OL Reign vs. San Diego Wave: NWSL semifinal gamethread

OL Reign heads to sunny California to take on the San Diego Wave in the NWSL semifinals tonight. The match kicks off at Snapdragon Stadium at 6:30 p.m. PT and will air on CBS Sports Network for fans in the U.S. and the NWSL website for international viewers.

That means this match won't be available on Paramount+.

OL Reign and the Royal Guard Supporters Group are holding watch parties at Rough & Tumble in Ballard, Doyle's Pub in Tacoma, and Rookies in Columbia City.

It's bound to be a tough match for OL Reign, as the San Diego Wave earned this year's NWSL Shield after losing just once in their last eight matches of the season. Matches between the Reign and Wave over these last two years have always been close: the Reign went 3-0-1 against San Diego in the regular season and haven't won by more than one goal in league play.

NWSL semifinal preview: OL Reign vs. San Diego Wave

The Reign face the NWSL Shield winners with a chance to advance to the final next week.

Sounder at HeartSusie Rantz

"We're really excited," captain Lauren Barnes said ahead of the match. "There's been such a fun buzz around the team right now since we've been in Seattle and this week leading up to the semifinals."

It's bound to be another tight Clash of the Coolers. Can OL Reign come out on top and advance to their third NWSL final?

What to Watch

• Keeping the Wave in front: San Diego leads the league in offside calls, which means they love to test the line. Can OL Reign's backline stay in sync and prevent balls in behind? And can the midfield prevent dangerous balls?
• Rose Lavelle: After playing nearly 30 minutes in the quarterfinal match, Rose Lavelle should be ready for more minutes against San Diego. She's only started four times for the Reign this year, and not once against the Wave. Can she be the difference maker?
• Using the width: As we highlighted in our preview, San Diego defends with numbers in the middle. Can the Reign use their width effectively to get around the Wave's defensive structure? 

Officials

Lineups

Highlights

Be prepared to see some brown spots and football markings. San Diego State played at Snapdragon last night. Hope the field holds up OK.

STREAM OPTION: It appears that the Reign's match will start on time while the Thorns and Gotham go into extra time. I'm told the match will stream on CBSSports.com until it can shift over on TV.

KICKOFF TIME UPDATED: The kickoff has been delayed to 6:43 p.m. PT

16' - Jordyn Huitema forces Kailen Sheridan into a good save.

47' - Veronica LatsGOALLLLLLLL! Cross? Shot? We don't care! 1-0 Reign.

Final: OL Reign win 1-0!!!! We're going to the NWSL championship!

Injury / Availability Report

OL Reign

OUT: None

San Diego Wave

OUT: None

How to Watch

Time/Date: Sunday, November 5, 6:30 p.m. PT

Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego

TV: CBS Sports Network

Streaming: CBSSports.com (subscription required), NWSL Website (International)

Join the Discussion

This is your NWSL semifinal gamethread. Join the discussion about the playoff battle in the comments or on our Discord for paid subscribers, and follow @RoValks on Twitter for live updates.