Seattle Reign FC 4
Sky Blue FC 1
NWSL Regular Season
Seattle, WA – Memorial Stadium
The early season schedule looked logistically daunting in March for the Seattle Reign FC. But, a home opening win, a bye week, international break, and four game road trip with two jaunts across the country and one away to the arch rival, finds Seattle in reasonable position of ten points after five matches. Before the opener on March 24, Seattle coming home seven weeks later second in the table with games in hand was likely the best anyone could have hoped for.
Sky Blue entered the match with only a single point, but a lot of talent in veterans like Carli Lloyd and young attackers like former Reign forward Katie Johnson. Johnson got a good look in the early going but it went to Seattle keeper Lucinda Williams. It was the first start of the season in goal for Lydia Williams. The first five matches had not seen Seattle concede a first half goal, but with the depth in goal, coach Andonovski looked to get both his keepers some minutes now that both are available. The clean first half streak would continue.
Seattle came out with pressure, Jodie Taylor finishing a Steph Catley cross in the fifth minute for a quick lead. Catley would be involved in another sequence leading to the second goal later in the half and looks to be a weapon pressing forward for the Reign.
Despite Sky Blue’s counter matching Seattle’s pressure and getting some opportunities, it was 2-nil going into the half. Megan Rapinoe was showing no real rust from having missed a few matches with a hamstring injury. Pinoe’s calm strike from top of the box in the 38th minute made the scoreline more one sided than stretches of the match flow of play might have indicated. Pinoe also nearly scored on a volley in the 28th, left footing a cross back across the goal and just over the bar.
Had Johnson’s early strike or Lloyd’s 33rd minute free kick found the mark, the match could have progressed differently. But, the second goal put Seattle in position to make moves like resting Rapinoe much of the second half.
Rapinoe’s brace in the 60th was nearly immediately countered by Savannah McCaskill’s lovely far post chip on the restart. The 3-1 scoreline with under thirty minutes to go meant Sky Blue would need to take chances and they did generate some opportunities, taking 13 shots, with five on frame. But, Rumi Utsugi’s 88th minute shot hit the post and Allie Long was there for the tap and 4-1 would finish the scoring.
Seattle celebrated the 100th cap of Jessica Fishlock with a pre-match ceremony. In the 13th minute she slid in and nearly doubled the early lead lunging for the end of a Rapinoe cross.
Photos by Vanya Tucherov
Match Report
Match: Sky Blue FC vs. Seattle Reign FC
Date: May 12, 2018
Venue: UW Medicine Pitch at Memorial Stadium, Seattle, WA
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. PT
Attendance: 3,607
Weather: 70 degrees, sunny
Goals by Half
1 2 Total
NJ 0 1 1
SEA 2 2 4
Scoring Summary
SEA – Taylor, 5’
SEA – Rapinoe, 38’
SEA – Rapinoe, 60’
NJ – McCaskill, 62’
SEA – Long, 88’
Misconduct Summary
Yellow – Skroski, 21’
Yellow – Taylor, 88’
Seattle Reign FC
Total shots: 19
Shots on goal: 6
Crosses: 18
Total Passes: 452
Passing Accuracy: 77.2%
Possession: 52.4%
Saves: 4
Yellow cards: 1
Fouls: 5
Corner kicks: 4
Offsides: 6
Sky Blue FC
Total shots: 13
Shots on goal: 5
Crosses: 10
Total Passes: 417
Passing Accuracy: 74.8%
Possession: 47.6%
Saves: 2
Yellow cards: 1
Fouls: 13
Corner kicks: 3
Offsides: 2
Seattle Reign FC
Lydia Williams, Steph Catley, Kristen McNabb, Megan Oyster, Theresa Nielsen, Rumi Utsugi, Allie Long, Jess Fishlock (Addo, 86’), Megan Rapinoe (Yanez, 66’), Jodie Taylor, Nahomi Kawasumi (Spencer, 76’)
Substitutes Not Used: Christen Westphal, Morgan Andrews, Lauren Barnes, Michelle Betos
Sky Blue FC
Kailen Sheridan, Erica Skroski, Rebekah Stott, Mandy Freeman, Christina Gibbons, Carli Lloyd, Janine Beckie (Thaisa, 74’), Sarah Killion (Rodriguez, 62’), Shea Groom, Katie Johnson, Savannah McCaskill
Substitutes Not Used: McKenzie Meehan, Jen Hoy, Domi Richardson, Caroline Casey, Madison Tiernan
Referee: Mark Allatin
Assistant Referees: Kelsey Harms, Jeremy Weed
4th Official: Levi Rippy
