Reign at Royals: Highlights, stats, quotes

Ji So-yun had one goal and two assists, Emeri Adames scored twice, and Maddie Dahlien notched a goal and an assist as Seattle Reign earned a 4-1 win on the road against the Utah Royals.

Ji scored in the 6th minute, and Dahlien doubled the Reign's lead 10 minutes later. The Reign let the Royals get back into the match when Bianca St-Georges pounced on a shot that bounced off the post.

The Reign found two more goals in the second half, with Adames scoring both.

Seattle concludes their three-game road trip with 7 of a possible 9 points. They also finish the first half of the season in 6th place with a 6-4-3 record. The Reign are just four points behind the Orlando Pride, who sit in second.

The league is now taking a break in regular-season play until August. During the NWSL break, the Reign will host a friendly at Lumen Field against Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds on Sunday, July 20, at 1 PM PT.

Highlights

Stats

SCORING SUMMARY

6’ - Ji So-yun (Assisted by Maddie Dahlien) - SEA

16’ - Maddie Dahlien (Assisted by Ji So-yun) - SEA

31' - Bianca St-Georges - UTAH

66’ - Emeri Adames (Assisted by Ji So-yun) - SEA

90’+1 - Emeri Adames (Penalty) - SEA

LINEUPS

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71' - Nérilia Mondésir for Ji So-yun; Emily Mason for Maddie Dahlien

81’ - Jordyn Huitema for Lynn Biyendolo

90+2' - Maddie Mercado for Emeri Adames; Ainsley McCammon for Sally Menti

64' - Janni Thomsen for Dana Foederer; Kaleigh Riehl for Paige Monaghan

78' - Mikayla Cluff for Ana Tejada; Imani Dorsey for Madison Pogarch

85’ - KK Ream for Bianca St-Georges

POSSESSION

Royals: 52%

Reign: 48%

EXPECTED GOALS*

Royals: 1.26

Reign: 1.96

*Via American Soccer Analysis

TOTAL SHOTS

Royals: 14

Reign: 10

SHOTS ON TARGET

Royals: 4

Reign: 6

SHOTS OFF TARGET

Royals: 3

Reign: 0

SHOTS BLOCKED

Royals: 4

Reign: 8

SHOTS FROM INSIDE THE BOX

Royals: 10

Reign: 2

TOUCHES INSIDE THE OPP. BOX

Royals: 11

Reign: 22

PASSES

Royals: 321

Reign: 291

PASSING ACCURACY

Royals: 77%

Reign: 74%

ACCURATE CROSSES

Royals: 1/12 (8%)

Reign: 6/14 (43%)

CORNERS WON

Royals: 3

Reign: 6

OFFSIDES

Royals: 0

Reign: 2

FOULS

Royals: 14

Reign: 10

YELLOW CARDS

Royals: 3

Reign: 2

RED CARDS

Royals: 0

Reign: 0

*Stats via FotMob

Quotes

 Laura Harvey

What's changed to see the Reign score multiple goals in recent games:

I think hunger for sure. I also think belief, I just think belief has been there with the group, and we show it in different ways all the time and often we don't end up showing it by scoring multiple goals unfortunately. But today I thought we started really well, obviously getting an early goal, and you guys know, goals change games, which put us really on the front foot. I felt then we had a lot of momentum, and getting that second goal was important. Unfortunately then we took our foot off the gas a little bit, let them back in the game. But I think this is the growth of our team.

We've said for a while now we're on a journey together, and I said to the players before the game actually that I've never worked with a group that when adversity comes or things don't quite go our way, they want to solve it immediately. They don't want to leave things to chance, they don't want to talk about it in their little silos. They want to come in the room collectively and go, okay, this happened to us, we need to solve it. And I think that as long as we can keep that mentality and keep adding quality as we go to our play, we will be okay. And I said to the players before the game, I think the one thing we have shown this year, which has been consistent, is when we face adversity, we stand up. But how do we create adversity when there's no adversity apart from the opponent? And I thought today the players really took on the challenge, showed quality when they needed to, showed resiliency when they needed to. So obviously we can take a lot from that. And then also I thought the subs came on and killed the game off for us, which is what you need in those moments.

On the young players' performances and U.S. call-ups:

I think it says a lot about, one, our sort of planning and what we thought might evolve. And secondly, it doesn't happen if the players don't step up and perform. And I think that's what they're doing. You can say we think so-and-so player has loads of potential and has all the quality to be able to play at this level. We can say that, but we're seeing it, and I think that that is what is really cool. And I think along the way throughout this first half of the season, we've had to marry that with the experience that we have. And I'm going to give a little shout out to Lynn [Biyendolo]. I think today she doesn't get on the assist stat, she doesn't get a goal, but she's involved in all the good things that we do, and she's that sort of pinnacle up there that has that experience that understands what it takes to win in this league. So without someone like her in the forefront of it, I think the young ones would be looking for someone to work off, and thankfully having Lynn means that they have that sort of stalwart up there who sets the tone for them all the time.

On Emeri's performance:

Me and Emeri had a conversation, I dunno a month, six weeks ago maybe now, to say if she wants more playing time, being committed to the defensive side of the game is what she needs to do because we know how good she's going forward, we know it. But we are a team and we play in a league where you can't carry someone who doesn't execute defensively, and she's executing defensively and she's getting the reward for that. I've always believed in that as a forward, if you have some defensive attributes, you will get rewarded in this league and in this team by getting in transitional moments and having opportunities to score. And she took those today, I just watched the highlights back and maybe she could have had a third, she could have also slipped Lynn in for Lynn to get an opportunity. But those are the little growth things for her to continue on. But now she set her own standard that we know she can do on both sides of the ball. So it is the challenge for her now to stay in that standard and keep pushing forward from there.

On Sam Meza's consistency and rise in the league:

If you were to say, do I think Sam would've exploded onto the scene the way she has, I think I knew she had it in her, but I'm not sure I knew she would be able to accelerate it as quickly as she has, and fair play to her. I say this all the time, kids who come in, whether they come from college, whether they come from youth, whether they're traded here, it doesn't matter. I think the thing that every young player has to look at is Sam Meza's journey, because for some people that can be literally the thing that stops them getting where they want to be because they can't get over that adversity.

And I've been lucky enough to work with Sam when I was the U 20 coach. I knew she had quality when she came into us last year. She just wasn't ready for what we needed her to be. And that alone is like, that's hard to take. And I think I'm so happy for her that she's been able to come out the other side of that and then go, I'm going to show everybody how good I am. And not that we are shocked by that, but the fact that it's not just us saying that – everyone around the league, the national team, staff, et cetera, are also seeing it. And I don't think we're scratching the surface with her either. I think what you see is where she's today consistently. But she came in at halftime, she was absolutely livid with herself that she didn't clear the ball better for their goal. And that says where she's at, right? She wants to be better, she wants to keep improving, and I can work with players like that all day, every day.

Emeri Adames and Maddie Dahlien

On what's changed to see the Reign score multiple goals in three games:

Adames: I think, like you said, the increase in confidence in that we've just been telling each other, shoot, get something on the ball, but I also think there's a hunger that we didn't have at the beginning of the season that we do now, and we can beat these teams by multiple goals. We don't have to just score one goal a game. We can get in their attacking third and really attack them. So I think that's what changed.

Dahlien: Yeah, and I think it's like getting into a gel with the relationships on the field. I think that we're all finding a rhythm with each other and I think it really showed with Ji and Emeri and me and Lynn today, we just are figuring out each other's tendencies and where each other like to be.

On the impact Lynn Biyendolo has made:

Dahlien: I think she said to me on the sideline, 'I had three hockey assists today,' and that I think just speaks to her impact. She draws in three defenders and then that leaves me and people on the other side open. And I think people respect her so much as a player. And so sometimes she's not going to be available to get her shot off, but it's her dishing the next pass and then finding the next free player. And her impact has been immense, not only from on the field but as a leader off the field. And so I don't think really you can measure her impact here.

Adames: And I think it means a lot to us young players, just that she trusts us so much to give us the ball in those scenarios and to trust us that we'll be there when she plays the ball. And I think that means a lot.