Match Recap: OL Reign Dominates Chicago in 5-2 Win

OL Reign (3-1-0, 9 points, 1st place) scored five goals in an action-packed match against the Chicago Red Stars (1-3-0, 3 points, 10th place) at Lumen Field. Wrapping up a congested week, OL Reign’s depth and tenacity was on full display with their dominant performance against Chicago.

The match started with Chicago applying pressure to the Reign, using their fresh legs to move the ball around the field. As the first minutes past, OL Reign stepped into the match rattling off their first shot in the 13th minute. From there, the Reign were building a steady attack, which culminated in the 15th minute of the match, when the Reign broke the deadlock.

Forward Veronica Latsko got into the box and cut a ball back to the second six, where forward Jordyn Huitema used a clever dummy, acting as if she was going to play the ball, before forward Bethany Balcer on the end of it, playing low into the back of the net.

Immediately after taking the lead, OL Reign’s defense stepped up and goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce made a great 17th minute save to keep the Reign ahead. Before long, Balcer bagged herself a brace, scoring a second and doubling OL Reign’s lead in the 20th minute.

This time, the assist came from the foot of OL Reign original, captain and defender Lu Barnes. Barnes looped a cross into the box and Balcer was in the perfect place to beat her defender and head the ball into the back of the net.

Chicago wasn’t completely out of the match, earning a goal back in the 32nd minute, from the foot of midfielder Arin Wright, who found the upper corner of the net from the middle of the 18-yard box.

In stoppage time of the first half, OL Reign scored a third goal to up their lead before the end of the half. After a series of blocks in the 18-yard box, defender Emily Sonnett fed a ball to midfielder Jess Fishlock, who slipped the ball into the back of the net.

After ending the second half up two goals on Chicago, OL Reign had a shaky start to the second half, conceding a goal almost immediately, when forward Ally Schlegel fought to win the ball in OL Reign’s 18-yard box and found the back of the net herself.

Dissatisfied with allowing the goal, OL Reign immediately fought back adding a fourth and fifth goal before the end of the match. The fourth goal was scored in the 73rd minute. Forward Megan Rapinoe stepped up to take a free kick, whipping the ball into the box and hitting a Chicago player on the way to the back of the net.

The final goal of the match was scored in the 76th minute, from the foot of Fishlock, who joined Balcer with a brace. After getting to the outside edge of the 18-yard box, Balcer played a cross into the box and found Fishlock near the penalty area. Fishlock did not hesitate as she one touched the ball into the back of the net, sealing the 5-2 win for the Reign.

With this win, the Reign ended the busy, three-game week with a perfect record, taking all nine points that were up for grabs.

Key Facts:

·       BRACE FOR IMPACT: For the first time in club history, OL Reign had two players record a brace in the same game – forward Bethany Balcer and midfielder Jess Fishlock.

·       GOALS GALORE: OL Reign recorded five goals for the first time since August 7, 2021, against the Houston Dash. The last time the Reign recorded eight goals in its first four games of the season was in 2017.

·       NOT IN OUR HOUSE: Since OL Reign made Lumen Field its official home at the start of the 2022 regular season, the Reign have only lost one regular season game, going unbeaten in 12 of the 13 regular season games played.

·       STARTING STRONG: OL Reign earned its third consecutive win of 2023, totaling nine points in the team’s first four games of the season. The last time OL Reign started with at least nine points or more in the first four games of the season was in 2014 when the club won the NWSL Shield and appeared in the NWSL Championship.

·       THE OGs: With tonight’s assist from defender Lauren Barnes, all three Reign originals (Barnes, midfielder Jess Fishlock and forward Megan Rapinoe) have each recorded at least one goal and one assist against the Chicago Red Stars all-time, making the Red Stars the first team the OGs have achieved this against.

·       Additionally, the last time two OGs scored in the same regular season game was exactly six years ago, April 22, 2017 when the Reign defeated the Houston Dash, 5-1.

