Reign FC announced today that Michelle Betos has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a raptured Achilles tendon. The Reign goalkeeper had been forced off in the final stages of the game against Sky Blue FC with an injury that was confirmed today by the club as an Achilles injury.
The Reign had signed Casey Murphy earlier this month to provide backup for Betos with Lydia Williams heading off to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup but now, with this announcement, Murphy is lined up to start for the Reign until Williams returns.
Andonovski looks to Betos to still support the team despite her injury
Upon releasing their statement, Reign FC head coach Vladko Andonovski stated that the team were "devastated to lose Betos for the season" as she is a "part of the soul" of the Reign backline. Andonovski mentioned that Betos had wanted to keep playing despite her injury during that game against Sky Blue which is a "testament to her character" and that he expected Betos to still be a strong presence in the locker room for the rest of the season.
Captain Lauren Barnes also offered her thoughts at the news of Betos' now long-term absence, reiterating Betos' importance to the team and stating that her presence off the field is "just as important to our team's success".
Betos finishes the season with 14 saves and one clean sheet to her name. Her goals against average (0.75) over 359 minutes played is also currently the third best in the league.
The Reign bring in Watson as a NTR player
With Murphy set to play a bigger role this season than expected, the Reign signed Scout Watson as a national team replacement player and added depth at the goalkeeper position. Watson played her collegiate career at the University of Colorado and finished with a 1.13 goals against average in 29 appearances. Williams joined the Reign as an invitee during pre season this year and played a few minutes against University of Washington.
Andonovski stated that it felt "natural" to sign Watson to the team in this moment as she had been training with the Reign since the start of the season. Watson herself was very happy with the opportunity she had gotten and she had been able to develop connections with the team since pre season. She ended her statement by saying that this had been a dream of hers for a long time and she was "grateful for the opportunity".
Quotes via ReignFC.com