After 19 months OL Reign is reunited with both its fans for an NWSL Challenge Cup match versus Chicago. Megan Rapinoe also makes her first start (second appearance) for the club since October 2019. There are just over a thousand socially-distanced fans at Cheney Stadium. Two home dates had been played behind closed doors. Second-half goals from Leah Pruitt and Tziarra King give the Reign a 3-2 win.

Behind a brace from Jordan Morris and Albert Rusnak’s goal and two assists the Sounders pound UNAM Pumas, 4-0, to advance to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. It is Seattle’s biggest winning margin over a Liga MX team and comes two years after defeating Pumas 3-0 to win the Concacaf Champions League. Morris, whose goals both come in the final 32 minutes, hikes his club goal total to 79, tying him with Fredy Montero at No. 2. Over a hectic four-week stretch, Seattle is 10-2-1.

Ballard FC’s bid for a second USL League Two championship in three years is denied by an added-time goal by the undefeated Vermont Green before a packed stadium of 5,000 in Burlington, Vt. Ballard pulls level at 1-1 when Charlie Kosakoff scores his fifth playoff goal and 12th altogether in the 62nd minute. Max Kissel of Vermont finds the winner seconds into the 91st minute.

It's a routine 19th clean sheet for Marcus Hahnemann as Reading extends its unbeaten string to 32 matches by defeating Southampton, 2-0. The Championship-leading Royals have not lost since opening day vs. Plymouth on Aug. 6, and they are now 13 points ahead of second-place Sheffield United, against whom they draw the following week. Hahnemann owns a home scoreless streak of 299 minutes.

Michelle Akers, considered the greatest women's player of all-time, announces her retirement from international competition. With three weeks to go until the Olympics begin, Akers, 34, cites mounting injuries. She has had more than a dozen knee operations, numerous concussions, a broken cheekbone and related nasal surgery, and most recently a dislocated shoulder, suffered March 27. Akers returned to the team in July but re-injured her shoulder against Russia on Aug. 15. She retires as the all-time leading scorer of the Women's World Cup (12 goals), and as one of only four players in history with 100 or more career goals. With 105 goals, 37 assists and 247 total points, she trails only Mia Hamm in all-time scoring for the U.S. National Team. She holds U.S. records for most goals in a game (five), most goals and points in a calendar year (39 goals in 1991) and most consecutive games with a goal (nine).

Italian I.S. manages a 2-2 draw with the Hungarians, delaying their clinching of the first-half title. The Italians (1-8-1) surprisingly go up 2-nil on Peter DiValentine’s free kick and Earl Olsen doubles the lead out of a goalmouth scramble. Alex Csabay cuts it to 2-1, and Alex Bogdan ties it on virtually the last kick on a sloppy West Seattle pitch.