Huitema goal helps Reign over 10-player Orlando | Huitema goal helps Reign over 10-player Orlando | National Women's Soccer League Official Site

03 September 2023By: NWSL Editor

Huitema goal helps Reign over 10-player Orlando

SEATTLE, Wa.

– OL Reign defeated the Orlando Pride, 1-0, on Sunday night thanks to forward Jordyn Huitema’s strike in the 49 ^th minute and after playing with a one player advantage since Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was sent off after just three minutes. The win pushes OL Reign to 4 ^th place with 27 points from 18 games played, while Orlando remain in 9 ^th place with 22 points from 18 games played. The early game-changing moment of the match came in the 3 ^rd minute when Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was shown a straight red card for a challenge on OL Reign forward Bethany Balcer just outside of her own penalty area. Balcer had been played through over the top and was chasing the ball down when Moorhouse, who was well off her line, came out and attempted to win the ball with a challenge. Her attempt failed, however, and she instead clipped Balcer who went tumbling down on the ground. The result meant the Pride would have to face the hosts with just 10 players for the remaining 87 minutes plus stoppage time left. The Reign then produced their first quality look on goal in the 18 ^th minute when midfielder Jess Fishlock unleashed from outside the box and forced Orlando substitute goalkeeper Carly Nelson into a great save. Fishlock had pounced on a miscued pass by a Pride defender and intercepted the ball just outside the opposition penalty area. Opting to curl a shot with her right foot from there, Fishlock got loads of power behind the strike, but Nelson was equal to it enough to push it over the crossbar and out of play. Then in the 29 ^th minute, midfielder Rose Lavelle had an opportunity in front of goal as defender Sofia Huerta slid her through, but Nelson was able to sit on the chance in the end and end the move. Huerta was in possession on the right side of the field when she saw the quick run of Lavelle, who was darting into the box. Huerta then slipped the ball in and Lavelle slapped a shot on the turn, but Nelson was able to get low enough to block the shot and maintain possession to end the chance. Outside of a brief look for Orlando attacker Marta in the 41 ^st minute, the Reign continued to pile on the pressure with the forward Huitema denied an opening goal first in the second minute of four minutes of first half stoppage time. Via a Rose Lavelle corner, Huitema leapt to meet the cross and got plenty of power on it as she directed it toward the right side of goal. However, Nelson produced a great reaction save and got just enough of a fingertip on the effort to send it inches wide of the far post and out and the hosts kept knocking at the door. Into the second half, the Reign would not be kept at bay for much longer as Jordyn Huitema would open the scoring in the 49 ^th minute after a redirected cross found the ball in Huitema’s path just high of the penalty spot where she calmed slotted home. Lavelle had cut downfield on the ball when she slid a cross to the center of goal that Nelson kept out with her knee. However, the rebound rolled into Huitema’s line around 14 yards from goal, and she opened up her right foot to strike a precise effort that squeezed through a few bodies on its way into goal. The goal is Huitema’s fifth on the season. Though it was still a competitive rest of the second half, the Reign were able to control the game even more as they held their lead through the hour mark. In the 69 ^th minute, an Orlando corner swung in by Marta nearly found its way into the back of the net if not for a great punch by Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey to get the ball away. However, that would be the last of the true opportunities for the re-aligned Orlando side and OL Reign would take advantage of that one player advantage to earn a 1-0 win in the end.