Ladies First: NWSL 2024 Bay FC Seattle Reign (Ex OL Reign)

 

4e Journee

14 avril 2024

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PORT

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Women.NWSL.2024.Bay.FC.Seattler.Reign.PORT.twb22-2.ts

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Racheté en 2020 par OL Groupe pour devenir officiellement OL Reign, le club redevient le Seattle Reign cette saison suite à une obligation de vendre de la part de la presidente, egalement à la tête des Chicago Fire.  Achetée en décembre 2019 pour 3,1 millions d’euros, lorsque Jean-Michel Aulas était encore à la tête du club français, la vente de l’entièreté de la participation de Lyon, soit 97 % du capital social de l’équipe américaine soit 53 millions, a donc rapporté une large plus-value aux Rhodaniens. Le Bay FC etant une entiere nouvelle franchise ce match est donc evidemment inédit.

In a game between two new franchise Seattle Reign and Bay FC, the local side won3-2 in an intense, end-to-end match. The beginning of the game required some heavy defensive work from the Reign as the team settled in in San Jose. The first 20 minutes brought on five shots from the home side, but the Reign did more than enough to keep them off the board. As Seattle began to get into the attack more, they forced an own goal from Bay FC. In an attacking play that started with defender Lauren Barnes playing a pass to the feet of midfielder Ji, then midfielder Olivia Athens, the ball made its way out wide to defender Lily Woodham. 

Woodham played a cross to the back side, looking to find forward Bethany Balcer. Though she did not connect with Balcer, her cross was intercepted by Bay FC defender Alyssa Malonson and deflected off defender Kayla Sharples into the back of the net, allowing the Reign to take the lead in the 27th minute of the match. Seeing out the first half, the Reign stopped four additional shots from Bay FC, keeping the San Jose-based side off the board. As the second half started, Bay FC was on the front foot, registering a shot just 45 seconds into the half. The Reign continued to defend until the 48th minute, when Bay FC found an equalizer. Sharples was at the back post to head home a floated cross from defender Emily Menges.

In the 54th minute of the match, the Reign nearly retook the lead as Balcer got her head on the end of a well-placed corner kick, but her shot went just wide, sending a warning to Bay FC. Just four minutes later, on the other side of the field, Bay FC scored a second goal, once again following a corner kick. After the initial service was cleared only outside of the 18-yard box, midfielder Alex Loera hit a powerful shot into the back of the net. Following the goal, the Reign were forced to make a substitution, bringing goalkeeper Laurel Ivory on the pitch in place of Claudia Dickey, who sustained an injury and could not continue on.

The Reign continued to work forward, aided by a flurry of subs in the 72nd minute. In the 77th minute, Ji danced through Bay FC’s backline, earning herself a shot, but the off-balance hit wasn’t enough to challenge Rowland in goal. Hard work paid off for the Reign in the 83rd minute, when Balcer added another goal for the Reign to bring the score level once again. Forward Emeri Adames won the ball out wide and flicked a ball into the air inside the 18-yard box. Ji brought the ball down, where Balcer was there to ensure it found the back of the net with a solid touch. Four minutes later, Bay FC forced a Reign own goal, taking back the lead on an unfortunate deflection off defender Alana Cook. Intensity still building in the match, it seemed as though the Reign had pulled level again just two minutes later, when Adames played a cross to forward Veronica Latsko, who made no mistake finding the back of the net. However, the goal was ruled offside after a short video review, denying the Reign of the equalizing goal. Despite battling for over 12 minutes in stoppage time, the Reign fell 3-2 in the last of three consecutive road matches.