Match Preview: OL Reign vs. Portland Thorns FC
Lumen Field | Seattle, Washington – Sunday, July 10 at 6:00 PM ET
Players to watch:
OL Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock scored her second goal of the season with the team’s opener against North Carolina. Fishlock has now scored multiple goals in eight different NWSL regular seasons with only Christine Sinclair and Jessica McDonald having two or more goals in all nine of the league’s regular seasons.
On the other side, Portland forward Yazmeen Ryan scored in the 96th minute to secure a 1-1 tie for the Thorns against Angel City. The goal was the latest ever scored by a Portland player, surpassing Christine Sinclair and Michelle Betos, who each scored in the 95th minute.
Match facts: An always entertaining Cascadia rivalry match pits hosts OL Reign against Portland Thorns FC to close out the weekend’s action on Sunday night at Lumen Field in Seattle.
The Reign earned their second consecutive shutout win with a 2-0 victory over the Courage on Friday. It was the club’s fourth clean sheet win this season, tied for most in NWSL (Portland, San Diego), but their first time scoring multiple goals while having a shutout in 2022. The hosts now boast a three-match unbeaten run heading into Sunday’s matchup.
Meanwhile, after allowing a goal in the second minute to Angel City, Portland earned a 1-1 draw after a 96th-minute equalizer. The 94-minute gap is the longest gap between goals in a single game in NWSL history. The result, though, means the Thorns carry a six-game unbeaten streak of their own with it all on the line in Seattle.
After winning its two away matches against the Reign in NWSL’s inaugural season of 2013, the Thorns have won just one regular season match in Washington since then (D1 L8). OL Reign’s eight wins against the Thorns are tied for the most home wins against a single opponent in league history (also Reign vs. Dash and Red Stars vs. Reign).
