NWSL Seattle Reign FC

OL Reign Comeback to Defeat Gotham 3-2

Published on August 22, 2021 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Seattle Reign FC News Release


TACOMA, WA. - OL Reign (7-7-1) got back to their winning ways against NJ/NY Gotham FC (5-3-6) at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington. The Reign went down 2-0 early into the match, but made an impressive comeback to win 3-2. Their incredible second half response earned the team three goals and three points to move the Reign into third place in the NWSL standings.

The first half did not get off to an ideal start for OL Reign, who went down a goal in the 9th minute of the match after Ifeoma Onumonu found a loose ball in the box and coolly buried it into the goal. Chasing the game, the Reign were playing frantically. This disorganized play caused issues for the Reign, and they conceded a second goal in the 15th minute. It was Onumonu again, who used her left foot to nail a far post shot and put the visiting side up 2-0.

The Reign fought through the rest of the half and successfully kept Gotham off the scoreboard. However, the team was unable to find a goal of their own and went to locker room down two goals.

After the half, the Reign came out with a vengeance and were immediately knocking at the door, looking for a goal to start their comeback. The momentum began to shift in favor of the Reign and the change was palpable in the stadium. Defender Kristen McNabb came up huge in the 57th minute when she got her head on the end of a corner served into the box by Megan Rapinoe to grab OL Reign's first goal of the match.

That goal was the spark the Reign needed to begin to take control of the game. The half was a gritty and physical battle and Gotham was punished for their physicality in the 76th minute when Sofia Huerta was followed just inside the box. Rapinoe stepped up to the spot to take the penalty kick and confidently converted the kick with a powerful and high shot to tie up the game in the 77th minute.

In the 89th minute of the match, Gotham committed another foul in their own box, this time on Rapinoe. Rapinoe stepped up to the spot again to take the kick. Attempting to play mind games, several Gotham players stepped into the box early to pause the kick. Unphased, Rapinoe regrouped and converted yet again, this time opting to finish her shot at mid-height. The goal put the Reign up 3-2 in stoppage time of the match.

After the dramatic second half, the Reign held on to the 3-2 win and earned three points against Gotham for the first time this season. OL Reign will be looking to carry this winning energy into their next match, against the Portland Thorns at Lumen Field in Seattle.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

With this win, OL Reign have moved into 3rd place in the NWSL standings

Kristen McNabb scored her second career goal. Her first goal came against Houston in 2017

Megan Rapinoe earned her first brace of the season. The goals were her 36th and 37th goals in the NWSL regular season and her 7th and 8th penalty kick goals

This is OL Reign's second comeback win of the season. The first was against Portland on May 23

This is OL Reign's first win against Gotham this season, after losing to the NJ/NY based team twice

MATCH SUMMARY

2021 NWSL Regular Season

OL Reign (7-7-1, 22 points) 3-2 NJ/NY Gotham FC (5-3-6, 21 points)

Date/Time: Saturday, August 21, 2021, 7:00 p.m. PT

Location: Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington

Weather: 65, Cloudy

Scoring Summary

TEAM 1H 2H FT

OL Reign 0 3 3

NJ/NY Gotham FC 2 0 2

RGN: McNabb - 57', Rapinoe - 77', 90+1'

NJ/NY: Onumonu - 9', 15'

Discipline

RGN: None

NJ/NY: Lee (Caution - 32'), Long (Caution - 79')

Lineups

RGN: GK Bouhaddi, D Hammond, D Cook, D McNabb, D Barnes ©, M Lavelle (Angelina 83'), M Weatherholt (Quinn 67'), M Fishlock, F Rapinoe, F Balcer (Marozsán 71'), F Huerta

Unused substitutes: GK Dederick, D Brooks, F King, D Cox, M Cruz, D Celia

Total Shots: 27 (Rapinoe, Lavelle - 6)

Shots on Goal: 13 (Rapinoe, Lavelle - 3)

Fouls: 12 (Rapinoe, Weatherholt - 3)

Offsides: 3 (Rapinoe - 2)

Corner Kicks: 9

Saves: 3 (Bouhaddi - 3)

NJ/NY: GK Sheridan, D Dydasco, D Lewandowski, D Johnson, D Eddy (Dorsey 60'), M Long, M Zerboni ©, M Lee (Richardson 60'), F Kawasumi, F Lloyd, F Onumonu (Viens 83')

Unused substitutes: GK Haracic, D Skroski, D Flores, M Pinto, M Cudjoe, M Thiney

Total Shots: 7 (Onumonu - 3)

Shots on Goal: 5 (Onumonu - 3)

Fouls: 13 (Long - 4)

Offsides: 2 (Lee, Kawasumi - 1)

Corner Kicks: 2

Saves: 10 (Sheridan - 10)

Officials

Referee: Lukasz Szpala

Assistant Referees: Kali Smith, Salma Perez

Check out the Seattle Reign FC Statistics

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