May 5, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – OL Reign News Release
SEATTLE, WA – OL Reign fell to the Washington Spirit after a penalty kick shootout in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup semifinal. After tying 0-0 in regulation, the teams took nine penalty kicks apiece to decide the winner of the match.
From the first whistle, OL Reign came out on the front foot. The team, who did not have their best performance on Sunday in their regular season match against Washington, had an immediate intensity in their play. They applied high pressure to Washington, shutting down their offensive plays before they truly had a chance to begin.
Moments of transition were incredibly important in the match. OL Reign was there to collect Washington’s sloppy touches multiple times and created several scoring opportunities from that high pressure but couldn’t quite find the back of the net.
As the end of the first half approached, the teams were deadlocked 0-0, despite the intensity of the game. The Reign continued to force turnovers from Washington, but the finishing touch was missing.
After halftime, the energy of the game was electric. As the game progressed, it became more physical as both teams fought to continue their 2022 Challenge Cup run. In the 63rd minute, it looked like OL Reign had found the go-ahead goal, but it was flagged offside.
On the very last play of the game, OL Reign Megan Rapinoe served a corner kick into the box for OL Reign. The second ball hit the hand of a Washington player, but despite this, the whistle was blown to signify the end of regulation.
The intensity from the game remained through the penalty kick shootout. The shootout went to nine kicks each, before finally ending in favor of Washington. Though the Reign did not come away with a result, the team played a strong match and displayed great resilience.
UP NEXT: OL Reign play Racing Louisville at Lumen Field on Sunday, May 8 at 3:00 p.m. PT.
MATCH SUMMARY
2022 NWSL Challenge Cup
OL Reign 0-0…