Week 8 of the National Women’s Soccer League is upon us and boy, have we got a matchup for you. After a three-week break from league action, your Seattle Reign FC will host the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday. Chicago will be looking to extend its unbeaten streak to seven while Reign FC will be looking to keep the good times rolling on the Moda Pitch at Memorial Stadium where they have yet to lose a match. There is a lot to watch out for in this one but we’ve narrowed it down below for your reading pleasure.
Streaks on Streaks on Streaks
Reign FC knows a thing or two about undefeated streaks, considering 2014 saw a marvelous 16 game run from the eventual Supporter Shield winning squad. Though they only lost two times in all of 2014, one of those losses came in game 17 of the campaign when Reign FC fell 1–0 on the road to…. you guessed it, the Chicago Red Stars.
Fast-forward to present day and the roles have reversed just a tad. Chicago will visit Memorial on Saturday looking to extend their unbeaten streak to seven games. The Red Stars are the last undefeated team in the league this season, and they will most certainly be looking to keep that momentum going.
The road to seven, however, isn’t an easy one. Reign FC are currently undefeated on its home turf and hold a 11–0–4 record in NWSL play since moving to the heart of Seattle in 2014.
Somebody’s streak may be over come Saturday night, or neither will, because this is soccer and draws do happen.
Momentum All Around
One can’t really discuss streaks without also discussing the momentum that accompanies them. Chicago Red Stars opened its season with a 3–2 stoppage time win over Reign FC on April 18 and since then, they’ve been a force to be reckoned with. In an effort to drain any momentum Chicago may want to find at Memorial, Reign FC will have to maintain possession and keep a very physical Chicago off the ball as much as possible.
While Reign FC have been away from NWSL action, the club is also coming off an impressive performance against the China PR Women’s National Team.
The 1–1 draw between the two sides on May 22 may not have advanced Reign FC in the NWSL standings, but it was a chance for Laura Harvey’s squad to gain experience against a World Cup-bound team. The match also allowed Reign FC to gain some momentum of its own on the ptitch. That, paired with past success at home, will be on Reign FC’s side.
Roster Sound-Off
Oh what a difference 42 days can make. The teams that met on April 18 are not the same teams that will meet on Saturday. With the Women’s World Cup under two weeks away (OMG!), Reign FC are without the services of goalkeeper Hope Solo and forward Megan Rapinoe.
While they are both missed, Reign FC is left in very capable hands as Haley Kopmeyer has made the seamless transition between the posts, and an array of skill can be found in the likes of forwards Kiersten Dallstream and Dani Foxhoven. The only other player that will be missing from Reign FC’s lineup is Welsh international Jess Fishlock as she will be serving a one-game red card suspension on Saturday.
Chicago, however, sits on the opposite end of the spectrum. The visitors will be without eight players — including the U.S. international quartet of defenders Lori Chalupny and Julie Johnston, midfielder Shannon Boxx and forward Christen Press — for World Cup preparations.
With the absences, Chicago’s roster features just six players who started against Reign FC on April 18. Two of those players, however, are forward Sofia Huerta who has amassed five goals in five games, and Vanessa DiBernado who currently leads the league in assists with four.
All in all, the two sides play a similar style of disciplined, possession-based soccer which ultimately makes for an intense and exciting 90 minutes of action. Seattle Reign FC vs. Chicago Red Stars is one matchup that never disappoints and Saturday will be no exception.
To get your tickets for the anticipated matchup, visit ReignFC.com or call (855) REIGN-FC. Seats starts at just $19.
