OL Reign Vs Utah Royals: 3 things we learned

2. Substitutions the catalyst

The woman of the match was none other than 2019 Rookie of the Year, Bethany Balcer. Balcer was left out of the starting lineup for the first time this tournament but came in to replace Shirley Cruz in the 67th minute.

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In her time on the pitch, she helped Reign play in the most offensive and dangerous manner they have all tournament, generating five chances and scoring the eventual game-winner.

Her goal came from a perfectly placed cross by fellow substitute Yuka Momiki, who came into the match in the 80th minute. During the ten minutes that both Momiki and Balcer were on the field, they provided a spark that OL had been without the entire tournament.

Reign’s starting lineup was different than what had been used before with the likes of Balcer on the bench. However, Benstiti used his Rookie of the Year late to grab all three points.

Substitutes have been a key role in this competition as five substitutions are allowed as per the new FIFA amendment to the usual three substitution max. The subs couldn’t have come at a better time for Reign as their presence and activeness on the field led to a crucial three points for their first win in the tournament.