Retiring U.S. star Megan Rapinoe plays her final regular season home game for OL Reign, a scoreless draw against the Washington Spirit.
On Friday, Megan Rapinoe played her final regular season home match for OL Reign, which drew, 0-0, with the Washington Spirit. In the waning minutes of Friday’s match against the Washington Spirit, OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe charged upfield, beckoning for the ball from goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. She seemed poised to create late magic in front of a record crowd during the final regular season home match of her NWSL career.
“I am a little bit at a loss for words,” Rapinoe said after the game. “I don’t know who to thank other than every single person, but it’s been such an incredible journey.”Friday’s contest offered high stakes for two teams jockeying for playoff position. But the moment belonged to Rapinoe, the 38-year-old U.S. national team icon.Ahead of Friday’s game, OL Reign opened additional seating at Lumen Field to accommodate demand, resulting in an NWSL record 34,130 spectators.
She was honored at a Seattle Storm game in August, and in September, she celebrated the end of her U.S. women’s national team career during a friendly against South Africa in Chicago. She left that game to a standing ovation in the 54th minute and was gifted a framed jersey with the No. 203, representing her caps over 17 years.Rapinoe received a similar show of appreciation after a September match in Portland, Ore., where she played college soccer.
When the match kicked off, Rapinoe instigated OL Reign’s attack from the left flank, where she helped her side control the first half. The second half gave way to a more threatening Spirit attack that created opportunities into the final minute, when Dickey saved a pair of Trinity Rodman shots. The Spirit could have clinched a playoff spot with a win. Instead, it sits fourth ahead of its regular season finale Oct. 15 against the North Carolina Courage. OL Reign is in the sixth and final postseason position.
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