SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Reign retired former star Megan Rapinoe’s No. 15 jersey and then capped the celebration with a 1-0 stoppage-time victory over the North Carolina Courage in the National Women’s Soccer League on Sunday night.
Teenager Emeri Adames finally broke through for the Reign seven minutes into stoppage time with a header that bounced off the post and into the goal as Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy tried in vain to stop it.
Afterward, 18-year-old Adames celebrated by striking Rapinoe’s iconic victory pose from the 2019 Women’s World Cup as Rapinoe cheered her on from the stands.
Jaelin Howell came close to scoring for Seattle shortly after entering the game in the 75th minute, but her left-footed shot from out front went just wide. Howell was acquired by the Reign earlier in the week in a trade with Racing Louisville.
The victory was Reign coach Laura Harvey’s 100th in the NWSL.
The weekend’s games were the first for the NWSL after a six-week break in the regular season for the Olympics.
Rapinoe spent her entire NWSL career with the Reign before retiring from soccer last year. Her jersey was the first retired by the club.
Rapinoe joined the Reign in the league’s first season in 2013 and played in 115 regular-season games with 51 goals.
Fans displayed a banner of Rapinoe’s image that read: “You Changed the Game.” Seattle’s Space Needle was lit up in lavender — a nod to Rapinoe’s hair color at the 2019 World Cup — for the occasion.
“Just overwhelmed,” Rapinoe said. “Honestly, the whole weekend, the club’s done such a great job in putting this all together and just to see everyone in lavender, all the No. 15s, all the support, it’s the world to me. Very overwhelming.”
Spirit 4, Current 1
Trinity Rodman scored to lift the Washington Spirit to a 4-1 win over the Kansas City Current Audi Field. It was her fifth goal this season.
Rodman scored three goals for the United States at the Paris Olympics, helping the team go undefeated on the way to a gold medal.
The Spirit jumped out to an early lead on Paige Metayer’s goal in the ninth minute and Ouleye Sarr’s goal in the 14th. Sarr leads the Spirit with eight goals. Croix Bethune had her 10th assist of the season, matching Tobin Heath’s season record set in 2016 with Portland.
After Rodman’s goal in the 50th, the Current’s Temwa Chawinga scored her league-leading 13th goal. Chawinga has tied a league record by scoring in six straight games.
Leicy Santos, making her NWSL debut, capped the match with a final goal for the Spirit. Santos, who played at the Olympics for Colombia, came to the Spirit from Atletico Madrid.
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