OL Reign are back in the NWSL Championship for the first time since 2015. After years of playoff heartbreak, the Reign dished out some of their own on Sunday night, riding an unusual Veronica Latsko goal to a 1-0 victory over San Diego Wave FC at Snapdragon Stadium. The Reign will now stay the week in San Diego and return to Snapdragon to face NJ/NY Gotham FC for the title on Saturday. Here are three takeaways from the match.
When luck is on your side
Lastko didn’t even try to fake it. Her goal looked like a thing of beauty, and it will be remembered as such by Reign fans forever. But her impossible-angle, floating ball that went over Kailen Sheridan’s head and hit the side netting behind her, was not even a shot. Until it was.
“That was not supposed to be a shot,” Latsko told CBS Sports Network after the match.