It was another beautiful Thursday evening at Starfire Stadium, as the women of the Seattle Reign were ready to encounter the women of the Chicago Red Stars. After a tough loss against FC Kansas City on July 20th, the Reign were looking to come back strong. As the fans settled down and the teams filed in, we were ready for the start of what would become a very exciting game.
There was a bit of a slow start on both ends, but eventually the Reign were able to take control. With the help of midfielder #15 Megan Rapinoe, the Reign absolutely dominated the possession of the ball for the entire game. Rapinoe was also responsible for a strong goal off of a free kick in the 6th minute of play. Following the goal by Rapinoe was an incredible play by midfielder #6 Kaylyn Kyle. In the 21st minute, Kyle scored off of a penalty kick fired into the top right corner, just out of reach for Red Stars’ keeper Erin McLeod. With all of this momentum and energy, the reign kept the upper hand and had a flawless first half.
As they returned to the field, the Reign were able to regain the control they previously had. Once again, Rapinoe took the lead and launched a fabulous shot right past McLeod in the 72nd minute. Directly following this goal was one of the twelve tremendous saves made by keeper #1 Hope Solo. Solo stopped a penalty kick in the 73rd minute and almost maintained a perfect game. Unfortunately, Chicago was able to sneak a goal past Solo, yet our Seattle Reign were able to continue to push ahead. A fourth and final goal was scored by #5 Liz Bogus in the 82nd minute. There were high fives all around, as both fans and players celebrate another strong win for the women of the Seattle Reign. The final score was 4-1, Reign.
Fans should be sure to come out and support the women in their final home game against the Portland Thorns FC on August 17th, here at Starfire Stadium. Single tickets are still available, so grab them quick!
