OL Reign and the Portland Thorns began their respective Challenge Cup campaigns on Friday night, playing to a 1-1 draw in front of a 7,343-person crowd at Lumen Field in Seattle.
The hosts started off on the front foot, applying steady pressure to Portland’s defense. OL Reign broke through in the 19th minute when defender Sofia Huerta delivered a strike from long range to put her side up 1-0.
Looks like @schuerta is picking up right where she left off in 2021 🚀@OLReign | #BoldTogether pic.twitter.com/gz1AmhSNj6— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 19, 2022
Looks like @schuerta is picking up right where she left off in 2021 🚀@OLReign | #BoldTogether pic.twitter.com/gz1AmhSNj6
Christine Sinclair responded for the Thorns just minutes later, finishing a deflected Sophia Smith shot for the equalizer.
The 🐐 said game on ⚽️💥@sincy12 | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/lSloROofeR— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 19, 2022
The 🐐 said game on ⚽️💥@sincy12 | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/lSloROofeR
Despite a flurry of chances for both sides in the second half, the scoreline remained at 1-1 until the final whistle.
Next up: Challenge Cup play continues on March 26, with OL Reign taking on Angel City FC and Portland meeting San Diego Wave FC.