OL Groupe announced March 18 an agreement on the sale of Seattle Reign FC to a group including the Seattle Sounders FC and the investment firm Carlyle.
The sale price has been noted as $58m with NWSL Board of Directors approval pending. Closing is expected soon.
The Reign recently rebranded back to the original Seattle Reign FC from OL Reign. The club has also moved training to the Starfire space the Sounders used for many seasons prior to the opening of their Longacres operations site.
The press release indicates additional details will be announced over time, along with the final approval. The long rumored sale saga appears to be nearing completion.
The Reign opened the 2024 NWSL regular season Sunday with a 1-0 win over Washington Spirit at Lumen Field.
Seattle Reign FC 1
Washington Spirit 0
March 17, 2024
Lumen Field – Seattle, WA
NWSL Regular Season
Seattle Reign FC and Washington Spirit opened their 2024 NWSL seasons on a beautiful St. Patrick’s Day afternoon in Seattle.
Both clubs are in interesting spots heading into their first matches. The Spirit began a new era with coach Adrián González Morales and some lofty expectations. The Spirit attack would be without Trinity Rodman for the opener, serving a red card suspension from the final match of 2023.
The Reign move forward after high profile departures and the retirement of Megan Rapinoe, but return a sizeable core. The Reign introduced their international signings earlier in the week, along with the signings of Sam Meza and Maddie Mercado from their 2024 draft class and the club’s first U18 signing Emeri Adames. There are lingering questions about the club sale and ownership behind the scenes. All three new international signings were in the Reign starting XI.
It did not take long for the match to ramp up. Eleven seconds into the match after kickoff, the Reign won a penalty when Jordyn Huitema was fouled in the box. Bethany Balcer would step up and convert and it was one nil to the home side almost immediately.
The quick goal did not seem to alter the approach either side took early in the match. Both clubs press and attack and did so. Spirit keeper Aubrey Kingsbury was called upon for multiple saves in the first stanza, as Seattle found some success going down the wing and getting crosses into dangerous places.
The Spirit attack pressed hard against a Reign defense that was without two presumed starters in Lu Barnes and Alana Cook, but were unable to break through in the first half. The penalty would stand as the only goal of the half and the two teams would go into the interval with the one nil scoreline.
The second half was similar to the first. Both midfields were tough to crack through, with much of the offensive pressure coming from getting down a flank. Where the Spirit were often looking to find Ashley Hatch and the Reign would go wide to get the ball in to Balcer or Huitema.
Washington found the net in the 69th minute, but VAR review would negate it and leave the match a open goal affair entering the final twenty minutes.
VAR would again play a role down the stretch, as Spirit keeper Kingsbury would be sent off for a handball just over the 18 yard line.
In the end, a fairly balanced match with an early penalty goal holding up.
After the match Bethany Balcer commented about the early penalty. “We’re always trying to score of kickoff, but it’s never worked, so this was the first time it worked and it was kind of like, ‘Oh, we’ve got a PK, so let’s put this away,’ and I think it set the tone for the game, which was exactly what we wanted to do.”
Seattle would give the debut appearance to their first U18 signing Emeri Adames for the lengthy stoppage time. When asked about the debut, Seattle coach Laura Harvey on what she told Adames prior to going on the pitch, “‘Go score kid because you’re good.’ You wait, this kid is unbelievable.”
Next up, Seattle travels to Chicago March 23rd to face the Red Stars and Washington hosts expansion Bay FC the same evening at Audi Field.
SEA: GK Dickey, D Huerta, D Holmes (Brown 90+5’), D McClernon, D Woodham (Barnes 63’), M Fishlock (c), M So-Yun (Athens 90+4’), M Quinn, M James-Turner (Van der Jagt 63’), F Balcer (Adames 90+6’), F Huitema
Unused substitutes: GK Ivory, M Stanton, F King, M Meza
WAS: GK Kingsbury (c), D Krueger, D Wiesner (Butel 45+2’), D McKeown, D Carle, M Bethune (Bosselman 90+3’), M Sullivan, M Hershfelt, F Sarr, F Ratcliffe (Morris 65’), F Hatch (Brown 65’)
Unused substitutes: F Silano, DHeilferty, M Stainbrook, M Metayer, F Ricketts
OL Reign and Chicago Red Stars met Saturday afternoon in Seattle at Lumen Field.
The Reign were playing their third match in eight days with a midweek away Challenge Cup match in Los Angeles midweek. With squad rotation at the forefront, a successful two nil victory over Angel City with the stoppage time victory over San Diego last weekend, the Reign were riding a defensive goalless week into the match.
Chicago came into the match having found the net four times against Kansas City Current; a good result as they sort out the season ending loss of Mallory Swanson to a knee injury. For the Red Stars, nabbing four goals and three points in that first match after the loss of Swanson potentially bodes well for the resiliency of the side in 2023.
Photos by Lee Pate
The early going in the first half saw both sides poking and prodding for openings, but neither pressing up with numbers or pushing the envelope.
About a dozen minutes in the hosts kicked up the pressure, Tziarra King, Jordyn Huitema, and Veronica Latsko all began to get and create chances. In the fifteenth minute the pressure would pay off with Bethany Balcer slotting a right footed shot low after a series of touches in the box and the Reign had an early one nil lead.
Balcer would get her head on another cross a few minutes later to nab her second goa and it was a sudden two goal advantage.
The Red Stars were forced to make an early concussion sub when Cheyna Matthews came off in the 30th minute for Allison Schlegel. Moments later, the Red Stars would halve the Seattle lead when Arin Wright converted from the top of the penalty area. VAR review would confirm the goal.
