the regular season.
“They are very pragmatic,” said OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey. “I think they use their strengths that they have, and I just think that we often just try and play them straight up. I think with what's on the line tomorrow, we would be foolish to do that, so I think going into it knowing what strengths they have, knowing what strength we have and trying to utilize what we have and try and nullify theirs as much as we can.”
3. IMPORTANT – This match is very important to the Reign in more ways than one. First and foremost, the team is still fighting to clinch their spot in the NWSL playoffs. At this stage of the season, every game is must-win game and every point matters. The Reign will be looking to take all three points from the match in front of their home crowd.
This is also the team’s last regular season home match of 2023. The club is celebrating the illustrious career of legend Megan Rapinoe and the crowd will not only break club records, but league records as well.
“We have two very big games left and obviously we need points, and we need wins to make our playoff push and get ultimately where we want to go,” said OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe. “Obviously it's my last two regular games ever, but trying not to think about that too much just trying to focus on the game, feeling good and put a great performance out there.'
MultiCare Availability Report:
OUT
Alana Cook (suspension)
Sofia Huerta (leg)
Rose Lavelle (leg)
Nikki Stanton (suspension)
QUESTIONABLE
None