Nahomi Kawasumi, on her first game back with the Seattle Reign, scored a goal in each half to give the home side a victory over the Boston Breakers.
The first goal came in the 14th minute and began with the goal-scorer herself. Kawasumi played a ball up the field into space for Manon Melis, who crossed the ball into the penalty area very near the goal line A Boston defender got a touch on the ball placing it towards the center, where Kawasumi buried it into the lower left corner of the goal.
Just before the half ended, Kim Little nearly doubled the Reign’s lead when Kawasumi found her with a perfectly placed cross, but her header went off the top part of the right post.
It took Kawasumi 17 minutes into the second half to score again. This time, she received a long ball from Keelin Winters, and dribbled towards the center of the edge of the penalty area, saw her options, but decided to shoot the ball over Breakers’ goalkeeper Jami Kranich to make it 2-0.
Kranich came up with two big saves as the game was getting close to the end to keep the score to a minimum. In the 73rd minute, Little found herself with space on the top right corner of the penalty area and unleashed a shot but Kranich got to it even though she was well off her line. Kranich then went 1-v-1 with Little, and dove in at the right time to steal the ball from her feet.
The result gave the Reign a fifth straight shutout, a new league record.
Next week, Seattle will be away at Western new York to take on the Flash at 7 p.m. ET at Frontier Field on Saturday, July 9th. The Boston Breakers will be away in Orlando to take on the Pride at Camping World Stadium at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 10th.
