ol reign x angel city fc
On Saturday, OL Reign staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Angel City FC 4-1 at Lumen Field. After falling behind 1-0 at halftime, OL Reign showed their mettle in the second half by scoring three goals to earn a home win and snap a two-game losing run.
To begin the game, OL Reign took the initiative, their desire to regain the upper hand evident. The Reign had six shots in the first quarter of the game, but none were dangerous for Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Harai. Angel City FC scored first despite the match trending in the other direction. Claire Emslie, the team's attacker, took the corner kick and curled the ball into the far corner of the goal.
An equalizer was scored by OL Reign a few minutes later as Megan Rapinoe grabbed possession of the ball on the right and crossed it into the penalty area to a waiting Bennett. She would finish off her chance to score her first goal for the OL Reign after charging into the area and connecting with the ball. As the teams headed into the locker room at halftime, the score remained 1-1.
After the break, OL Reign didn't let their momentum die down. The seasoned forward, Rapinoe, sent a pass to forward Veronica Latsko just beyond the top of the box. Latsko took a touch before unleashing a ferocious shot that landed in the upper right corner of the net, making it 2-1.
As expected, Latsko contributed a lot right away. Jess Fishlock, a midfielder, started an aggressive passing sequence only two minutes later by receiving the ball in the center of the field and swiftly transferring it to Rapinoe on the touchline. Rapinoe sent a one-touch pass across the box to an open Latsko, who finished the play with precision, making it 3-1.
The Reign maintained their two-goal advantage, stifling control of the game. In the 82nd minute, OL Reign midfielder Quinn scored the team's first NWSL goal to seal the victory. After a flurry of one- and two-touch passes, Quinn got the ball and took advantage of some space towards the top of the box to unleash a pinpoint shot that landed in the top right corner of the goal completing their comeback with the final score of 4-1.
[Photography by Jackie Shinstrom]
