With still a month to go before the club’s first regular-season match, OL Reign will host its first 2023 preseason game in front of fans on Saturday night. The club takes on Club América at Starfire Stadium in a match that kicks off at 7:30 PM PT. The preseason friendly will air locally on FOX 13 and stream on TUDN.tv and the TUDN app.

The Rough & Tumble in Ballard will also host a watch party. The pub has a great layout with plenty of seating, an abundance of televisions, and lots of great food, drinks, and company.

OL Reign is facing Club América for the second time. The two sides met last August in the Women’s Cup, with the Reign earning a come-from-behind win. Goals from Tziarra King and Olivia Van der Jagt gave the Reign a 2-1 victory, but América gave the Reign — who started almost all rotational players — plenty of problems.

Saturday’s match against a strong opponent will be another good test for OL Reign’s depth. In particular, players who will be key during the World Cup stretch — where the Reign could be without eight players — will have a chance to show their potential. The club has been without eight players for the last two weeks, who represented their countries during a FIFA international break. Head coach Laura Harvey used that time to simulate what it would be like during the regular season when the club is missing many preferred starters.

“We have to prepare for when we know we’re not going to have them,” Harvey said in a pre-match press conference. “So, we’ve worked on what we’re going to look like when they’re not here. I think that’s what it’s been about, and making sure that we keep the standards that we believe are important to be able to put on the field.”

OL Reign has already been training for the last month, giving the players a chance to bond and understand Harvey’s tactical approach for the 2023 season. But training isn’t enough to prepare for the grind of the NWSL season. The players are eager for matches that truly get their legs and minds ready for the year.

“We’re excited for the fans to come out. We’re excited for Club América to come visit and hopefully, we’ll have another good game like we did last time,” forward Tziarra King said ahead of the match. “Being able to get these games in your legs is — training just doesn’t do it, it’s not the same. You don’t get the same fitness, the same experience of those game situations.”

So, what can fans expect to see from América? A perennial powerhouse in Liga MX Femenil, América has qualified for the playoffs in every season of play — and won the 2018 Apertura tournament. The team is strong in possession and likes to build out of the back, but they are most dangerous when they can win the ball back quickly and catch teams in transition.

América has already scored 25 goals in its first seven matches of 2023 Clausura play. OL Reign will need to contain Kiana Palacios, a Mexico national team forward who has nine goals in six games this year. And they’ll need to ensure Scarlett Camberos isn’t isolated on the wings. Camberos gave OL Reign a lot of trouble on the left wing last year, and she has three goals in six appearances so far in 2023.

“They try and work really hard when they don’t have the ball. They actually get people a lot in the transitional moments, which are all the things that have been a big focus for us in preseason,” Harvey said.

“I think it’s just going to be a matter of making sure that we’re playing the game that we play, and I think that we should be able to have a good game,” King added.

Lineups

Highlights

11’ — Tziarra King opens the scoring

40’ — Tullis-Joyce with a big save to maintain the clean sheet

45+1’ — A great ball from Bethany Balcer into Elyse Bennett causes an own goal. Reign go up 2-0 to close out the first half.

74’ — América get one back with a goal from Kiana Palacios.

90’ — Weinert puts the game away just moments after entering the match

How to Watch

Date/Time: Saturday, February 25, 7:30 PM PT

Location: Starfire Stadium, Tukwila, WA

TV: FOX 13

Streaming: TUDN.com, TUDN app, Club América YouTube channel, Club América Facebook

Join the Discussion

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