On Saturday afternoon, OL Reign will be looking for a reset when they host Angel City FC at Lumen Field. The match kicks off at 12:30 PM PT and will stream on Paramount+ (U.S.), TSN+ (Canada) and the NWSL website for other international viewers.

Current Record

OL Reign could have been at the top of the table heading into the weekend, but a bad loss last week against Gotham put the team in 5th with a 4-3-1 record. Angel City is 2-3-3 and sits in 9th place. The Reign have scored 13 goals while conceding 10. Angel City has scored 11 while conceding 13.

These two sides have met twice already in 2023, although only in Challenge Cup play that featured significantly rotated sides. OL Reign won 2-0 in Los Angeles and then played to a scoreless draw at home.

Latest Results

The LA-based club is coming off a scoreless draw against the North Carolina Courage where they had similar issues to the Reign — limited possession and giving the ball away too easily once they regained it. The Reign are coming off one of their worst losses in recent history, falling to Gotham 4-1 at home. Both sides will be motivated to put in a better performance on Saturday.

“This team is super special. We’ve all come together — like Jess (Fishlock) said after the last game — and we’re going into this weekend with just a lot of fight and a lot of energy,” midfielder Nikki Stanton said in a pre-match press conference.

Here are three things to know about the matchup.

What to Watch

Angel City likes to cross

Angel City leads the league in crosses attempted, at 193. That’s 25 more attempted crosses than second-ranked Louisville, and the Reign are third at 150.

It’s not surprising then that Angel City also leads the league in accurate crosses per match, with the volume they put in. They average just over five accurate crosses per game, although OL Reign has a better cross-success percentage.

Wide forward Claire Emslie accounts for 33% of those crosses, with 63 attempts, while attacking midfielder Savannah McCaskill — who often pulls wide into space to link up and create — is second with 41 crosses. As a result of Emslie’s crossing output, she’s created 16 chances for Angel City and has two assists, which are both tied for the team lead.

Fortunately, as OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey said in a pre-match press conference, the Reign are well prepared for this kind of attack — as they live it every day in training. They also got a glimpse of how to stop Angel City in their first two Challenge Cup battles.

“Honestly, that’s sort of the way we play too, so we play against that every day. So, I don’t think we have to really change too much. I think we just have to be aware that that can potentially happen.”

Tough on the road

ACFC enters the match unbeaten in its last four away games in all NWSL competitions (1-0-3), including a scoreless draw against the Reign in the Challenge Cup. They’ve only played three regular-season games on the road, but their results include a 2-1 win in Orlando, a scoreless draw in North Carolina, and a 3-3 draw in Portland — never an easy place to play.

With how close the crowd is at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, Angel City matches have been loud and intense for all 90 minutes. That typically fuels a home team, but it seems like it’s been a distraction at times this season — and ACFC has conceded points and goals as a result. They’ve given up 7 of their 13 conceded goals in the second half at home.

“I think you saw last week in North Carolina that they just stayed in the game — they have a bit of a mentality of just staying in it, which helps when you’re on the road because it can be tough,” Harvey said ahead of the match.

Can play a bit more direct

Angel City has some speedy attackers, including March/April Rookie of the Month Alyssa Thompson. In fact, ACFC has the second-quickest direct speed in the league. That means they progress the ball up the field faster than every team aside from Louisville.

Thompson leads the team with three goals, while former Reign player Katie Johnson and Emslie both have two. Here are just two examples of how quickly Angel City can get into the attack — and just how good Thompson has been this season.

They are also second in the league, behind Portland, in progressive passes — which means they are looking forward early and often. McCaskill leads the team in this category. If the Reign can prevent her from having time on the ball in the midfield, they can stifle some of ACFC’s attacking threat. They’ll need to keep an eye on Jun Endo, however, who is tied for the team lead in chances created.

“She’s a player that goes anywhere she wants and it’s either someone knowing exactly where she is or passing her on to someone else, just all the time,” Stanton said about preventing McCaskill from dictating the game.

Injury / Availability Report

OL Reign

OUT: Angelina (SEI - knee), Marley Canales (Covid protocol), Rose Lavelle (leg), Phoebe McClernon (D45 – back)

Angel City

OUT: Simone Charley (SEI – achilles), Merritt Mathias (knee), Christen Press (SEI – knee), Paige Nielsen (Covid protocol), M.A. Vignola (Covid protocol)

QUESTIONABLE: Julie Ertz (left thigh), Sydney Leroux (ankle)

Referees

Lineups

Highlights

26' Angel City goes up with an olimpico

34' Elyse Bennett equalizes on a great play!

52' Veronica Latsko with a banger to put the Reign up 2-1!

55' - Two minutes later, Latsko does it again! 3-1 Reign

82' Quinn with a BANGER! 4-1 Reign

How to Watch

Time/Date: Saturday, May 27, 12:30 PM PT

Location: Lumen Field, Seattle

TV: None

Streaming: Paramount+ (U.S.), TSN+ (Canada), NWSL website (international viewers)

Join the Discussion

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