LOUISVILLE, Ky. –
The OL Reign capped off a dramatic comeback against hosts Racing Louisville FC on Saturday with a goal in the 90 th minute of the 1000 th NWSL regular season match to equalize in what was ultimately a 2-2 draw between the sides. Two goals from Racing in the first half were offset by a penalty kick converted by Megan Rapinoe and a looping header from forward Jordyn Huitema in the game’s ending moments as the Reign earned a point at Lynn Family Stadium. Racing would also finish the match with just 10 players on the field after a red card to midfielder Savannah DeMelo in the 72 nd minute.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. –
The OL Reign capped off a dramatic comeback against hosts Racing Louisville FC on Saturday with a goal in the 90 th minute of the 1000 th NWSL regular season match to equalize in what was ultimately a 2-2 draw between the sides. Two goals from Racing in the first half were offset by a penalty kick converted by Megan Rapinoe and a looping header from forward Jordyn Huitema in the game’s ending moments as the Reign earned a point at Lynn Family Stadium. Racing would also finish the match with just 10 players on the field after a red card to midfielder Savannah DeMelo in the 72 nd minute. It did not take the hosts long to change the course of the match with midfielder Paige Monaghan scoring in the 7 th minute to send the crowd into a frenzy. Fellow midfielder Ary Borges had settled a ball just outside the box and drove into the penalty area where she chose to fire on goal with her left foot. That shot would be deflected by a Reign defender into the path of Monaghan, who was standing just to the left of the penalty spot. Taking a singular touch first, Monaghan then pushed a low effort to the far post and in and put the hosts in front. Racing continued to push and forced a good save out of Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce with a chipped effort from distance by defender Carson Pickett in the 15 th minute. Eight minutes later, Louisville was at it again as the midfield connection between Monaghan and Borges once again clicked with Borges floating a ball from the right side toward the back post for Monaghan, but Monaghan’s effort did not have enough to get past Tullis-Joyce again. The Reign definitely showed signs of their own life though, with attacker Megan Rapinoe striking the post on a second effort in the 27 th minute to threaten the Louisville lead. Rapinoe was driving into the box on the left side when she ripped a shot that was initially blocked, leading to a second attempt from a few yards closer in and a tighter angle. Rapinoe then lined up a rocket with her left foot that soared toward goal only to the hit the crossbar and go out of play. Racing did turn the tide of the half once more, this time near the half’s end as a curling effort from Pickett following a cleared corner nearly found the top right corner, only for Tullis-Joyce to get to it just in time to turn it away for another corner. On the ensuing corner, however, Louisville got the better of Tullis-Joyce once again as a stunning goal on the turn from midfielder Savannah DeMelo shifted the club’s lead to two. Initially cleared, the ball was bouncing toward the penalty area with DeMelo shuffling back to meet it. Opting to hit an effort immediately on the turn, she got enough power on it to guide the ball to the far post and in to double her side’s lead late on. Into the second half, OL Reign had a great look on goal in the 47 th minute through a free kick opportunity for Rapinoe. However, her effort got over the wall but could not get back under the crossbar and landed just high of the frame. On the other end, Racing nearly made it three as forward Kirsten Davis burst through the box and attempted to meet a through pass only for Tullis-Joyce to pounce off her line and smother the opportunity. Then, in the 67 th minute the Reign were offered a way back in as Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund was judged to have brought down forward Jordyn Huitema in the penalty area as the attacker was chasing a ball into the box. That resulted in Rapinoe stepping up from 12 yards out and sending Lund the wrong way as she rolled an effort to the bottom right side of goal and, in doing so, became the all-time league leader in penalties scored in the regular season. The match’s momentum then turned even further back in OL Reign’s in the 72 nd minute when Racing’s DeMelo was whistled for an overexuberant aerial battle with Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock and was shown a second yellow card. That resulted in her immediate dismissal and left the home side with plenty of work to do to hang on to a one goal lead down a player for nearly 20 minutes. Huitema had another set of chances in the 83 rd minute but had two shots blocked after feeds from teammates Alana Cook and Bethany Balcer, and Louisville forced one more save out of Tullis-Joyce via an incredible free kick effort from Wang Shuang. However, the last of the drama came in the 90 th minute when one of the Reign’s final attacks of the night saw Cook lift in a cross to the middle of the penalty area toward Huitema. From there, the attacker leapt off balance to meet the ball and produce a perfectly weighted header that crept over the reach of Lund and into the back of the net. The end result leaves OL Reign in a tie for first place on points (10) with Portland Thorns, though Portland holds the advantage in goal differential. Meanwhile, Racing continues its winless start to the year with a third draw in four games and will rue a missed opportunity at keeping all three points following the two-goal let up in the second half.
