Kim Little scored a second-half brace and Megan Rapinoe added a late goal as the new-look Seattle Reign FC defeated the Boston Breakers 3-0 on Sunday in Seattle to open the 2014 season. Seattle also earned its first shutout in franchise history after failing to keep a clean sheet in 22 games in 2013.
Little opened the scoring on a penalty kick in the 49th minute after Breakers center back Courtney Jones handled the ball in the box. Five minutes later, the Scottish midfielder and new addition to Seattle had her second goal, running in behind Boston’s sleeping defense to collect Jessica Fishlock’s quick free kick from midfield and slotting the ball under Boston goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Rapinoe cushioned the score with an empty net tap-in in the 88th minute after Naeher came out to meet a 50-50 ball but could not get enough of it, and Rapinoe calmly finished for a 3-0 win.
The Breakers were overwhelmed in the second half as Seattle moved the ball around and brought on Japanese forward Nahomi Kawasumi for fellow on-loan INAC Kobe Leonessa teammate Beverly Goebel. Boston’s best chance of the game came in the 29th minute, when Joanna Lohman’s half-volley hit the underside of the crossbar and was deemed to have not crossed the line.
Goals
49′ SEA – Little (PK) 1
54′ SEA – Little (Fishlock) 2
88′ SEA – Rapinoe 1
Lineups
SEATTLE — Solo; Fletcher, Barnes, Cox, Reed; Winters, Fishlock, Little; Goebel, Rapinoe, Leroux
BOSTON — Naeher; Avant, King, Whitehill; Kyle, Lohman, O’Reilly, Pathman, Sanderson; Schoepfer, Jones
Woman of the match
Kim Little. She was everywhere and did everything, from an advanced midfield role that saw her overlapping her very talented front line.
Full replay
