Seattle, WA – The OL Reign and Portland Thorns opened the 2022 Challenge Cup with a 1-1 draw at Lumen Field. 7,343 were in attendance for the match, a promising number as the Reign played their first game in the club's permanent home. Sofia Huerta scored the only goal for the Reign off of an assist from Angelina. The match had the third highest home attendance in club history, behind the Lumen field doubleheader and the first home match following the 2019 World Cup.
Sofia Huerta's 18th minute goal
A glaring issue for the Reign was the lack of a left-wing presence for the Reign. While the talented attacker Tziarra King started the match in the left-wing position, the Reign lacked a significant presence from that side. While it is Challenge Cup, and the first match of the cup, that will be an area to monitor. If the plan is to have Bethany Balcer as the center attacker, getting balls and crosses in will be critical as Balcer is a master at header goals. A potential player to watch in that spot would be Ally Watt. While getting both King and Watt involved could be beneficial to the club, King did not look comfortable or effective in that left wing role.
Head coach Laura Harvey spoke on the teams play, saying "We want to be more ruthless in the box... Tidy up a bit in the final third."
A big positive in this match, and for most of the second half of the 2021 season, for the Reign was Sofia Huerta’s play. Huerta picked up where she had left off, scoring the game's first goal in the 18th minute. In addition to the goal that she scored, Sofia’s presence on the outside was a key for the Reign’s offensive chances. Look for the passes to Balcer from Huerta, as the duo created many goals in 2021. Huerta is vying for a spot on the USWNT roster, and she has certainly made a case for herself if her recent play is an indicator.
The Reign’s next matchup takes place on March 26th, on the road against Angel City FC with a 1PM PST kickoff. The game will be streamed on Paramount +.
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