Six Reign players called up for international matches

As Seattle Reign FC prepares for the NWSL Championship match on October 1, six members of the squad will appear in international matches for their respective national teams throughout the month of September.

U.S. Women's National Team members Hope Solo and Megan Rapinoe will join their U.S. teammates for two friendlies against Haiti, which are part of their 10-game World Cup victory tour. The first match is September 17 in Detroit (4 p.m. PT on FOX Sports 1), and the second comes three days later (September 20) in Birmingham, Alabama (11:30 a.m. PT on ESPN2).

The USWNT was set to play a much tougher Australian side in these friendlies, but the Matildas are on strike after their contract expired and they were unable to negotiate a pay raise and resolve other concerns with their federation. The Australian women's team is paid $14,000 a year, and earned just $500 per match during the World Cup, when they made it all the way to the quarterfinals. Their male counterparts would have earned $7,500 per match for the same performance.

In addition to the U.S. friendlies, four Reign players are off to Europe to join their respective national teams for friendlies and the qualification round of the 2017 UEFA Women's EURO competition.

Scottish internationals Kim Little and Rachel Corsie will face Norway in an international friendly on September 17 before going up against Slovenia on September 22 in the qualifying group stage of the Euros. Welsh Dragon Jess Fishlock has also been called up to participate in a EURO qualification. Her side will face Austria on September 22.

Additionally, forward Katrine Veje will join the Danish Women's National Team to compete in two international friendlies against Romania (September 17) and Switzerland (September 22). Denmark is also participating in the Euros, but their qualifying matches don't begin until October.

While the nearly three-week break between the NWSL championship match and the semifinal is not ideal for a number of reasons, all six national team players will have plenty of time to return to Seattle following their national team duties and prepare for the NWSL Championship against FC Kansas City on October 1. Get your tickets for the championship match before they sell out.