Apparently, it’s goals on goals week for Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe.
The midfielder pocketed one for the U.S. women’s national team Tuesday off a Rapinoe assist that was the winning score in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria. The duo returned to their OL Reign jerseys Friday and connected again for a late equalizer against the Chicago Red Stars.
Lavelle’s artful goal helped the Reign draw 2-2 at Lumen Field to remain in a tight postseason hunt. Rapinoe had a chance at a winner in second-half stoppage time that keeper Alyssa Naeher saved, to the disappointment of the 7,427 in attendance.
The way OL Reign played, it would be easy to think the recent international break was the lounging by the pool type, not two high-profile matches in four days.
Despite playing heavy minutes in both games for the USWNT, Lavelle, Rapinoe, midfielder Sofia Huerta, and defender Alana Cook were in the starting lineup against Chicago. Canadian internationals Jordyn Huitema and Quinn traveled from Australia, but the latter didn’t play due to an injury suffered while with the national team.
The quintet immediately pressured Naeher, who finished the match with seven saves.
“It was a quick turnaround for a lot of the national-team players,” Huitema said. “It was a lot of looking at pictures, we didn’t run through very much but definitely had a plan going into it. … We were disappointed in the first half, not sealing the game early. To go down and fight back in the second half, we were pretty happy about that but, obviously, we were looking for a win.”
Huitema put the Reign on the board first in the 18th minute. Huerta beamed a pass into the box, Huitema spinning to send the ball into goal but it bounced off the back of Red Stars defender Amanda Kowalski.
Huitema simply gathered the rebound and smashed it past Naeher. The goal is Huitema’s first since joining the NWSL in July. The forward played for Paris Saint-Germain before signing with the Reign.
Chicago should’ve entered the break down at least two goals but Naeher was impressive in her response to conceding the early strike. She also had help from the post in the 38th minute when Huitema missed a sitter.
Reign keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce wasn’t as fortunate. Not getting a firm grasp on an attempt in first-half stoppage time let the ball roll in front of goal and ping off the post. The Reign defenders lost the ball in a scramble in the box, Red Stars midfielder Ella Stevens plucking it out of the crowd to power a right-footed shot into goal.
The teams headed into halftime level at a goal each.
“We should’ve won the game in the first half,” Reign coach Laura Harvey said. “The best save (Naeher) made was probably the last one. I don’t care what goalkeeper is in goal and I have a lot of respect for Alyssa, but some of the chances we had in the first half we should’ve scored.”
Chicago subbed on USWNT forward Mallory Pugh to open the second half and the Red Stars dictated the tempo. The Reign were also without one of their better defenders in Lu Barnes, who suffered an undisclosed injury in training and aggravated it in the first half. Harvey subbed Barnes off for Jimena Lopez at the break.
“Honestly, it was a bit of us, we got a little sloppy,” Huitema said of the downturn at halftime. “We needed to take our chances going forward a little more. When you let them get into their organized shape, they’re hard to break down and we needed to do that.”
The go-ahead score was on a handball penalty against Huitema. Red Stars midfielder Danny Colaprico took the shot from the spot, getting Tullis-Joyce to guess the wrong direction.
Lavelle’s equalizer from a Rapinoe feed was in the 80th minute. She dribbled downfield with Red Stars midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo marking her. But Lavelle cut a left-footed shot from the top of the box into the back of the net.
” (Rapinoe) has an incredible final ball, incredible cross, it’s just a matter of getting on the end of it,” Lavelle said. “You have to step up to her level, so it’s fun to get to play with her for club and country and learn from her every single day.”
The Reign (7-4-7) are unbeaten in their past three matches. Chicago (7-5-6) is a point behind them in NWSL standings at sixth place with 27 points.