Match Recap: OL Reign Fall 2-1 to Washington in Season Opener

OL Reign (0-1-0, 0 points) fell 2-1 to the Washington Spirit (1-0-0, 3 points) in their 2022 season opener. The two teams will battle again in just days, when they meet in the Challenge Cup semifinal on Wednesday.

From the first whistle, the game was end to end, both teams hungry to get on the board. Both sides opted to apply high pressure to the other, opening the opportunity for quick counterattacks. In the eighth minute of the half, Jess Fishlock played a great ball to Ally Watt, who took on Camryn Biegalski in Washington’s 18-yard box.

Biegalski challenged Watt, fouling her in the process and awarding OL Reign with a penalty kick. Rose Lavelle stepped up to take the penalty kick in the ninth minute. She put the shot low to her left, but Aubrey Kingsbury dove to make the save.

With momentum in their favor, Washington found success in the attack, using one-touch passing to quickly work into scoring position. The home side opened the scoring of the match in the 14th minute, when Ashely Sanchez nailed a shot from the top of the box into the back of the net.

The goal did nothing to slow the tempo of the game and both sides were back to pressing high. Phallon Tullis-Joyce came up big for OL Reign on multiple occasions, saving each shot Washington fired at her to see OL Reign through to halftime down 1-0.

After halftime, both teams returned to the field with same intensity as the first half. OL Reign was on the front foot, doing better to connect passes and play out of pressure. OL Reign’s first opportunity of the half came a few minutes, when the team put the ball into the back of the net, but it called back for offside.

OL Reign continued to threaten offensively and were the first to find the back of the net in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Balcer did well to win possession for the Reign and play Watt out wide. Watt got to the endline to play a cross into the box. Kingsbury made the initial save but could not hold onto the ball. Lavelle was already there waiting and tapped the ball into the back of the net to open OL Reign’s scoring in the 2022 season.

As the half went on, OL Reign was forced to defend repeated attacks from Washington, but the Spirit were able to break through the Reign once more before the end of the game, in the 66th minute. Trinity Rodman played a lofted cross into the box and Ashley Hatch got on the end, using her head to direct the ball into the net.

Through the final stretch of the match, OL Reign fought hard to find an equalizing goal, but fell just short, picking up their first loss of 2022.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

·       Rose Lavelle opened OL Reign’s 2022 regular season with her 53rd minute goal

·       Marley Canales made her NWSL debut when she subbed onto the field in the 87th minute

·       Tziarra King and Angelina both returned from injury, subbing onto the field in the 77th minute

UP NEXT: OL Reign play at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. once again on Wednesday, May 4, to take on the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup semifinal.

MATCH SUMMARY

2022 NWSL Regular Season

OL Reign (0-1-0, 0 points) 1-2 Washington Spirit (1-0-0, 3 points)

Date/Time: Sunday, May 1, 2022, 2:00 p.m. PT

Location: Audi Field, Washington, D.C.

Weather: 62, Clear

Scoring Summary

OL Reign 1 - 2 Washington Spirit

RGN: Lavelle – 53

WAS: Sanchez – 14, Hatch – 66  

Discipline

RGN: Stanton (Caution – 72’), Cook (Caution – 74’), Lopez (Caution – 86’)

WAS: Kingsbury (Caution – 90+2’)

Lineups

RGN: GK Tullis-Joyce, D López, D McClernon, D Cook, D Huerta, M Fishlock (Quinn 70’), M Stanton (Canales 87’), M Lavelle, F Latsko (King 77’) , F Watt (Athens 70’), F Balcer (Angelina 77’)

Unused substitutes: GK Ivory, D Barnes, D Miramontez, D Hiatt

Total Shots: 10 (Lavelle – 4)

Shots on Goal: 3 (Lavelle– 3)

Fouls: 6 (Six tied with – 1)

Offsides: 2

Corner Kicks: 3

Saves: 10 (Tullis-Joyce – 10)

WAS: GK Kingsbury, D Biegalski, D Staab, D Brooks (Sonnett 59’), D Goff (O’Hara72’), M Roddar (Bailey 59’), M Aylmer, M Heilferty (Feist 59’), F Sanchez, F Rodman, F Hatch (Harding 86’)

Unused substitutes: D Rodriguez, F Alexander, GK Kerr, GK Barnhart

Total Shots: 18 (Rodman, Sanchez– 6)

Shots on Goal: 12 (Rodman, Sanchez – 4)

Fouls: 8 (Feist – 2)

Offsides: 1

Corner Kicks: 6

Saves: 2 (Kingsbury – 2)

Budweiser Player of the Match: Phallon Tullis-Joyce

Referee: Alex Billeter

Assistant Referee 1: Tom Felice

Assistant Referee 2: Jeffrey Skinker

4th Official: Melinda Sopka