Match Recap: OL Reign Suffers First Home Loss of 2023

OL Reign (4-3-1, 13 points, 5th place) suffered a tough 4-1 loss at Lumen Field against NJ/NY Gotham FC (5-2-1, 16 points, 1st place). After conceding three goals in the first half and one in the second half, the Reign pulled one back but couldn’t make up the deficit before the final whistle.

OL Reign began the game on the backfoot, conceding two goals in the first 12 minutes of the match. Gotham’s first goal was scored in the 10th minute of the match, by forward Jenna Nighswonger. After receiving the ball, she took one touch before firing a shot to the far post from outside the box.

Gotham struck again in the 12th minute when forward Lynn Williams took advantage of an OL Reign error and dribbled into the box before slotting the ball into the back of the net. OL Reign continued to chase the half, giving up one more goal before half time. In the 38th minute, Gotham strung together a series of passes and ended the sequence with a low shot into the back of the net from the foot of defender Taylor Smith.

Coming back from halftime after conceding three goals, the Reign looked sharper but still weren’t quite connecting. Gotham struck first in the second half, tallying a fourth goal from the foot of Bruninha after the Reign lost possession of the ball in the box.

OL Reign pulled a goal back, sending Lumen Field into a frenzy, in the 76th minute of the match. Following a corner kick from defender Sofia Huerta, the ball bounced from foot to foot in the box. Forward Jordyn Huitema made no mistakes as the ball fell to her and scored the Reign’s lone goal of the night. Tempers flared at the end of match as time was expiring, but the final whistle, the Reign fell 4-1 in a tough evening at Lumen Field.

UP NEXT: OL Reign returns to Lumen Field next week, taking on Angel City FC on Saturday, May 27 at 12:30 p.m. Fans can get tickets for the match HERE.

MATCH SUMMARY

2023 NWSL Regular Season

OL Reign 1 – 4 NJ/NY Gotham FC

Date/Time: Sunday, May 21, 3:00 p.m. PT

Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA

Weather: 61, cloudy

Scoring Summary

RGN: Huitema – 77’

NJNY: Nighswonger – 10’, Williams – 12’, Smith – 38’, Bruninha – 73’

Discipline

RGN: Latsko (Caution – 71’), Fishlock (Caution – 78’)

NJNY: Ryan (Caution – 80’)

Lineups

RGN: GK Tullis-Joyce, D Huerta, D Cook, D Hiatt, D Barnes © (Latsko 65’), M Sonnett, M Quinn (Brown 65’), M Fishlock, F Balcer (Stanton 76’), F Huitema, F Rapinoe (Bennett 65’)

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

Total Shots: 10 (Balcer, Huitema – 3)

Shots on Goal: 4 (Balcer, Huitema – 2)

Fouls: 8 (Brown, Rapinoe – 2)

Offsides: 7

Corner Kicks: 5

Saves: 3 (Tullis-Joyce – 3)

NJNY: GK Smith, D Bruninha, D Krieger ©, D Jean (Edmonds 46’), D Smith (Ryan 66’), M Martin, M Mewis (Guðmundsdóttir 90’), M Farrelly (Zerboni 81’), M Sheehan (Onumonu 81’), F Nighswonger, F Williams

Unused substitutes: GK Haught, D O’Hara, D Freeman, M Long

Total Shots: 14 (Williams – 5)

Shots on Goal: 7 (Williams – 2)

Fouls: 5 (Five tied with – 1)

Offsides: 1

Corner Kicks: 3

Saves: 3 (Smith – 3)

Player of the Match: Jess Fishlock

Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva

Assistant Referee 1: Katarzyna Wasiak

Assistant Referee 2: Melissa Gonzalez

4th Official: Corbyn May

Var: Sorin Stoica

Avar: Tony Obas