Match Recap: OL Reign Rose to the Occasion on the Road Against the Thorns

OL Reign (2-0-1) rose to the occasion against Cascadia rival Portland Thorns FC (2-1-1) on the road at Providence Park. This was a massive win for the Reign, who are now the only undefeated team in the West Division of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. OL Reign and Portland are level on points at the top of the group, but OL Reign has a game in hand.

OL Reign had a brilliant start to the match, connecting passes through Portland’s defense immediately. Though the team mounted offensive pressure for the opening 25 minutes of the match, the final touch was not there, and many crosses ended up in the hands of Thorns goalkeeper Abby Smith.

As rivalry matches typically go, intensity was building as the game progressed. Portland looked dangerous on the counterattack, but OL Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, along with her backline, featuring Jimena López, Sam Hiatt, Alana Cook and Sofia Huerta, were solid against Portland’s quick forwards. López, who earned her first start with the Reign, had a standout match.

OL Reign continued to press forward, displaying excellent patience to change the point of attack and get numbers forward. The entire team worked on defense as well, with midfielders Angelina and Jess Fishlock making important recovery runs toward the end of the half to preserve OL Reign’s shutout.

Despite good chances from both ends and several close calls, the rivals were deadlocked at the halftime whistle.

The second half started out tense for the Reign, as Portland came out with newfound aggression in the attack. OL Reign did well to absorb the pressure and wait for their chance to take the lead. As the half went on, the Reign became more comfortable, making themselves a thorn in Portland’s side as they created offensive opportunities.

The breakthrough goal in the Rose City came in the 74th minute, from none other than Rose Lavelle. OL Reign connected as a team to break Portland’s deep-sitting backline. Bethany Balcer, who came on as a sub, played to Fishlock. Fishlock hit a one-touch pass to Lavelle, who slotted the ball into the back of Portland’s net.

After the goal was scored, the derby match became even more chaotic as Portland searched for an equalizer and OL Reign fought to hold onto the lead. OL Reign dug deep until the final whistle and picked up an incredibly important three points in their third match of the NWSL Challenge Cup.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

·       With this win, OL Reign are tied on points for first in the West Division of the 2022 Challenge Cup with a game in hand

·       The Reign are now unbeaten in six straight road games (across all competitions). This is the team’s first time doing this since doing so over an eight-game span in 2014

·       OL Reign is the first team to beat Portland at Providence Park in the Challenge Cup, across all iterations of the competition

·       OL Reign broke Portland’s eight match unbeaten streak in the Challenge Cup

·       This is Rose Lavelle’s first goal in a Cascadia rivalry match

·       Phallon Tullis-Joyce earned her first shutout of the 2022 campaign

UP NEXT: OL Reign will take on San Diego Wave FC on Thursday, April 14 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Lumen Field as they continue to battle for dominance in the West Division of the 2022 Challenge Cup. Tickets are available now.

MATCH SUMMARY

2022 NWSL Challenge Cup

OL Reign (2-0-1, 7 points) 1-0 Portland Thorns FC (2-1-1, 7 points)

Date/Time: Saturday, April 2, 2022, 7:00 p.m. PT

Location: Providence Park in Portland, Oregon  

Weather: 54, mostly cloudy

Scoring Summary

OL Reign 1 -0 Portland Thorns

RGN: Lavelle – 74’,

POR: None

Discipline

RGN: López (Caution – 80’)

POR: None

Lineups

RGN: GK Tullis-Joyce, D Huerta, D Cook, D Hiatt, D López, M Quinn, M Fishlock ©, M Lavelle (McClernon 92’), M Angelina (Miramontez 92’), F Watt (Balcer 65’), F Latsko (Stanton 81’)

Unused substitutes: GK Ivory, M Athens, F Kajan, M Van der Jagt, F King

Total Shots: 10 (Fishlock – 3)

Shots on Goal: 4 (Four tied with – 1)

Fouls: 11 (Watt – 4)

Offsides: 0

Corner Kicks: 7

Saves: 2 (Tullis-Joyce – 2)

POR: GK A. Smith, D Hubly, D Menges, D Nally, M Kuikka (Klingenberg 81’), M Coffey, M Pogarch (Beckman 46’), M Rodriguez (Moultrie 58’), M Sugita (Everett 81’), F, F Sinclair © (Weaver 59’), F S. Smith

Unused substitutes: GK Bixby, M Provenzano, F Betfort

Total Shots: 12 (Kuikka – 4)

Shots on Goal: 2 (Kuikka – 2)

Fouls: 10 (Rodriguez – 3)

Offsides: 1 (Smith – 1)

Corner Kicks: 5

Saves: 3 (Smith – 3)

Budweiser Player of the Match: Rose Lavelle

Officials

Referee: Elijio Arreguin

Assistant Referees: Seth Martin, Katarzyna Wasiak