OL Reign wrap up their three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon with a match against the San Diego Wave. The match kicks off at 12 PM PT at Lumen Field and will stream on Paramount+ (U.S.) and Twitch (Canada/international).

OL Reign are coming off a midweek win, taking down the KC Current with a 1-0 scoreline — earning their third clean sheet in a row. The Reign now have six points and a 1-1-3 record. San Diego sits at the top of the league table with a 4-1-0 record and didn’t have an extra midweek game. They’ll enter a little more rested, although the Reign are eager to close their home series with a statement victory.

The Reign are 1-0-1 against the Wave, although both meetings came in the NWSL Challenge Cup, when the expansion club — coached by Casey Stoney — was still figuring out its identity and building team chemistry.

Key Stats

SHOTS

OL Reign: 67, 32 on goal | San Diego: 54, 24 on goal

GOALS FOR, AGAINST

OL Reign: 4, 4 | San Diego: 8, 2

PASSING

• OL Reign: 452 per match (74.3% success rate), 29.6 accurate long balls per match, 8 accurate crosses per match
• San Diego: 366 per match (70.9% success rate), 27.4 accurate long balls per match, 5 accurate crosses per match

Key Players

OL Reign:

• Sofia Huerta (1 assist, 11 chances created)
• Rose Lavelle (1 goal, 7 chances created)
• Alana Cook (26 clearances, 69% tackle success. 53% duels won)

San Diego:

• Alex Morgan (6 goals)
• Taylor Kornieck (1 assist, 14 shots, 4 chances created)
• Emily Van Egmond (9 chances created)

What to Watch

Similar styles

The Reign and the Wave have similar philosophies: use the midfield to win the first and second ball, deploy a smart press that is disruptive, and be hard to break down defensively. Both teams are among the top three in the league in the number of accurate long balls and accurate crosses per match, as they have players that can get in behind defenses and serve in great long balls. The Reign lead the league, however, in possession won in the final third.

“I think the way that we try to defend is very similar to the way that they try to defend and I think we try to expose each other in similar ways at times,” Laura Harvey said in a pre-match press conference.

A consistent starting XI versus rotation

While San Diego rotated a fair amount in the Challenge Cup — trying to give players minutes and establish the right partnerships — their lineup has been more consistent in the regular season. “I think that’s probably the biggest thing with them is maybe that their 11 calmed down a little bit,” Harvey said about the one difference for San Diego between the Challenge Cup and the regular season.

The Reign, on the other hand, have rotated more in the midfield and forward positions — in part due to the tight schedule they’ve had, but also due to their depth. “I think we have a really deep roster. I think it’s the deepest roster I’ve worked with. Not only is the 11 difficult to pick, the 20 are difficult to pick every single week,” Harvey said.

Alex Morgan is feeling it

The move to the West Coast has been a good one for Alex Morgan, who currently leads the league in goals scored. She has six already, although three of those were penalties. Morgan is a player who loves to get in behind defenses and is one of the best strikers while in stride. But she is also threatening in the box due to her ability to get a strong shot off with limited space. The Reign need to keep her tight to keep her away from the goal.

Injury / Availability Report

OL Reign

OUT: Megan Rapinoe (back)

San Diego Wave

OUT: Abby Dahlkemper (ribs), Katie Johnson (left thigh), Carly Telford (left thigh)

Lineups

Highlights

75' The Reign finally find their goal!

How to Watch

Date/Time: Sunday, May 29, 12 PM PT
Location: Lumen Field, Seattle
TV: None
Streaming (US): Paramount+
Streaming (International): Twitch (search NWSLOfficial)

Join the Discussion

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