Arsenal Ladies Will Travel To Seattle For Their First Match In The United States In Over 10 Years
News from the NWSL – Seattle Reign FC announced that the club will host Arsenal Ladies FC on Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 PM PT at Memorial Stadium in Seattle, WA. This will mark Arsenal Ladies FC first match in the United States in over 10 years, and will be the first opportunity for Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey to face her former club.
From 2008-2012, Harvey complied an impressive 91-8-10 record while leading Arsenal Ladies. In 2011, Harvey was named FAWSL coach of the year after guiding the club to the league title, FA Cup, and Continental Cup. Harvey finished her tenure with Arsenal in 2012 having led the team to three consecutive league titles, two Continental Cups, and one FA Women’s Cup.
Harvey was named Reign FC’s first head coach on December 21, 2012.
Current Arsenal Ladies FC head coach Pedro Martinez Losa is also no stranger to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Prior to his appointment to Arsenal in 2014, Losa spent the previous two seasons with the Western New York Flash (2013-14) as an assistant coach under head coach Aaran Lines. During his time with the Flash, Losa helped the squad to win the NWSL shield as regular season champions.
The match against Arsenal will also be the first time Reign FC midfielder Kim Little will face her former club. Little joined Seattle prior to the 2014 NWSL season after six seasons with Arsenal. After joining Arsenal at the age of 16, Little helped the Gunners win four league titles, three FA Cups and four League Cups after joining from Scottish side Hibernian.
The Arsenal roster features four England internationals that competed in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada: Alex Scott, Casey Stoney, Fara Williams, and Jordan Nobbs. Arsenal’s roster also includes Spanish internationals Vicky Losada and Natalia Pablos Sanchon, Dutch international Danielle Van de Donk, and Irish international Emma Byrne.
Arsenal Ladies FC most recently finished third in the 2015 Women’s Super League, collecting 27 points with a record of (8-3-3). Arsenal will start its 2016 campaign on Wednesday, March 23.
The match against Arsenal Ladies FC is the third time the Reign has hosted an international friendly. Previously, Seattle hosted the Haitian Women’s National Team in 2013, earning a 6-0 victory, while in 2015 Reign FC secured a 1-1 draw versus the Chinese Women’s National Team at Memorial Stadium.
“We are excited that our fans will have the opportunity to see Reign FC take on one of Europe’s biggest and most talented clubs,” said Harvey, Seattle Reign FC head coach and general manager. “Our objective to become one of the world’s best women’s soccer clubs is furthered by competing against world-class teams such as Arsenal. It is a tangible demonstration of our ambition on and off the field, and it showcases our desire to create special experiences for our supporters in Seattle.”
Tickets for the May 26 match against Arsenal Ladies FC start at just $18 and are on sale now at Reignfc.com/tickets or (855) REIGN-FC. Tickets for this match are also included with every 2016 Season Ticket Membership.
Photo Credit: Arsenal (www.arsenal.com)