·       LAUREN BARNES: Defender Lauren Barnes assisted forward Bethany Balcer’s second goal of the game in the 20th minute. The assist is the defender’s first assist since the 2016 season, the same year she was named NWSL Defensive Player of the Year.

·       BETHANY BALCER: Forward Bethany Balcer scored the first two goals of the match in the 15th minute and the 20th minute, bringing her season total to three goals.

·       Balcer now has 25 goals all-time, which is tied for the second most in the league since she first entered the NWSL in 2019. Additionally, Balcer ranks second in the league in goals scored in 2023. Today’s brace marks the forward’s third of her career in the NWSL regular season.

·       Balcer recorded her first headed goal of 2023 and 10th all-time, which is tied for second in the league in headed goals since 2016. Since entering the league in 2019, no player has more headed goals.

·       JESS FISHLOCK: Midfielder Jess Fishlock scored the team’s third and fifth goal of the match, her second and third of the season.

·       Fishlock now has 41 goals all-time, making her the 10th player in league history to record 40+ goals in the regular season. Additionally, the midfielder becomes the fourth player to score all 40+ goals with the same club.

·       MEGAN RAPINOE: Forward Megan Rapinoe scored the team’s fourth goal of the match, her first of the season.

·       Rapinoe now has 48 goals all-time, making her have the sixth-most goals in league history.

·       EMILY SONNETT: Defender Emily Sonnett assisted midfielder Jess Fishlock for the team’s third goal of the game. The last time Sonnett recorded an assist was in 2018 with Portland Thorns FC.

·       SERIES: The win brings the all-time series to 10-10-8 between the Reign and the Chicago Red Stars.

UP NEXT: OL Reign is on the road again, this time against Racing Louisville FC on Saturday, April 29. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and the game will be available to stream on Paramount+ and TSN+ with a local watch party at Rough & Tumble Pub in Ballard.

MATCH SUMMARY

2023 NWSL Regular Season

OL Reign 5-2 Chicago Red Stars

Date/Time: Saturday, April 22, 12:30 p.m. PT

Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

Weather: 54, Partly-Sunny

Scoring Summary

RGN: Balcer – 15’, 20’, Fishlock – 45+5’, 76’, Rapinoe – 73’

CHI: Wright – 32’, Schlegel – 46’

Discipline

RGN: Rapinoe (Caution – 21’)

CHI: Bike (Caution – 85’), Milazzo (Caution – 90+2’)

Lineups

RGN: GK Tullis-Joyce, D Huerta (Canales 89’), D Cook, D Hiatt, D Barnes ©, M Sonnett, M Fishlock, F Balcer (Bennett 78’), F Latsko (Stanton 67’), F Huitema (Brown 89’), F King (Rapinoe 46’)

Unused substitutes: GK Dickey, M Athens, D Malonson, D Holmes

Total Shots: 15 (Fishlock – 4)

Shots on Goal: 5 (Balcer, Fishlock – 2)

Fouls: 10 (Four tied with– 2)

Offsides: 1

Corner Kicks: 2

Saves: 3 (Tullis-Joyce – 3)

CHI: GK Naeher, D Kreuger, D Davison, D Milazzo, M Rocarro, M Nagasato (Bianchi 82’), M St. Georges (Bike 82’), M Wright (Aguilera 83’), F Stevens (Cook 60’), F Hocking, F Matthews (Schlegel 30’)

Unused substitutes: GK Boyd, F Griffith, M Feller, M Fisher

Total Shots: 10 (Hocking, Wright – 2)

Shots on Goal: 5 (Five tied with – 1)

Fouls: 8 (Hocking – 2)

Offsides: 0

Corner Kicks: 4

Saves: 0

Player of the Match: Bethany Balcer

Referee: JC Griggs

Assistant Referee 1: Melissa Beck

Assistant Referee 2: Christian Clerc

4th Official: Adorae Monroy

Var: Daniel Radford

Avar: Emma Richards