FC Kansas City beat the Seattle Reign 1-0 to win their second straight NWSL Championship. (Photo Copyright Patricia Giobetti for The Equalizer)
PORTLAND, OR — Amy Rodriguez’s 78th minute goal carried FC Kansas City to a 1-0 victory over Seattle Reign FC and their second consecutive NWSL Championship. The match was played before an NWSL Championship record 13,264 at Providence Park in Portland. A year ago the Blues upset the Reign 2-1 at Starfire Stadium in Seattle.
[MORE: Complete coverage of the 2015 NWSL Championship ]
The match turned in an instant when Kendall Fletcher came off injured after getting tangled up with Erika Tymrak in the Reign penalty box. Elli Reed came on, and on FC Kansas City’s first attacking sequence after the substitution, Heather O’Reilly swapped to the left side and made a run up the flank where she had space to fire a cross to the top of the six. Rodriguez got Hope Solo moving the wrong way and finished her header for her third goal of the playoffs and third of the last two finals.
The Reign’s best chance came in the 63rd minute when Megan Rapinoe blasted a shot off the post. The match closed out the club career of Lauren Holiday who will retire after the United States national team victory tour.
