Seattle Reign FC Draw 1-1 with Racing Louisville in Annual Pride Match

Sandra Agbotse

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June 23, 2024

In a thrilling match attended by the third-largest regular season crowd in club history, Seattle Reign FC drew 1-1 with Racing Louisville FC during their annual Pride match, presented by Starbucks. The Reign initially took the lead with a penalty kick, but Louisville found a late equalizer in stoppage time.

The game kicked off with a dramatic incident in the opening minutes. Racing Louisville defender Arin Wright fouled Reign forward Jordyn Huitema in the box, resulting in a penalty kick. Upon review, Wright's yellow card was upgraded to a red, leaving Louisville with ten players for the remainder of the match.

Reign FC forward Bethany Balcer confidently converted the penalty, sending the ball low and hard into the right corner of the net just ten minutes into the match. This marked Balcer’s fifth goal of the season, solidifying her position as a crucial player for the team.

Following the goal, Seattle dominated possession and created several opportunities to extend their lead. Midfielders Ji and Quinn both fired shots on goal around the 20-minute mark, but Louisville's goalkeeper Katie Lund made crucial saves to keep her team in the match. Forward Tziarra King had a golden chance in the 29th minute, but Lund again denied her with an impressive save.

A major collision in the Reign’s box just before halftime resulted in Louisville making a concussion substitution, adding to the tension of the match.

In the second half, Seattle continued to control the game but eased off the relentless pressure applied in the first half. Despite taking seven shots, none were on target. Deep into stoppage time, Racing Louisville capitalized on a free kick opportunity. Goalkeeper Lund delivered a perfect ball into the box, where midfielder Jaelin Howell headed it towards forward Reilyn Turner, who scored the equalizer.

Key Takeaways:

New Starting XI: Seattle Reign FC continues to utilize their squad depth, with no repeated starting XI in all 14 games this season. Defender Sofia Huerta is the only player to have started every match and played every minute.
Bethany Balcer: Balcer scored her fifth goal of the season, reaching a career total of 33 regular-season goals, the third-most in Reign FC history. She remains the only NWSL player to score at least five goals each season since 2019.
Series: The draw brings the all-time series record between the Reign and Racing Louisville FC to 1 win, 1 loss, and 6 draws.

Up Next: Seattle Reign FC will travel to New Jersey to face NJ/NY Gotham FC on Sunday, June 30. Fans can catch the game on ESPN 2, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes.

Match Summary:

Scoring Summary:
- SEA: Balcer – 10’
- LOU: Turner – 90+7’
Discipline:
- SEA: Huitema – (Caution – 45+12')
- LOU: Wright – (Red Card – 9'), Flint – (Caution – 31')
Lineups:
- SEA: GK Dickey, D Huerta, D Barnes (c) (Cook 74’), D McClernon, D Brown (Holmes 62’), M Fishlock, M Quinn (Stanton 86’), M Ji (Athens 90+4’), F King (Latsko 62’), F Balcer (62’ Van der Jagt), F Huitema. Unused substitutes: GK Ivory, F Adames, M James-Turner. Total Shots: 13 (Latsko – 3). Shots on Goal: 3. Fouls: 15 (Ji – 4). Offsides: 1. Corner Kicks: 9. Saves: 3 (Dickey – 3).
- LOU: GK Lund, D Milliet, D Pickett, D Wright, D Erceg, M DiGrande, M Flint (Jean 45’), M Howell (C), M DeMelo (Fischer 58’), F Sears (Goins 80’), F Bahr (Turner 58’). Unused substitutes: F Motlhalo, D Pokorny, M Baggett, GK White. Total Shots: 7 (Sears, Turner – 2). Shots on Goal: 4. Fouls: 7 (Flint, Fischer– 2). Offsides: 3. Corner Kicks: 2. Saves: 2 (Lund – 2).

Player of the Match: Jess Fishlock

Referee Team: