Reign 2-1 over Wave in Seattle

Seattle Reign FC 2
San Diego Wave FC 1
May 3, 2024
Lumen Field – Seattle, WA
NWSL Regular Season

Seattle Reign FC hosted San Diego Wave FC in Seattle on Friday evening. Both clubs entered the match below the playoff line. Although still early in the season, a sense of urgency is beginning to creep in else a season can get away from a team.

The Wave entered the weekend in the 8th spot in the table, mere points from crossing the line and moving up. The Friday match would also be the club’s sixth of the season, drawing them level in matches played with the teams just above.

Seattle finds itself in troubled waters. With three points from six matches and looking all the way up the table, points are at a premium now. Some of the dropped points can be attributed to bad luck like a late own goal, but a lack of goals has put their defense into a place with limited margins for error. Friday was the first of three matches in nine days and a chance to right the ship and grab a cluster of needed points.

It did not take long for the match to get interesting. Reign forward Tziarra King was sent off with a straight red in the ninth minute after a VAR revue. Within minutes of the restart the Wave had grabbed a goal. Kyra Carusa managed to find the net amidst a loose ball scramble off the goalpost.

With the goal and the 11 v 10 advantage, San Diego took the opportunity to pick their spots. The Wave were also without Naomi Girma and Alex Morgan, so the early advantage was an opportunity to play safer.

Seattle looked to push, pressing hard and pursuing every loose ball, working to nab an equalizer they got in the 34th minute. Bethany Balcer leveled the match by intercepting a clearance from Wave keeper Kailen Sheridan and pouncing on the loose ball.

The first half ended level, with the red and five yellows being issued in what had become a tense and physical affair.

The pace of the match continued to be brisk in the early stages of the second half. Fresh legs looked to be a factor. San Diego brought Jaedyn Shaw in at the half and Maria Sanchez with a half hour remaining.

Seattle countered with Ji So-Yun and Veronika Latsko as veteran reinforcements. Reign teenager Emeri Adames had been the dangerous presence she has been all season.

Reign keeper Laurel Ivory kept the match level with a huge save in the 67th minute, just getting a right hand on a ball that seemed destined for the upper far corner.

In the 89th minute, Veronica Latsko got a header on a Ji free kick, floating it to the upper far corner for the improbable lead.

San Diego would throw everything forward after the Reign goal, pushing forward throughout stoppage time to create several chances and corners. Then, late in stoppage, another VAR review would send Wave defender Kristen McNabb off. The whistle would blow with both sides at ten players.

In the end, Seattle would not concede an equalizer, making several late defensive stops to hold on to the win.

After the match, Latsko was full of praise for the Reign effort. “I think it just shows that the team has grit and that’s the backbone of a championship kind of team. So, you don’t win anything without grit and we showed that
for 90 minutes tonight.”

The two reds and eight yellows is also noteworthy in that it set a league record for most bookings in a match with ten.

Seattle had not lost five in a row since the 2013 first club season. The Reign had suffered five single goal losses since the opening win. The three points are potentially season saving. San Diego has still not managed to grab points in matches in Seattle.

LINK to Photo Album – Paul Kahl

BOX

Scoring Summary

SEA: Balcer – 34′, Latsko – 89′

SD: Carusa – 11′

Discipline

SEA: King (Red Card – 9’), James-Turner (Caution – 21′), Athens (Caution – 45+6’), Huerta (Caution – 65′), McClernon (Caution – 78′)

SD: Lundkvist (Caution – 24′), Bennett (Caution – 38′), van Egmond (Caution – 45+5’), McCaskill (Caution – 90+1’), McNabb (Red Card – 90+15’)

Lineups

SEA: GK Ivory, D Huerta, D Barnes (c), D Cook, D McClernon (Holmes 90+2’), M Athens (Ji 67’), M Fishlock, M James-Turner (Weinert 90+2’), F Balcer (Van der Jagt 67’), F King, F Adames (Latsko 52’)
Unused substitutes: GK Perez, D Brown, D Woodham, M Stanton

Total Shots: 8 (Eight tied with – 1)
Shots on Goal: 3 (Three tied with – 1)
Fouls: 17 (Fishlock– 3)
Offsides: 1
Corner Kicks: 0
Saves: 5 (Ivory – 5)

SD: GK Sheridan, D McNabb, D Torpey, D Wesley, D Lundkvist, M McCaskill (Ascanio 90+4’), M Colaprico, M Van Egmond (Jones 90+4’), F Doniak (Ali 80’), F Carusa (Sanchez 63’), F Bennett (Shaw 46’)
Unused substitutes: D Westphal, M Enge, GK Messner, GK Beall

Total Shots: 12 (Carusa – 4)
Shots on Goal: 6 (Shaw, van Egmond – 2)
Fouls: 17 (Bennett, Lundkvist – 3)
Offsides: 3
Corner Kicks: 7
Saves: 1 (Sheridan – 1)

Referee: Danielle Chesky
Assistant Referee 1: Bennett Savage
Assistant Referee 2: Darren Bandy
4th Official: Christopher Calderon
VAR: Adorae Monroy
AVAR: Kelsey Harms