PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY (May 26, 2018) — Megan Rapinoe delivered the Seattle Reign’s first season-sweep of another NWSL team at Yurcak Field on Saturday night.
The Seattle Reign completed their victory lap over Sky Blue FC.
Sky Blue is still waiting on their first NWSL win this season. Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and the Sky Blue defense couldn’t keep Rapinoe from scoring in the 64th minute.
Megan Rapinoe’s Goal Gives Seattle Reign Season Sweep Over Sky Blue FC
Christen Westphal assisted Rapinoe’s goal.
After the match, Sky Blue FC Head Coach Denise Reddy said that she had made some “tweaks” to the formation to add more attacking players.
“Knowing how dangerous Seattle is, we were also looking to protect certain areas of the field to limit their offensive opportunities,” Reddy said. “Overall, I thought this was a great game of soccer, and I am proud of the effort that our players put forth.”
In goal, Sheridan made five saves. Opposite of her, Lydia Williams started her second match of the season, making four saves.
On her personal Twitter after the match, Janine Beckie thanked fans for support despite the frustrating start to the season.
“Feeling disappointed & tired but choosing to look forward,” Beckie tweeted. “Massive, massive thank you to our fans for sticking with us and coming out game after game – it’s coming & you make a difference!”
Just want to thank everyone that's been supporting @SkyBlueFC this year, home and away. It's obviously been a frustrating start, but the team needs us most when they are down. And this goes for all fans, not just Cloud 9. Every voice matters. #PushForward
— Cloud 9 | Gotham FC Supporters (@Cloud9GOTH) May 27, 2018
Three Takeaways
- Where is Raquel Rodriguez? Looking at Sky Blue FC’s injury report, no players are currently on international duty. And, in addition, there are only two absences due to injury: Erica Skroski and Rebekah Stott. However, Raquel Rodriguez, Sky Blue’s Costa Rican international, was not in the final game-day 18-player roster.
- A mid-season firing coming up soon? There is a chance that Denise Reddy could stay in her position for the whole season, but there’s also the strong possibility of her being fired by Sky Blue FC. No wins this season has plagued a struggling team. Reddy has made some questionable decisions personnel-wise, which is haunting the club.
- Seattle re-takes second place: After Portland won their match against Utah this weekend, they climbed to second place in the NWSL. However, three points against Sky Blue earned Seattle their spot back. They currently sit in second place with 17 points.
Perfect pass by @Cwestphal20 ✅
Textbook finish by @mPinoe ✅
Three points on the road ✅Take another look at the goal that gave us a 1-0 win on Saturday! pic.twitter.com/nhrkdFDAA7
— OL Reign (@OLReign) May 28, 2018