The Reign would continue to press as the half wound down, while Chicago was finding more and more opportunities pushing forward with rookie Penelope Hocking and others stretching the defense.
Jessica Fishlock would score a stoppage time goal to extend the Reign lead back to two goals and the match would go into the interval 3-1 to the home side.
Megan Rapinoe entered the match at the half, having picked up yellow card on the bench in the first half.
Chicago wasted no time grabbing back a goal in the first minute out of the break. Schlegel would get a quick turn in the box on her right foot and stunned the Reign defense right out of the gate to cut the lead to 3-2.
Where the early going of the first half had appeared to be both teams playing fairly cautious, but the early stages of the second half this was a wide open match.
The 73rd minute would find the Reign with a set piece outside the box on the upper corner. Rapinoe’s shot was deflected by a Chicago defender past Alyssa Naeher bringing the lead back to two at 4-2.
The hosts would strike again moments later as Jessica Fishlock found the net to make it 5-2 with fifteen minutes to play.
The early goals in this match really opened up the play. Chicago getting a goal back during the first half and right out of the gate in the second contributed to keeping the match wide open.
The Reign successfully navigated the three match week, grabbing full points from all matches.
The Red Stars can score, showing they have scoring options despite the loss of Swanson to injury. However, they find themselves with only three points looking up after four matches.
Unused substitutes: GK Dickey, M Athens, D Malonson, D Holmes
Total Shots: 15 (Fishlock – 4)
Shots on Goal: 5 (Balcer, Fishlock – 2)
Fouls: 10 (Four tied with– 2)
Offsides: 1
Corner Kicks: 2
Saves: 3 (Tullis-Joyce – 3)
CHI: GK Naeher, D Kreuger, D Davison, D Milazzo, M Rocarro, M Nagasato (Bianchi 82’), M St. Georges (Bike 82’), M Wright (Aguilera 83’), F Stevens (Cook 60’), F Hocking, F Matthews (Schlegel 30’)
Unused substitutes: GK Boyd, F Griffith, M Feller, M Fisher
OL Reign 2 Chicago Red Stars 2 NWSL Regular Season September 9, 2022 Seattle, WA – Lumen Field With only a handful of matches left per team and a cluster of sides fighting to be in the top six, the OL Reign hosted Chicago Red Stars Friday night in Seattle. At this stage in the campaign dropping points could mean being the side that drops to seventh in the standings and is left outside the playoffs. The hosts came out with heavy pressure. Chicago countered with space and movement, working to spread the field and use quick passes to circumvent. Reign forward Megan Rapinoe and others still managed to create numerous chances in the first portion of the half. Red Stars keeper Alyssa Naeher was able to hold off the earliest attempts. When the Reign broke through, with Jordyn Huitema scoring in the 18th minute, it was a result of a follow up on a save that deflected right back to her for the finish. her initial shot from the center of the box ending up right back at her feet for a one time low drive. For the Seattle side, this was a first half that was a bit of a microcosm of their season. A lot of pressure and chances, not getting the goals, the other side weathers a storm and levels. Just before the half Chicago managed to level, Ella Stevens slotting home the goal from inside the penalty area after a bit of a wild scramble. The stoppage time equalizer sent the sides into the break on level terms. There was a distinct momentum shift coming out of the break. Chicago brought the pressure and created opportunities. Danielle Colaprico converted a 68th minute penalty from a handball call, and it was suddenly 2-1 for the visitors. Chicago had smartly played themselves through the Reign pressure, and with the second half well underway had turned much of the momentum into their attack. In the 75th minute Seattle nearly had a penalty on a foul in the box, but an offside flag over-ruled it. It was only a few minutes later when Seattle would get their second goal. An 80th minute Rose Lavelle long range shot would bring the match back level at 2-2. This is a match both sides will rightfully feel were points dropped not a point gained. BOX Scoring Summary RGN: Huitema – 18’, Lavelle – 80’ CHI: Stevens – 40+2’, Colaprico – 68’ Discipline RGN: None CHI: None Lineups RGN: GK Tullis-Joyce, D Huerta, D Cook, D Hiatt, D Barnes, M Stanton (McClernon 86’), M Van der Jagt, M Lavelle, F Balcer, F Huitema (Latsko 86’), F Rapinoe Unused substitutes: GK Dickey, GK Ivory, M Quinn, M Canales, M Athens, F King Total Shots: 21 (Rapinoe, Huitema – 6) Shots on Goal: 9 (Lavelle – 3) Fouls: 10 (Balcer, Stanton – 2) Offsides: 4 Corner Kicks: 3 Saves: 2 (Tullis-Joyce – 2) CHI: GK Naeher, D Milazzo, D Morse, D Kowalski, M Aguilera (St. Georges 69’), M Colaprico, M DiBernardo, M Fisher (Pugh 45’), F Hill, F Nagasato (Gautgrat 83’), F Stevens (Cook 69’) Unused substitutes: GK Boyd, M Foster, F Luebbert, F Griffith, F Dawber Total Shots: 16 (Hill, Pugh – 3) Shots on Goal: 4 (Four tied with – 1) Fouls: 6 (Fisher, Aguilera – 2) Offsides: 0 Corner Kicks: 6 Saves: 4 (Naeher – 7) Referee: Allen Chapman Assistant Referee 1: Melissa Gonzalez Assistant Referee 2: Baboucarr Jallow 4th Official: Kelsey Harms
