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Seattle Reign FC

Seattle at Home for Saturday Night Match vs Chicago Red Stars

May 18, 2018 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Seattle Reign FC News Release


SEATTLE - Looking to ride the momentum of last week's 4-1 win over Sky Blue FC, Seattle Reign FC welcomes the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, May 19 for Military & First Responder Appreciation Night presented by Pepsi. The match kicks off on UW Medicine Pitch at Memorial Stadium at 7:00 p.m. PT.

Current or former members of the military and first responders with valid ID will receive 50% off tickets purchased at the Memorial Stadium box office on the day of the match. The Memorial Stadium box office will open at 5:00 pm PT, two hours prior to the game.

Pre-match ceremonies will include a national anthem performance by the Seattle Police Department's chorus, Red, Hot & Blues. Weather permitting, pilots from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles will perform a flyover in an MH-65 helicopter.

Reign FC delivered a strong showing in their win over Sky Blue FC. Megan Rapinoe returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on April 15. The dynamic forward scored two goals in her 66 minutes. Her electrifying outing earned Rapinoe NWSL Player of the Week for Week 7, the second time she's won the award this season. This was the sixth time in her NWSL career she received the honor, tying her with NC Courage forward Crystal Dunn for the most in league history.

Jodie Taylor and Allie Long knocked in the other two goals of the night. Steph Catley and Nahomi Kawasumi both recorded their second assists of the season, tying them for most on the squad. Lydia Williams made her first start of the season and stopped four shots from Sky Blue attackers.

The dominating performance not only resulted in four goals, but also demonstrated the incredibly high level of play Seattle is capable of. After injuries and international obligations kept several players away from the team in the early part of the season, Reign FC is finally getting a look at its full-strength roster.

"We're happy to have Pinoe back, obviously," Andonovski said. "If you give her an inch, she'll take advantage of it. She's hungry."

Having Rapinoe back in the mix adds an exciting presence to Seattle's starting unit, and makes Reign FC one of the most dangerous goal-scoring threats in the league. Entering play on Saturday, the team's 1.83 goals per match is the best scoring rate in the NWSL.

"Every time she scores a goal, she wants to score another," Andonovski said of Rapinoe. "She wants more, she feels like this is the time when she plays her best soccer. It's good for the team. It's good for young players to see."

The Red Stars descend on Seattle fresh off a 2-2 draw with Houston Dash. Chicago is winless in its last five matches, losing once and tying four times. The team's last victory came on April 18. Chicago features multiple players that represent their respective national teams, including four (Sofia Huerta, Julie Ertz, Alyssa Naeher, and Casey Short) who suit up for the United States. Australian national Sam Kerr is also regarded as one of the top players in the sport, and has scored in each of Chicago's last two matches.

Chicago is one of five teams in the league with a positive goal differential. Huerta is among the league leaders in goals, assists, and total shots. On defense, head coach Rory Dames' side has recorded two shutouts through its first nine matches.

"It's not going to be easy," Andonovski said of this weekend's opponent. "They're very aggressive when they're going forward. They go with numbers. I like the way they try to expose people."

Fans can follow along with live play-by-play of the match on the Reign FC's official Twitter page, @ReignFC, and join the conversation using the hashtag #SEAvCHI. Log on to the NWSL website to view live stats, and stream the game live on go90.com or go90's app. International viewers can watch the match on the NWSL website.

To purchase tickets to the game visit reignfc.com/redstars or call (855) REIGN-FC. Great seats start at just $20.

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