**Seattle, Washington** – The Kansas City Current continued their impressive 2022 campaign by storming into Seattle and defeating OL Reign, 2-0, at Lumen Field to advance to the NWSL Championship where they will face Portland Thorns FC. A first half tally from midfielder Alexis Loera initially separated the two sides, and forward Kristen Hamilton all but sealed the result with the team’s second goal just after the hour mark to keep the Current rolling into the winner-take-all final.
Jumping off the mark without hesitation, the Current attacked early and often and reaped the benefit of what they sowed with a goal by Loera in the fourth minute of play. Quick play by the Current attack inside the Reign box saw forward CeCe Kizer attempt to dance around and through a pair of Reign defenders only to lose the ball still inside the box. However, a failure to clear the ball by the hosts allowed Loera to pounce on the chance and her right-footed shot saw Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce get a hand on the ball, but it was not enough to keep it out as the visitors went in front early.
As the half continued on, the best follow-up chance Kansas City created came in the 25 ^th minute as the forward Hamilton held up play inside the box and laid the ball off to Loera just outside the penalty area. Firing with venom toward goal, Loera’s shot ultimately landed wide of the near post and the chance went missing. However, OL Reign continued to press the visitors’ goal with forward Jordyn Huitema missing on a similar effort as she failed to beat Kansas City goalkeeper Adrianna Franch at her near post.
Minutes later, Franch was forced into a save in the 31 ^st minute on a point-blank headed effort from Huitema that kept the visitors on their respective toes. Down the left side of the field, Reign attacker Megan Rapinoe took Kansas City defender Kate Del Fava one-on-one and eventually lifted a cross in toward Huitema. Rushing to meet the pass, Huitema got plenty of power on her header but not enough direction as Franch got big to keep the ball out and preserve her side’s slender lead.
Not clear of the danger just yet as halftime approached, the Reign made sure to test Franch twice more and put their stamp on the match. First, right on the stroke of the end of regular time, Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock cleaned her boots on a powerful drive with her right foot from well outside the penalty area. As the ball soared toward goal, it ricocheted off the underside of the crossbar and back into play where the visiting defense was eventually able to get it clear. Then, into the second minute of added time, Fishlock again tested Franch with an effort from distance following a corner, but the goalkeeper was equal to the shot and eventually smothered it to hold the lead into the break.
Out and into the second half, the Reign were the first of the two sides to test the other when Fishlock again forced a good save out of Franch in the 56 ^th minute. As Rapinoe was sent down the left side of the field, she carried the ball into the final third and picked out the run of Fishlock toward the edge of the box for another opportunity. Fishlock did well to get around a defender and rip another effort on goal, but Franch was able to palm it down and get ahold of the ball before it got loose in the box to prevent the score.
However, just after the hour mark and against the run of play, forward Kristen Hamilton put the visitors in an extremely advantageous position with a clinical finish from just inside the box to go two up. Weaving her way through the Reign defense, Hamilton broke into the box and preventing a defender from getting in front of her as she cut onto her right foot and fired a low effort to the bottom left corner that Tullis-Joyce could not keep out.
As expected, the Reign refused to quit and came close again in the 74 ^th minute when Megan Rapinoe’s corner kick delivery sailed into the center of the six-yard box where Franch was unable to fully collect, resulting in a necessary goalline clearance from a Current defender to prevent the hosts’ first. Then, in the following sequence, Franch was again forced into action as a deflected effort from Fishlock nearly found its way to the top left corner had the goalkeeper not dove to push it away.
Not for lack of trying, as the second half continued on the Reign were ultimately unable to find a way back in and as the full-time whistle blew, a small but mighty visitors section erupted in elation as the Kansas City Current defeated the hosts OL Reign to advance.
Kansas City will now face Portland Thorns FC in the NWSL Championship on Saturday, October 29 at Audi Field with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights