Match Forecast: OL Reign Returns to Regular Season Action Against Kansas City

OL Reign is set to take on the Kansas City Current for the second time this season. This away match is OL Reign’s return to regular season play after a stretch of 2023 UKG Challenge cup matches. Undefeated after returning from the break, the Reign looks to continue their streak against the Current.

WHEN AND WHERE: The Reign kickoff at 5:00 p.m. PT at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

WHERE TO WATCH: Fans can tune in on Paramount+ or join the watch party at Rough & Tumble Pub in Ballard.

2023 NWSL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): OL Reign: 7-5-3 (24 points, 4th place), Kansas City Current: 5-10-0 (15 points, 12th place)

Key Points Ahead of the Match:

1. LAST MEETING – The last time OL Reign and the Kansas City Current met was June 10 at Lumen Field. The match got off to a tense start with early injuries and yellow cards. Despite this, the Reign continued to press the Current and were rewarded for their persistence with a penalty kick on a handball in the 34th minute. With forward Megan Rapinoe out, defender Sofia Huerta stepped up to the spot to take the kick and confidently buried it in the back of the net to give OL Reign the lead.

In the second half, Huerta added an assist, as she looped a ball into the box for forward Jordyn Huitema. Huitema used her head to beat KC’s goalkeeper and double OL Reign’s lead in the 68th minute of the match. However, in stoppage time, KC was able to pull one goal back. At the final whistle, OL Reign took all three points, earning their fifth win all-time against the Current.

In the all-time head-to-head series between OL Reign and the Kansas City Current, the teams have never tied. In addition to their five wins, OL Reign has three losses against the Current. The Reign have outscored the Current ten to six and earned three clean sheets.

2. SCOUTING KANSAS CITY – Most recently, Kansas City shut out Racing Louisville in a UKG NWSL Challenge Cup match. The Current took the lead just three minutes into the match thanks to forward Kristen Hamilton and held that lead until the 81st minute. Hamilton doubled the Current’s lead late and defender Hailie Mace added one more goal in stoppage time to bring the score to 3-0 in favor of Kansas City.

Kansas City is on a run of successful matches at their home field, scoring six times in two Challenge Cup games. The team downed both Racing Louisville FC and the Houston Dash by scoring three goals and only conceding one across both games. However, in regular season play, the team sits in 12th place in the NWSL standings with five total wins, just three of which were in front of a home crowd.

"Their biggest threat is in transition, in my opinion, and we have to be prepared for that. I think in all of their games that they've played recently, too, they've been really, really dominant at it, doesn't mean that they can't hurt you in other ways, but I think that's definitely their biggest strength going forward is their ability for them to transition on you when you give the ball away,” said OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey.

3. BACK IN ACTION – Between a break in play, bye week and Challenge Cup play, the Reign have not played a regular season match since July 7, so the team is prepared to get back to it today. For Harvey, the team looks at Challenge Cup and regular season as very different.

“We achieved what we wanted to achieve out of that, which is great. I think it has been helpful for us to utilize the depth of our squad, but now we're back to business and the regular season is a big - obviously, the most important thing to us is getting to the place we want to be, which is the playoffs and that's the next target - can we qualify and get into the playoffs and then if we can do that, then we look beyond that. But until that time comes, it's every game as it comes and Kansas away is a really tough place for us to come, so we're just fully focused on getting points,” said Harvey.

As the team returns to regular season play, OL Reign’s international players are beginning to return to the team. For forward Elyse Bennett, it’s nice to have those players and bring the full team back together as the team returns to regular season play.

“I think it's been fun for us to get some of the girls back and obviously we're still missing others, but I think it's always great to get the whole team back together and keep the competitiveness high,” said Bennett. “I think that training has been great while they're away, which is what we aim to do when we lost them. But now it's just kind of getting everybody back together, getting our feet and getting ready for these last seven games in the regular season."

“The team is doing good. We've had some good time to train, refresh a little bit, obviously in preparation for this game and this sort of sets up the back end of the season run, really, going towards the end. [Forward Jordyn Huitema and midfielder Quinn] Canadians are back, (Brazilian midfielder) Angelina is back, the U.S. players aren't back, it's just too early for them. I think the fact that the game is on a Friday, the fact that the game is away, it was just, probably, a day too early. So, they're all back in market but not quite ready to play in a game,” said Harvey.

MultiCare Availability Report:

OUT

Jess Fishlock (leg)

QUESTIONABLE

None

INTERNATIONAL

None