Match Preview: OL Reign vs Chicago
September 8, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Chicago Red Stars News Release
CHICAGO – The Chicago Red Stars (7-5-5, 26 points) take on OL Reign (7-4-6, 27 points) for the second time in the Red Stars’ 18th regular-season match Friday, September 9, at 9:00 P.M. CT at Lumen Field.
Where to Watch
Stream: The U, Paramount+ and Twitch (international)
Previous Result:
CHI: The Red Stars beat Racing Louisville FC 4-0 behind two goals each from Yuki Nagasato and Mal Pugh
RGN: OL Reign beat the Orlando Pride 2-1 in their last matchup
Storylines
From Teammates to Rivals: This matchup between the Red Stars and Reign will feature a number of United States Women’s National team teammates who just finished playing two games against Nigeria. Mal Pugh and Alyssa Naeher (Red Stars) will face off against Alana Cook, Sofia Huerta, Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe. Coming back from playing with Canada’s national team, OL Reign will have Quinn and Jordyn Huitema and the Red Stars will have Bianca St-Georges. No matter what combination of these players see the pitch, fans are in for a hard-fought battle between big-name stars.
All to Play For: The Red Stars last saw OL Reign June 4, when the Red Stars beat the Reign 1-0 behind a goal from Mal Pugh, assisted by Samantha Fisher. Since then, the Red Stars have bounced around the top of the table, reaching as high as second place, and now finding themselves in sixth place. OL Reign’s season saw the team battle to get into playoff contention and are now in fifth place on the table, separated by only one point from the Red Stars. With five points separating first place from sixth place, everything is up for grabs for both teams.
Closing in on the Century Club: Last match against Racing Louisville FC, Red Stars captain, Vanessa DiBernardo, made her 150th National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) appearance – all with the Chicago Red Stars. In pursuit of her own milestone, if Rachel Hill plays against OL Reign, she will be one appearance away from making her 100th NWSL regular-season appearance. Hill currently sits at 98 regular season appearances in her career, splitting them between the Orlando Pride (59) and the Red Stars (39).
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