Tziarra King scored what proved to be the match-winner in the 58th minute and Claudia Dickey made five saves as the Seattle Reign won their third consecutive match, defeating Angel City 3-2 on Friday in Los Angeles.
Ji So-Yun and Sofia Huerta also scored goals for Seattle (5-9-5, 20 points) which extended its unbeaten streak to seven matches (3-0-4). Seattle closed to within one point of eighth-place Bay FC (7-11-0, 21 points) for the final NWSL playoff spot.
Alyssa Thompson and Sydney Leroux scored for ninth-place Angel City (6-10-3, 21 points) which had a two-match winning streak snapped. DiDi Haracic finished with four saves.
Angel City took a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute on Thompson’s fourth goal in three matches. Leroux picked up the assist on the play, finding Thompson breaking down the left wing where she booted a left-footed shot from the edge of the 6-yard box into the far corner.
Seattle tied it in the 31st minute when Huerta converted a penalty kick for the second straight match. The score came after Haracic was called for a penalty for tripping Jordyn Huitema while trying to clear a ball inside the box.
The Reign took a 2-1 lead in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time on So-Yun’s third goal of the season, a right-footed shot from top of the box.
King made it 3-1 in the 58th minute with a left-footed shot from the left side of the 6-yard box off a pass from Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic.
Angel City then had two goals taken off the board after video reviews, the first by M.A. Vignola in the 67th minute when Leroux was deemed offside and the second by Madison Hammond in the 85th minute when Leroux was ruled to have committed a foul on a Seattle clearing pass.
Leroux cut it to 3-2 in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time with her sixth goal of the season, heading a Vignola crossing pass inside the far post.
–Field Level Media
