Gotham at Reign
Like last year, Gotham has had a lot of changes, these are far more substantial than last year gone are so many. The Reign are coming off 2 years of giving up more and more goals, many goals are gone from Gotham, despite keeping their top 3 in goals. For both teams, a good early look, the weather will have an impact as there are heavy Reigns coming down now.
Yes, the weather is real you both see it and hear it on the field mics. NY seeks Ella but the pass is off. A break is pulled back by Reign and the shot goes over the frame. Reign to go over the top, played out they recover it and recycle. Freeman is not warned and the 2nd defender takes the ball away. Portillo beats her mark then the GK grabs it as she got the ball from Esther. Esther floats one in and the GK has a bit of difficulty as she knocks it down. Gotham into the area defended out and now a corner at 14’ for Gotham. To the center of the 6 and out for a goal kick. A distant shot is right at the Reign backstop. Into the area headed out by Reign, Fishlock has it now the back line of the Reign. Howell gets hit hard near midfield by Turner in the center circle. Freeman unable to hold the ball and Seattle goes into their backfield with it, Esther pressures it barely gets laid off to the GK. NY with a throw just in their attacking half. Way back to Tierna now Berger at the half and the foot of Carter her long run way off. Short kick under low pressure goes off a defender. Fishlock carries inside and it runs long to the Gotham net minder. Fishlock goes wide, no shot but the pass is well off to Freeman and NY gets forward. Martin leads Stevens but too strong and the GK has it. Berger out of her area with skill beats the attacking player. Esther in the area and wins a corner, she applauds the feed. Corner punched out NY holds, into the area and out, NY keeps it Stevens just beyond the area looking for it to be played on by Davidson, goal kick and a Reign player is down, she ran through the leg of Davidson. Turner puts Howell to the ground DFK near the bottom of the center circle. Davidson a few times on the ball Esther tries to play one on, it’s out to NY then down the line and a corner for NY. The GK grabs it out of the air with ease. Lead ball for Esther, the ball drifts wide and her shot against the grain has lost a lot of power. Berger and the attacker collide Beger is holding her elbow. Stevens for Esther double teamed, back out to Howell her shot blocked, Fishlock looks to get forward, NFL style tackled by Portilho. Reign get a corner, Fishlock is down at the arc. To the top of the 6 and Berger has it. Portilho alone has no support and gets stopped. NY holds, goes back to their defensive half, Berger from yards shy of half field plays it in Stevens tries to get a ball at the edge of the 6. Martin taken down from behind and a caution to Huitema at 42’, not the time to get one, and near midfield? Gotham again get end line and play into the 6 and the hands of the GK.
Neither team are establishing themselves in this game. Reign are getting a number or runs that Gotham must shut down, eventually one will get through, Gotham has taken some shots, ineffective but they are getting them off. Both must hold the ball better while getting forward. A key player for the Reign has a card, get at her.
Gotham with an early corner it goes just past the top of the area to Portilho, a blast deflected but it counts at 47’. She takes it first time, what technique an absolute blast on the half volley. Esther leads Portilho gets it a bit behind Howell who reached back and skied her shot. Stevens with the ball twice, each time goes straight at the defender not around not try to beat but go through? Bugg cautioned for a foul on Stevens as she tried to turn, she may have caught he foot, it is being described as soft, if due to the body contact, yes no doubt. Howell tripped up and a DKF well beyond the area a few yards in the field, headed 2x then to the GK. Freeman wins a throw off the legs of her opponent. Bugg has her clearing ball hit a Gotham player in the chest. Fishlock dropped near the ref, Gotham suffers a similar fate and get the call. Stevens wins a challenge as Esther is calling for it, no pass NY gets it goal ward for a goal kick. Heitema sent sprawling no call, Gotham waits an extra bit to clear a ball and it cross the touchline first. Carter catches her mark who also makes contact with the next defender, but Carter called for it. Heitema heads it on Gotham gets it out then win a throw deep in their defensive end. Curry shot is blocked then wins a corner at 65’. Fishlock over the ball fully through the area and Esther gets to it wins a throw. Reign are pressuring and they win it as it never clears the half, a long ball in picked up by Berger. Stevens passes her player on the wing, passing Bugg feeds Esther and nothing comes of it. Schupansky cautioned at 67’ for a pro foul of grabbing the jersey. Down for Gotham is Portilho, she was kicked and stepped on so hoping just pain and no injury. Adames sends home a ball bouncing around the area, slapped down by Berger and not cleared out 1-1 at 72’, Reign have been pressing, it may have come off her right hand? Martin and another are talking with the ref now. It stands the ball rode up the torso, not getting the arm VAR doing its job. Howell a yellow for a high kick that may have caught the head of the Seattle player, this was easily a red, a tackle studs up to the face, way high. It is being reviewed, I see it as no doubt, it is also reckless. One of the talking heads thinks that she did not see the other player is a mitigating factor, no, that it did not have added force maybe, I say high and enough and dangerous enough, a red. The yellow stands. Holmes gives up a goal kick at the end line being defended well. Gotham of late have had a number of unforced errors as the Reign keep pressing this needs to stop. Reign win a corner at 80”. Fishlock puts it into the chest of the short player for Gotham and now a foul Gotham has it coming out. Third time must be the charm on hit one and thy go short, just tied less than 10’ get forward. Freeman with a high arcing cross taken and recovered Esther and Stevens it is Esther with a left footed effort saved out for a corner in the 6 it was on goal for sure but the GK could not hold . A foul as a shot is taken and it will be Reign ball. Freeman fouled Mondesier, she caught her on her trailing ankle, that had to hurt. This has gone to VAR, I cannot imagine it being a red, it was part of her natural stride on a foot that was left behind, the talking heads agree. This, far less of a call than the Howell high kick, but the red is issued at 88”. Gotham needed to do a better job closing out the win, after being tied and this card is all but giving the game away. Reale in for Sara. Meza for Ji for Seattle. 8’ of extra time. As a team with their hustle to the ball effort on tackles the Reign seem to want it more. Whitman in for Esther, a new set of legs to rip it up out there maybe poach a goal? Mak was to get the ball but the pass was off. She gets the throw, marked, gives it back to the space that Reale had left. Gotham move the ball well, go long and it is blocked. Reign in on goal again grabbed out of the air no issue by Berger. Heitema jumps in and makes contact with the ‘keeper as she had dropped it to punt away. That is not done as part of protecting the GK and at no times grab a player like that. The bench of Gotham just got a yellow. Reale beats her mark, plays it in, blocked before the area.
The reign did not give up as Gotham did not pick it up a disappointing result for Gotham, the goal was one of those things, but you had a 25% first half advantage in possession more shots on goal, far more shots. A number of unforced errors by Gotham.