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Seattle Reign FC

Match Forecast: Reign FC Heads East for Regular Season Finale against Washington

September 4, 2015 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Seattle Reign FC News Release


SEATTLE (September 4, 2015) - Seattle Reign FC (12-3-4, 40 pts) will round out regular season play on Saturday, September 5 in a matchup with the Washington Spirit (8-5-6, 30 pts). Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. PT at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.

Reign FC is coming off a 1-1 draw with Sky Blue FC on Saturday, August 29, as midfielder Jessica Fishlock netted the equalizer in the 90th minute to preserve Reign FC's unbeaten run at home for a second consecutive season.

After going 8-0-4 in 2014 - and outscoring opponents by a 3-to-1 margin in the shadow of the Space Needle - Reign FC carried that home momentum into this season. With a 8-0-2 record thus far, Seattle has gone back-to-back regular season campaigns without a home blemish.

Sky Blue FC struck first and took the lead in the 6th minute off a Nadia Nadim free kick. Despite many chances falling short, including a Kim Little free kick that deflected off a Sky Blue FC defender and off the post, Seattle entered the final minute of regulation still trailing 1-0.

Little collected a ball at the top of the box and quickly created space for herself before spotting Fishlock making a run towards the center of goal. Little sent a lofting ball into the box, hitting Fishlock in stride, who rose above her defender and headed the ball past Sky Blue goalkeeper Brittany Cameron to bring the score level at 1-1. Fishlock's late tally was her seventh of the season, while it was Little's league leading seventh assist.

Washington enter Saturday's match after a goal-heavy match in Portland on Sunday, August 30. The Spirit took a commanding 2-0 lead over the Thorns before the half but the home side answered with three goals of their own before Crystal Dunn put away her league leading 15th goal of the season to bring the final score to 3-3. Dunn's brace earned her Player of the Week honors for the sixth time this season while the forward also won Player of the Month in August for her six goals and one assist efforts.

The result - coupled with FCKC's victory Wednesday over Sky Blue FC - means the Spirit need a win against Reign FC on Saturday to leapfrog the Blues in the standings and give themselves the opportunity to earn home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Both Reign FC and the Spirits previous two meetings occured in the midst of the 2015 Women's World Cup. The starting eleven's for both team's could look vastly different from that last match as goalkeeper Hope Solo and forward Megan Rapinoe have both returned to their starting positions. Additionally, Danish international Katrine Veje has made waves up top for Reign FC and enters Saturday's match covering for Beverly Yanez who sustained a hip injury last month.

Spirit's roster has seen the return of U.S. internationals goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and defender Ali Krieger, Canadian international Diana Matheson, Mexican international Arianna Romero, and the Nigerian trio of Francesica Ordega, Ngozi Okobi, and Defender Josephine Chukwunonye.

A win Saturday would mean Washington would host an NWSL postseason match for the first time in club history if the Chicago Red Stars do not win on Sunday against the Houston Dash. However, anything less than a win for the Spirit means they will finish in fourth place and have to travel to Seattle for a semi-final playoff matchup against Reign FC just one week later.

Saturday's regular season finale is the third of three matchups between Reign FC and the Spirit. In the first contest - a 3-1 Seattle victory on May 2 at Memorial Stadium that started the current unbeaten streak - Yanez, Fishlock, and forward Merritt Mathias all notched goals. The two sides squared off again on July 18 as Reign FC fell 3-0 to the Spirit on the road.

While Reign FC clinched a home semi-final match that will take place on Sunday, September 13 at 6:30 p.m. PT. Tickets to that playoff match are available at Reign FC's website at www.reignfc.com/semifinal.

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