NWSL Reign beat Red Stars for team’s best start since 2014
By SUSIE RANTZ
Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — Bethany Balcer and Jess Fishlock each scored a pair of goals to lead OL Reign to a 5-2 win over the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday.
The win at Lumen Field gave the Reign (3-1-0) their best start since 2014.
Balcer scored the first two goals in the 15th and 20th minutes with Veronica Latsko and Lauren Barnes assisting. No player has scored more goals at home since 2019 than Balcer, who now has 20 in Reign home matches.
Arin Wright got a goal back for Chicago (1-3-0) in the 32nd minute, pouncing on a ball in the box that the Reign couldn’t clear.
In the final minutes of the first half, Fishlock scored her first goal. Emily Sonnett won a ball that was bouncing around after a corner by the Reign and passed it to Fishlock for the assist.
Chicago rookie Ally Schlegel scored her first NWSL goal early in the second half, winning a challenge in the box and sliding her shot into the lower right corner.
Megan Rapinoe scored on a free kick in the 75th minute, splitting her shot between two Red Stars players before it deflected off another Chicago defender and slipped into the near post.
Fishlock scored the Reign’s final goal in the 76th minute, finishing with one touch on an assist by Balcer.
SPIRIT 0, DASH 0
Washington and Houston remained undefeated to start the season after playing to a scoreless draw at Audi Field in Washington.
The Dash improved to 1-0-3, while the Spirit moved to 2-0-2.
It was a tight, defensive battle. The Spirit finished with 11 shots, while Houston had 10.
Ashley Sanchez hit the left post in the 57th minute.
In the 70th minute, Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury made a quick reaction save to push Sophie Schmidt’s header off the crossbar. Kingsbury pushed another shot by Schmidt from distance over the bar in the 94th minute to keep the match scoreless.
THORNS 2, RACING 0
Christie Sinclair and Morgan Weaver both had first-half goals and the Portland Thorns remained undefeated with a victory over Racing Louisville.
Sinclair scored for the Thorns two minutes into the match at Portland’s Providence Park. The Canadian forward, who has been with the Thorns since the league’s first year in 2013, became just the second NWSL player to score 60 regular-season goals.
Weaver added a goal for the Thorns (3-0-1) in first-half stoppage time. Sophia Smith, last season’s league MVP, assisted on both goals.
Louisville was undefeated going into the match with three straight draws to open the season.
U.S. national team coach Vlatko Andonoski was at the match. He is monitoring players across the league before he finalizes the roster for the Women’s World Cup this summer.
GOTHAM 1, COURAGE 0
Lynn Williams scored her 60th regular-season goal and Gotham downed North Carolina in a match that was delayed two hours after halftime by lightning.
Williams joined Sam Kerr and Christine Sinclair as the only players with 60 or more career goals in the NWSL. Sinclair scored her 60th earlier Saturday night.
The match was scoreless at halftime before the delay because of lightning near Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. The second half was played in heavy rain.
Williams has three goals in four matches for Gotham (3-1-0).
The Courage (1-2-0) haven’t won since the season opener.
Abby Smith stopped a pair of shots from North Carolina’s Brittany Ratcliffe in the 58th minute. Smith finished with three saves.
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