BMO Stadium | Los Angeles, California – Wednesday, April 19 at 10:00 PM ET
Players to watch:
Angel City midfielder Savannah McCaskill was one of her side’s standout performers in the 2022 Challenge Cup, scoring one of her two all-time Challenge Cup goals against the Wave. In two Challenge Cup campaigns—one with Angel City, one with Chicago—McCaskill has also added two assists to her two goal tally. In three regular season games, McCaskill has scored one goal and is joined by teammates Katie Johnson (2), Claire Emslie (1), and Alyssa Thompson (1) on the scoresheet.
OL Reign forward Bethany Balcer and midfielders Jess Fishlock and Olivia Van der Jagt are the Reign’s three goalscorers in three regular season games, with Fishlock and Balcer scoring in the club’s 2-0 win over Gotham and Van der Jagt scoring in the 96th minute against San Diego last weekend helping them earn their second regular season win. Though she has only appeared once in 2023, the Reign’s Veronica Latsko has played the most games of any player in Challenge Cup history, having seen the field in 18 different games. In addition to being the most by any player, it is also more than any single team has played in Challenge Cup history (six teams with 17).
Match facts: Angel City returns to BMO Stadium on Wednesday night as the club welcomes the OL Reign to Los Angeles in the final game of the evening’s action. The hosts enter after a win and draw in their last two games, while the visiting Reign have won both of their last two regular season games, one of which was on the road.
Angel City has won one, drawn one, and lost one to start the regular season, losing 2-1 in its season opener against Gotham FC before defeating Orlando, 2-1, on the road and drawing 2-2 with Racing Louisville at home last weekend. In last year’s competition, all four points that Angel City collected (W1 D1 L1) came at home as they managed to score a goal in each of the three home matches. The only visiting team to win at Angel City during last year’s Challenge Cup, though, was the Reign.
OL Reign come in with momentum on their side after collecting back-to-back shutout wins over Gotham FC on the road and against San Diego in the club’s home opener. Those wins come after being shutout, 1-0, in Washington against the Spirit in the season opener. One of the more efficient sides in Challenge Cup history, the Reign have lost just two of their 16 all-time matches in the competitions (W7 D7, including their elimination on penalties in last year’s semifinals). The two losses are tied for the fewest of any active team in the competition’s history with North Carolina (17 games played).
OL Reign has won all four of their meetings with Angel City FC, with two wins apiece in regular season and Challenge Cup action. The Reign are the only club that Angel City has never earned a result against in all NWSL competitions.
