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NWSL Seattle Reign FC

Seattle and Houston Set to Meet for Second Time in 2018

July 6, 2018 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Seattle Reign FC News Release


(Seattle) - One week after besting the Portland Thorns, Seattle Reign FC (6-3-5, 23 points) takes the field on Saturday, July 7 for a meeting with the Houston Dash (4-5-5, 17 points). The match?- ?ReignStorm Night presented by Carter Subaru?- ?begins at 7:00 p.m. PT on the UW Medicine Pitch at Memorial Stadium.

Coming off a thrilling win over Portland last weekend, Seattle sits in second place in the NWSL standings. Reign FC's six wins trail only the North Carolina Courage for the most in the league. The team's latest victory snapped a four-match winless streak and pushed Seattle above Portland, Utah, Chicago, and Orlando in the table. When Reign FC played the Dash previously this season, Houston netted a 2-1 win on a last-minute goal.

After playing three matches between June 23 and June 30, Seattle had a week of rest since its last showing. In that performance, Jodie Taylor scored in the 89th minute to secure the 1-0 win. Megan Rapinoe provided the assist on Taylor's winner while the defense held Portland without a shot on goal or corner kick.

Bev Yanez scored Reign FC's lone goal in the loss to Houston earlier this season. That match also saw Elizabeth Addo make her first start of the season. The Dash put together two second-half goals to take all three points: the first by Kristie Mewis in the 68th minute, and the second from Veronica Latsko in stoppage time. Seattle rebounded well from the loss, earning points in its next three matches after leaving Houston. Despite the disappointing result, Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski says he was happy with his team's performance in Houston.

"We actually played very well in the last meeting," Andonovski said. "That was a game we could have won. Unfortunately, everyone knows what happened in the last minutes of the match. That's just the game of soccer."

Houston took three points from Orlando in its last match, winning 2-1 on the road. The Dash have won three of their last five matches, but sit seventh in the league with 17 points. Through 14 matches, Houston has allowed 21 goals and scored 16. The club's -5 goal differential is third-worst in the league. Since Seattle last met Houston, the Dash added Sofia Huerta and Taylor Comeau in a trade with Chicago, and signed Australian defender Clare Polkinghorne to bolster the backline.

"They're very organized and disciplined defensively," Andonovski said. "Their biggest weapon is the counter-attack. If that happens, we'll have to stop them as soon as possible. The first goal they scored against us last time was off a restart."

In the Dash's 2-1 win over Orlando on June 27, play unfolded similarly to the Seattle-Houston match earlier in the season. Like Reign FC did a month before, Orlando struck early on an Alex Morgan goal in the 22nd minute. Houston then knocked in two goals in the last 15 minutes, including a long-distance banger by Kealia Ohai. Sofia Huerta cemented the win by burying a penalty kick in the 83rd minute, giving her two goals in as many matches with Houston since being traded to the club in late June. The match ended with four Orlando players earning yellow cards in the 90th minute or later.

Reign FC supporters can get tickets for the ReignStorm match at reignfc.com/dash, or by calling (855)-REIGN-FC. The first 3,000 fans through the gates will receive a poster featuring Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird.

Those unable to attend can stream the match live via go90.com or the go90 app, with live stats available on the NWSL website at www.nwslsoccer.com. Follow along with live play-by-play of the match on Reign FC's official Twitter page, @ReignFC, and join the conversation using the hashtag #SEAvHOU.

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from July 6, 2018


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