By Marilia Macedo
Rose Lavelle helped the team reach the top of the Group B table.
This Saturday (2) at Providence Park, the Cascadia Derby was on fire in the NWSL Challenge Cup. Interesting chances for both sides, but the OL Reign got the three points with a goal scored by Lavelle against Portland Thorns.
The first half showed an OL Reign trying to keep the ball and create some plays during the first ten minutes, keeping the pressure on the hosts with good moves and some dangerous corner kicks, but didn't find the way to score. After that, the Thorns balanced the game. Luckily, the keeper Tullis-Joyce had another brilliant performance, making good saves and keeping everything clear.
With a line-up different than usual, Laura Harvey chose to pick the midfielder Angelina as a forward. Even with great talent, the Brazilian player couldn't create as much while attacking, and her best moments were helping the defensive system.
The second half wasn't easy for Harvey's squad. The home team had even more chances to take the lead, but the defenders were able to block the attempts. Still, to get the job done, the visitors had to attack as well. Finally, Balcer came from the right side of the pitch and passed to Jess Fishlock. Then, she found Rose Lavelle to score the winning goal, 0-1.
Then, they needed to keep possession, especially the ball far from the posts defended by Tullis-Joyce to take home the three points, and they did it very well, reaching the top of the table.
Reign's next game in the Challenge Cup will be against San Diego Wave on Thursday, April 14, at 7 PM PT. Meanwhile, the Thorns will also play against San Diego a few days later, on Sunday, April 17, at 4 PM PST.
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