**SEATTLE, Wash.** – The OL Reign put a dropped a stunning five goals on the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday afternoon, with forward Bethany Balcer (2), midfielder Jess Fishlock (2), and attacker Megan Rapinoe (1) helping the hosts to a 5-2 win at Lumen Field.
OL Reign started off the match the more attacking of the two sides and looked the more fluid in attack, working the ball into the Chicago penalty area multiple times in the opening minutes. However, in the 12 ^th minute, a short corner from Chicago was cleared at the near post but eventually fell to the feet of defender Bianca St. Georges just outside the penalty are. Giving the Red Stars a first attempt, St. Georges attempted to produce a dipping half volley and pick out the top left corner in doing so. Instead, her effort landed just over the crossbar.
Though Chicago came close, it would be OL Reign who would find the back of the net first as forward Bethany Balcer finished off a well-worked team move to go up one in the 15 ^th minute. With the ball on the right side, teammate Veronica Latsko whipped in a low cross toward the penalty area that forward Jordyn Huitema very cleverly left for Balcer, who had no problem slotting home from close range to put the hosts ahead.
Then, just five minutes later, Balcer made it a brace for OL Reign with an incredible header following a Lauren Barnes cross. Barnes controlled possession on the left side of the field where OL Reign were persisting, and lifting her head shot saw Balcer toward the far post in an advantageous position. Lifting in the ball, Balcer then leapt above her marking defender and powered her headed effort into the back of the net to double her side’s lead still early on.
OL Reign continued to apply pressure on the Chicago goal, but just a minute after Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher collected the ball to end a Reign move, Chicago then pulled one back through forward Arin Wright. Defender Bianca St. Georges was driving toward the endline as Chicago looked to create a little attacking momentum. St. Georges pulled the ball back and delivered a low cross that took a deflection off a Reign defender on its way toward the penalty spot. Pouncing on the loose ball, Wright then curled home a right-footed shot and the visitors were back within one.
However, just before the half, OL Reign restored their two-goal advantage as midfielder Jess Fishlock scored her first of the afternoon following a broken down set-piece chance. A short delivery to Latsko saw her open up play and lay off to Balcer in he box. Balcer’s shot then ricocheted off a pair of Chicago defenders but fell right into the path of Fishlock, who was able to convert with a low effort to the far post from just a few yards out. With the goal, Fishlock became the fourth player to score 40 regular season NWSL goals for a single team, and the second OL Reign player to do so (Rapinoe – 47).
Though down 3-1 at the break, Chicago responded extremely quickly in the second half, needing just one minute for rookie Ally Schlegel to pull another back for the visitors. A cross into the box by the Red Stars eventually ended up at the feet of Fishlock. However, as the Reign midfielder was attempting to wriggle out of the penalty area, Schlegel demonstrated her strength as she won the ball of Fishlock and created space for a shot. Opening up her right foot, Schlegel then slotted past Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce to bring their deficit back to one.
After some back and forth play in the minutes that followed, two goals in the span of four minutes helped OL Reign put their final stamp on the afternoon’s result. First, a set piece goal via the right foot of Megan Rapinoe helped restore the two-goal lead in the 73 ^rd minute. Over the ball on the left side of the attack, Rapinoe swung in a curling ball that took a harsh deflection of a Chicago player only to ripple the back of the net from there for the goal, which is still credited to Rapinoe. Then, in the 76 ^th minute, Jess Fishlock got her brace as a quick-moving Reign attack down the right side saw the forward Balcer roll a horizontal cross into the path of Balcer, who did well to finish amidst a sea of bodies in front of goal.
In the end, a three-goal win for the Reign saw them put five past Chicago, marking the first time since August 2021 that the hosts scored five. The Red Stars, who had bounced back with a 4-2 win over Kansas City last weekend, have now suffered their third loss to start the campaign while the Reign sit atop the table with nine points from four matches including three straight league wins.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights