Valkyratings: Blanking the league's best

The league's best, highest-scoring team, averaging over two goals for and less than one goal against per match?

A team that, in their last meeting, absolutely boat-raced the Reign, running away with a 5-2 win on the back of a ruthless second half?

A team that had not been shut out a single time all season?

A team that had trailed in matches for a total of less than six minutes all season?

No problem for the new-edition, make-their-own-luck Reign. Lynn Biyendolo scored her first for the team, and the defense held strong to make it stand up. The Reign overloaded the midfield and contested the hell out of it, Kansas City wound up compressed and muddled in the middle third and struggled to stretch the field, and for the first time in 15 matches (going back to last September), the Current failed to score.

Three points, three wins on the season, and now a three game undefeated streak. Count it.

Goalkeeper

Claudia Dickey – 7

A stout Reign defense frustrated Kansas City and limited them to largely speculative, low-percentage chances, but the Kansas City Current have some talent like actual Debinha on their roster, and Claudia Dickey was called upon a few times to clean up in deceptively challenging ways to preserve the shutout. A 21st minute Haley Hopkins effort through traffic – calmly and routinely collected. A 44th minute Debinha special where she cut apart the defense and struck it from ten yards – a deflection off Lu Barnes took the sting off it, but Claw-dia had to be extremely alert to get to the ball first as it trickled towards the far post and the onrushing Hopkins. A last gasp, 95th minute header in the danger zone by Kayla Sharples – gathered and stymied on the sharp bounce off the turf, as good a reaction as you'll see.

No big deal. Just one more week of Dickey refusing to be beaten in the moments that matter most.

Going forward. We are a quarter of the way through the 2025 season, and to this point, Claudia Dickey isn't just the best, but the runaway best goalkeeper in the league.

Defenders

Maddie Dahlien – 6 (off 94' for Maddie Mercado)

For perhaps the first time this season, Danger Maddie didn't really get forward. She both attempted and created no shots. Her average position on the pitch was further back than three other players. The Reign had a game plan, and while she made an occasional aggressive, testing foray to keep Kansas City honest, she spent most of the match helping the Reign overload the middle of the pitch, creating a brick wall and daring the Current to play through it. And Dahlien made herself very difficult to play through, winning two tackles, four of five duels, four recoveries, and, when in doubt, playing the safe pass back to her centerbacks to deny opportunities rather than chase them. It was, in many ways, the performance the Reign needed in a match where they had to win in the unglamorous margins.

Going forward. She's been asked to play a full-field wingback role a couple times now, and while it's fair to say she looks less comfortable and less dangerous there than when she plays further forward, Dahlien has also demonstrated that she's up to the challenge and can provide a valuable shift when the opponent calls for it.

Lauren Barnes – 7 (off 94' for Emily Mason)

On the left side of a back three that refused to concede, Lu had a potentially game-saving block on Debinha, which, though not wholly successful, stole the sting from a potentially lethal shot and gave Dickey time to scramble to her far post and extinguish the danger. Barnes’ 71 touches were third on the team (behind McClernon and Bugg), and she made herself both an outlet for her teammates to defuse Kansas City pressure and a wall of frustration when Kansas City did manage to break the midfield line, winning three duels and four free kicks when the Current tried to test her.

Going forward. Lauren fucking Barnes has been absolutely massive this season. The renaissance continues.

Phoebe McClernon – 7

Win three duels, block two shots, win two tackles, demolish the ball on 10 clearances, and, oh, rack up 105 touches and 78 completed passes, both best on the team? Just a normal Friday night for Phoebe McClernon, holding out as the last defender back, keeping calm in and out of possession, being the calm in the midst of the chaos. Whenever it got dicey, Phoebe got the ball the fuck out of there. Whenever the Reign needed a chance to breathe and reset, Phoebe made herself a secure and stabilizing option to play to. It's all the little things that add up to a full match absolutely squeezing the life out of the best attacking team in the league.

Going forward. Phoebe has been the anchor in every storm the Reign have faced, she's playing composed and confident, and the Reign are in good hands with her leading the back line.

Jordyn Bugg – 6

Of the back three, Bugg had in many ways the least directly impactful game, but she won the challenges she was forced to make and she kept the play moving when she could. Being steady and not making a mistake against a ruthless team waiting to pounce is one of the most important qualities a centerback can develop, and Bugg continues to show a maturity and culture to her game far beyond her age. I really liked her continuous recognition of where the danger was, and her quickness to close players and shepherd the ball; it's unglamorous work, but it's enormously valuable defensively.

Going forward. While we wait to be treated to another BUGG BOMB, Jordyn keeps on racking up the quality minutes.

Ana-Maria Crnogorčević – 5 (off 79' for Madison Curry)

On those rare occasions Kansas City was able to break through, it was more often down Crnogorčević's side than anywhere else, but that still was infrequent, and Ana-Maria showed fairly well in a position she's clearly not comfortable with. And she still won two duels, won a free kick, and showed her usual nose for passing lanes to disrupt the Current buildout and reclaim some possession. She was also one of the more active Reign attackers, getting forward whenever the opportunity arose, and pressing tenaciously when the ball turned over – qualities we've come to expect.

Going forward. Absolutely not a natural wingback, AMC nonetheless put in a solid performance at a difficult position.

Midfielders

Angharad James-Turner – 6 (off 79' for Ainsley McCammon)

By the numbers, this wasn't necessarily a high-impact night for James-Turner, who didn't get into messy challenges and didn't rack up the duels like many of her teammates. She was, however, consistently applying pressure high up the pitch, laying the foundations for the Reign's swarming midfield and keeping the Current unsettled in possession – and per ASA, when she did get on the ball, her on-ball value was higher than anyone else in the Reign's front five, as she served as the fulcrum pushing the ball to Ji, Huitema, and Biyendolo. Nearly every Reign buildout, and every one that found a touch in the penalty area, featured Haz finding the open attacker. The sort of 'quiet' performance that deeply facilitates players around her.

Going forward. Haz is shining in a defensive midfield pairing with Sam Meza, with more freedom to take risks both offensively and defensively than she ever was last year.

Sam Meza – 8 (POTM)

With her six duels won, 10 recoveries, four blocks, and three interceptions, Sam Meza stamped her mark all over the midfield, making her presence felt anywhere and everywhere the Current tried to build. The Reign's game plan required stopping Kansas City in the middle third as much as possible, and Meza more than any other player enabled and saw that through. She covers so much ground, she challenges so well, she absolutely destroys attackers with her recovery speed and nose for the play, and she has an underrated understanding of when to give the foul to stop something from developing. She's also getting more purposeful and direct in turning that defense into offense, such as in first half stoppage time, when she jumped the pass, turning Kansas City over high up the pitch, and quickly struck a rocket from 29 yards, forcing a surprisingly difficult save from Lorena and reminding the Current that they were only ever one misstep in possession away from doubling their deficit.

Going forward. Sam Meza is the real fucking deal and might be the Reign's second-most important player so far this season, after Claudia Dickey. A phenomenal showing and a phenomenal story so far.

Forwards

Ji So-yun – 6 (off 84' for Shae Holmes)

Playing up front, Ji was one of three players with a positive receiving value, and she made what she could out of limited touches, providing some useful ability to hold on to the ball and keep it high up the field rather than allowing wave after wave of pressure from the Current, both with the ball at her feet and by being one of the cleanest passers in the game, prioritizing finding Biyendolo and Huitema to keep things alive rather than passing back. She had three recoveries, all in the attacking third, and continues to mix it up in the air surprisingly well for her stature. With all that said: she had less impact up front than either Huitema or Biyendolo, and less impact than she's had when she plays deeper out of the midfield.

Going forward. The Reign offense ticks better with Ji playing more withdrawn, where her vision and progressive passing can feed opportunities for others, but in a pinch, she offers calm and ball skills up front.

Jordyn Huitema – 7

The league credited Jordyn Huitema with the assist, whilst Opta didn't credit her with a shot-creating action. Having watched the play in question about a hundred times, I kind of understand both positions, but one thing is true either way: the goal doesn't happen without her winning the header (she was 6 for 9 in aerials on the day, and continuously won them high up the pitch in dangerous places), and she nodded it right into Biyendolo's path and right into the danger area by the penalty mark. A vintage target forward type assist. Combined with her winning eleven (!!) duels, always forcing the Current into uncomfortable challenges, forcing them to foul her (she was, once again, the most fouled player on the pitch) rather than lose cleanly, and being a constant menace off the shoulder of Kayla Sharples and Alana Cook, it was a pretty, pretty solid performance.

Going forward. The formation shift to a 3 / 5 back has been particularly good for Air Jordyn, who's getting into more aerials, winning more of them, and winning them in places to create danger for them. Her dominance in the air has directly put a goal on the board in two games straight.

Lynn Biyendolo – 7

BIYENGOALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Fucking majestic mess of a goal, showcasing her ability to shoot dangerously with both feet, her reaction time, her ability to get to the dangerous space, her willingness to scrap and scramble when it gets messy... god, Lynn's a joy to watch. It was really nice to watch her score a wild one like that for us.

I have nothing to say here that hasn't already been said. Just go watch that goal again. The movement, the first hit, the quick reaction to get the second. A straight-up scorer who was never going to be denied for long.

Going forward. Biyendolo is one of the all-time greats in NWSL, and she doesn't look ready to slow down quite yet. Joining a roster with a lot of talent but also a lot of question marks, her multiple tools have helped to unlock everyone around her.

Substitutes

Madison Curry – 4 (on 79' for Ana-Maria Crnogorčević)

The first substitutes for the Reign came 80 minutes deep into the match, with Madison Curry coming on to provide relief for AMC after a hard-fought wingback appearance. And Curry immediately got into the temperature of the match, putting in the fearless, hard challenges she's showcased all season right from the jump. She touched the ball just five times and completed no passes, but the Reign needed to keep up the defensive bite until the final whistle, and Curry made sure they could.

Going forward. In theory, Sofia Huerta and Ryanne Brown will be back before the end of the season, and it'll get real interesting from there, but Curry has been a bulldog on the right side and the Reign have gotten huge value out of that.

Ainsley McCammon – 3 (on 79' for Angharad James-Turner)

The first substitutes for the Reign came 80 minutes deep into the match, and Haz James-Turner left the midfield battle to Ainsley McCammon, who was admittedly a bit shaky. While she worked hard and covered ground, she wasn't able to keep up the defensive bite James-Turner offered, and she wasn't able to keep possession when she did touch the ball.

Going forward. McCammon is a big talent with a big future, but these were some very hard minutes for a very young player to take on, and she looked a little lost.

Shae Holmes – 4 (on 84' for Ji So-yun)

Coming on for another short runout to spell Ji So-yun, Shae Holmes was the third Reign sub to struggle in possession, touching the ball seven times and completing zero passes. She did get into good positions, though, and with time running out and the Current desperate to find chances, she got her boot through three clearances to deny them.

Going forward. Holmes offers a lot of steady upside at multiple back line positions, but she's been struggling to make a big impact coming in for short outings, and with Lu Barnes playing as well as she has, it may continue to be a fight for minutes for Shae.

Maddie Mercado – N/A (on 94' for Maddie Dahlien)

Maddie Mercado subbed on late in stoppage time to help see out some last-gasp minutes. She touched the ball one time.

Going forward. Mercado has looked very good when she's seen the pitch this year, but this wasn't really a chance to show that.

Emily Mason – N/A (on 94' for Lauren Barnes)

Emily Mason subbed on late in stoppage time to help see out some last-gasp minutes. She didn't touch the ball before the final whistle sounded.

Going forward. Mason is an intriguing option for the Reign, but there wasn't much for her to do in the last couple minutes of this one.

Referee

Calin Radosav – 7

Radosav whistled 23 fouls and showed three cards. All of the cards made sense, and they helped keep the temperature down. I would have, once again, liked to see more effort made to protect Huitema from yet another beating, perhaps a card for persistently fouling her, but he did whistle it consistently when she was taken down, and only had a couple head-scratching decisions overall. He also did well to listen to his ARs when he wasn't in the position to make the call, and he and the crew handled the offside on Debinha's potential game-tying goal perfectly.

In a cagey, hard-fought game where the teams threw 89 hard-nosed professional challenges at each other, he kept it under control and facilitated without making himself the star. Possibly the best ref showing of the season to date.

And Another Thing..!

Yeah, we just beat and shut out the best team in the league. What, like it's hard?