July 1, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – OL Reign News Release
SEATTLE, WA – OL Reign and the North Carolina Courage are set to meet for the first time this season in OL Reign’s annual Pride Match, presented by Starbucks. Both teams are playing their first match back following the international break.
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. PT on Friday, July 1 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available on Paramount+. Tickets for the match are available.
2022 REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): OL Reign: 3-2-4 (13 points, 5th place), North Carolina Courage 2-4-1 (7 points, 12th place)
Key Points Ahead of the Match:
1. LAST MEETING – OL Reign and North Carolina have not met in over a year. Their last meeting was in June 2021, in Cary, North Carolina. The Reign spent most of the first half absorbing pressure from the Courage and were successful for most of the half but conceded a goal just before halftime. After the halftime break, OL Reign shifted their efforts into the attacking half of the field and continued to build momentum with a series of smart substitutions. However, the Courage found a second goal in the 77th minute of the match, when Sam Mewis gained possession of the ball inside the box and found the back of the net.
Jess Fishlock cut North Carolina’s lead in half in the 86th minute, after working to dispossess a Courage player and chipping the goalkeeper. The Reign played with a sense of urgency looking for the equalizer, but ran out of time, ultimately falling 2-1 on the road.
2. SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA- Currently, the Courage are in 12th place in the NWSL standings. They most recently took on the Houston Dash and lost 4-3 dominant start to the match. The Courage are unbeaten on the road in three matches, while OL Reign are unbeaten at home throughout this season and have not allowed a goal in their last four home matches, dating back to May 8, 2022.
3. MISSING INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS – Both teams are missing many international players for this match, so they will be relying on their depth to find success in this match.
For OL Reign, eight players are out on international duty with their countries – Angelina (BRA). Alana Cook (USA), Sofia Huerta (USA), Jordyn Huitema (CAN), Rose Lavelle (USA), Jimena Lopez (MEX), Quinn (CAN), and Megan Rapinoe (USA).
For North Carolina, Debinha (BRA), Casey Murphy (USA), Diana Ordoñez (MEX), and Havana Solaun (JAM) are out.
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