Match Recap: OL Reign Headed to NWSL Championship for Third Time in Club History with 1-0 Win Over San Diego
OL Reign earned their second straight playoff win to advance to the NWSL Championship. OL Reign forward Veronica Latsko once again scored the game winning goal, assisted by Rose Lavelle to earn a 1-0 win over San Diego.
OL Reign started the match on the front foot, immediately shocking the Wave with their organized high press, led by forward Jordyn Huitema and midfielder Rose Lavelle. The Reign were steadfast in their press, quickly dictating the tempo of the game.
The home side started to get more into the match as time went on, earning a couple of back-to-back corner kicks around the 15-minute mark, but not posing a real threat to OL Reign. In the 16th minute, the Reign forced a turnover from San Diego, and it looked like the team was in on goal, led by forward Megan Rapinoe’s pass out to Huitema, but Huitema’s shot on the play found the hands of Kailen Sheridan in net for the Wave.
Through the remainder of the first half, the Reign worked to win the second ball and lock San Diego in their own half but struggled to find quality attempts on goal. Before the half was through, the Reign found two more shots, one from Rapinoe and one from Emily Sonnett in the midfield, but neither made it past Sheridan.
After coming back from halftime still deadlocked in a 0-0 draw, OL Reign did not wait long before scoring the lone goal of the match. Lavelle picked up the ball in the right corner of the field, dribbling until she could split her defenders to find the feet of Latsko. Latsko took the ball to the endline and lofted it across the face of goal to the back post, where it hit the woodwork and found the back of the net.
After scoring the goal, OL Reign settled back into the game and were forced to do a bit of defending as San Diego possessed the ball, looking for holes in the Reign’s disciplined press. Though the Wave were able to move the ball around the field, they were unable to threaten OL Reign.
One of the Wave’s better attacking plays of the match came in the 55th minute, but OL Reign was up to the challenge, thwarting the onslaught and maintaining another shutout. As the end of the match was approaching, OL Reign displayed their match management, opting to take the ball high to the corners of the field at every given opportunity.
After defending one shot from San Diego in stoppage time, the visitors reigned supreme, taking down the 2023 NWSL Shield winners 1-0 to advance to the NWSL Championship on November 11.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
BACK TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP: OL Reign advanced to the NWSL Championship for the third time in club history and first time since 2015.
SHUTTING DOWN SAN DIEGO: OL Reign extended its unbeaten streak against San Diego to nine games, having never lost to the second-year club across all NWSL competitions. In 2023 alone, the Reign have faced San Diego five times, earning four clean sheets in those meetings.
CLAUDIA DICKEY: Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey earned her second consecutive clean sheet in the playoffs and her eighth clean sheet of her career in her first 11 starts across all NWSL competitions. The 23-year-old finished the match with four saves.
Following last week’s quarterfinal win, Dickey became the third goalkeeper to record a clean sheet in her NWSL playoff debut and the third youngest goalkeeper among the five.
VERONICA LATSKO: Forward Veronica Latsko scored the game-winning goal in the 47th minute, marking her second consecutive playoff game with a goal. Latsko is the first player in the league to score in back-to-back playoff games since 2019.
ROSE LAVELLE: Midfielder Rose Lavelle made her first start since September 3. Lavelle earned the assist on forward Veronica Latsko’s goal, marking her first playoff assist of her career and sixth all-time.
SERIES: The win brings the all-time series to 7-0-2 between the Reign and San Diego Wave FC.
No. 4 OL Reign (9-8-5) will play in the NWSL Championship on November 11 at Snapdragon Stadium against No. 6 NJ/NY Gotham FC (8-7-7).
UP NEXT: OL Reign will take on NJ/NY Gotham FC in San Diego for the NWSL final at Snapdragon Stadium on November 11 at 5:00 p.m. PT.
MATCH SUMMARY
2023 NWSL Semifinal
OL Reign 1 – 0 San Diego Wave FC
Date/Time: Sunday, November 5, 6:30 p.m. PT
Location: Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA
Weather: 62, clear
Scoring Summary
RGN: Latsko – 47'
SD: None
Discipline
RGN: None
SD: None
Lineups
RGN: GK Dickey, D Huerta, D Cook, D Barnes (c), D McClernon, M Lavelle (Quinn 82’), M Sonnett, M Fishlock (Van der Jagt 86’), F Latsko, F Huietma (Balcer 78’), F Rapinoe
Unused substitutes: GK Ivory, M Angelina, M Stanton, D Hiatt, F King, F Bennett
Total Shots: 9 (Latsko – 3)
Shots on Goal: 5 (Huitema – 2)
Fouls: 13 (Huitema – 5)
Offsides: 2
Corner Kicks: 4
Saves: 4 (Dickey – 4)
SD: GK Sheridan, D Pogarch (McNabb 78’), D Girma, D Westphal, D Dahlkemper, M Colaprico (Carusa 88’), M Van Egmond, M Hill (Jakobsson 61’), F Doniak (Ali 78’), F Shaw (Kornieck 89’), F Morgan ©
Unused substitutes: GK Yanez, D Riehl, M Dougherty Howard, F Barcenas
Total Shots: 13 (Morgan – 4)
Shots on Goal: 4 (Morgan – 2)
Fouls: 10 (Hill – 2)
Offsides: 0
Corner Kicks: 5
Saves: 4 (Sheridan– 4)
Player of the Match: Veronica Latsko
Referee: Natalie Simon
Assistant Referee 1: Tiffini Turpin
Assistant Referee 2: Ricardo Ocampo
4th Official: Alex Billeter
VAR: Greg Dopka
AVAR: Kaili Terry