Angel City FC falls to OL Reign on late goal in NWSL quarterfinal
Veronica Latsko scores in the 87th minute to give the fourth-seeded Reign a 1-0 victory over fifth-seeded Angel City on Friday night in Seattle
OL Reign’s Veronica Latsko (24) celebrates her goal with Bethany Balcer as dejected Angel City FC players look on late in the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Reign held on for a 1-0 win, ending Angel City’s season. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Angel City FC forward Sydney Leroux, center, makes a short pass in front of the goal as OL Reign defender Emily Sonnett, left, and defender Alana Cook, right, look on during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Angel City FC forward Claire Emslie, center, moves the ball against OL Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock, left, and defender Emily Sonnett (2) during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe, right, moves the ball against Angel City FC defender Ali Riley during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Angel City FC goalkeeper Angelina Anderson leaps for a save over OL Reign forwards Veronica Latsko, back center, and Jordyn Huitema (9) during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Angel City FC defender Madison Hammond, top, falls along with OL Reign forward Veronica Latsko during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe, left, plays the ball as Angel City FC’s Scarlett Camberos defends during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe, center, makes a break for the goal against Angel City FC defender Ali Riley, right, during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Angel City FC’s Sarah Gorden, left, plays the ball in front of OL Reign’s Veronica Latsko during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe, left, and Angel City FC’s Ali Riley vie for a header during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Angel City FC’s Paige Nielsen, left, and OL Reign’s Jordyn Huitema vie for the ball during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Angel City FC’s Paige Nielsen, left, and OL Reign’s Jordyn Huitema collide during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Angel City FC forward Claire Emslie, center, shoots in front of OL Reign defender Emily Sonnett, left, as Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey (30) looks on during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign’s Jess Fishlock, right, passes the ball up the field during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal against Angel City FC on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Angel City FC’s Ali Riley, left, pushes off on OL Reign’s Megan Rapinoe during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Angel City FC midfielder Savannah McCaskill (9) falls to the turf while battling OL Reign defender Emily Sonnett (2) for the ball during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign forward Veronica Latsko, left, battles against Angel City FC defender M.A. Vignola during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Angel City FC’s Scarlett Camberos, left, defends against OL Reign’s Phoebe McClernon during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
OL Reign’s Megan Rapinoe (15) looks for a card after teammate Quinn was tripped during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal against Angel City FC on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe, right, and Angel City FC’s Ali Riley pursue the ball during the first half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
OL Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, center, leaps to make a save as forward Jordyn Huitema, bottom center, and Angel City FC midfielder Savannah McCaskill (9) battle for position during the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Angel City FC forward Sydney Leroux, left, clears the ball against OL Reign defender Alana Cook during the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Angel City FC’s Sydney Leroux, left, advances the ball as OL Reign’s Alana Cook defends during the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
OL Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle, left, moves the ball against Angel City FC defender Ali Riley, center, during the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign defender Emily Sonnett, right, looks to receive the ball in front of Angel City FC forward Sydney Leroux during the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Angel City FC’s Alyssa Thompson controls the ball during the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal against OL Reign on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
OL Reign’s Megan Rapinoe controls the ball during the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal against Angel City FC on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe, left, gains possession against Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden during the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign forward Veronica Latsko, third from right, scores a goal in front of Angel City FC defender M.A. Vignola, second from left, and defender Paige Nielsen, in front, late in the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign’s Veronica Latsko (24) celebrates her goal with Bethany Balcer as dejected Angel City FC players look on late in the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Reign held on for a 1-0 win, ending Angel City’s season. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
OL Reign forward Veronica Latsko, top right, celebrates with teammates, including defender Phoebe McClernon (21), defender Sofia Huerta (11) and forward Megan Rapinoe, right, after scoring late in the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal against Angel City on Friday night in Seattle. The Reign won, 1-0. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign forward Veronica Latsko, top right, celebrates with teammates, including defender Sofia Huerta (11) and forward Megan Rapinoe, right, after scoring late in the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal against Angel City on Friday night in Seattle. The Reign won, 1-0. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe celebrates after a goal by teammate Veronica Latsko late in the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal against Angel City FC on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe waves toward the crowd as she is subbed out of the game during the second half of their NWSL quarterfinal against Angel City FC on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
OL Reign players, including forward Bethany Balcer (8), midfielder Rose Lavelle, second from right, and midfielder Olivia Van der Jagt (33) celebrate while Angel City FC midfielder Clarisse Le Bihan shows her frustration as time expires in their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. The Reign won, 1-0. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Angel City FC’s Sydney Leroux walks off the field with her daughter Roux after their 1-0 loss to OL Reign in an NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Angel City FC player Sydney Leroux, left, and OL Reign coach Laura Harvey walk to the field together before their NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Angel City FC supporters display signs calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war during the first half of the team’s NWSL quarterfinal against OL Reign on Friday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
SEATTLE — Angel City FC’s remarkable turnaround season came to an end Friday night.
Veronica Latsko scored on a header in the 87th minute to give OL Reign a 1-0 victory over Angel City in a National Women’s Soccer League quarterfinal.
Phoebe McClernon whipped a cross into the box and Latsk soared above Angel City’s Paige Nielsen and M.A. Vignola to score from close range at Seattle’s Lumen Field, giving the Reign its first playoff victory since 2015.
The Reign will head to San Diego to take on the top-seeded Wave in a semifinal match on Nov. 5.
The loss was just the second in 15 games for Angel City under interim coach Becki Tweed, who in June took over a team that was buried near the bottom of the standings and led them to the fifth seed in the 12-team league and their first postseason berth. Playing their fourth game in 18 days, Angel City finally ran out of steam in the final minutes.
The first half was a defensive battle, as two teams squaring off for the fifth time this season combined for just five shots – the fewest in any half of a postseason match in NWSL history.
The Reign took control in the second half. Latsko had a shot ping off the post, and Megan Rapinoe – playing in her final home game after 11 seasons with the Reign – had a hard shot saved in the 53rd minute.
Angel City was held to just one shot in the second half.
“It was difficult. I mean, obviously two really well-organized teams, two teams in form, couldn’t really break each other down. A few chances on either side,” said Rapinoe, a two-time World Cup champion and FIFA World Player of the Year who announced in June that this would be her final season. “But I felt like once the second half started, we started to gain that momentum. It was just a matter of time – took a little bit longer than we would have liked, but eventually got it in the end.”
The game also marked the return of Rose Lavelle in the 64th minute, who had been out with a knee injury since Sept. 3. Just minutes before Latsko’s goal, Lavelle forced Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson to push her shot from distance out for a corner kick.
