Valkyratings: Fighting for the result

Down two goals, on the road, 86th minute. Every other team that had ever faced that reality had gone on to lose the match. It's not surprising. Multi-goal comebacks are hard, and the less time you have left to work with, the harder they are.

A comeback was unprecedented. No other team had ever done it before.

And RIP to those other teams and their point totals, but against the Chicago (Red) Stars, the Reign were just built different.

After a disastrous first half, the Reign fought their way back, the halftime double substitution of Sam Meza and Ji So-yun sparking relentless possession and wave after wave of pressure that Chicago scrambled to contain, and ultimately could not.

Oh, and Jordyn Bugg scored one of the sickest knuckle-goals you'll ever see.

This was a fun one. Sometimes bad, sometimes good, sometimes euphoric, but above all else, memorable, record-setting, and legendary. Let's dig in with this week's edition of Valkyratings: the one where we never let the league forget that we did this first.

Goalkeeper

Claudia Dickey – 5

A rare less-than-stellar outing from Claudia Dickey, as she was beaten twice in quick succession. The first Ludmila goal, scored in the 11th minute, was hit with some real venom, but it was from a bad angle and Dickey has shown she can get a hand to those strikes in the past. The second Ludmila goal, two minutes later, isn't really one you can hold against any keeper, but a mere two minutes after conceding, it was a chance for Dickey to change the narrative, and she couldn't.

The Reign changed personnel and approach in the second half, and Dickey faced three shots that were more hopeful than dangerous. Other than three minutes of Ludmila, Chicago created little danger, and Dickey did well to smother it.

Going forward. Even the best have an off afternoon from time to time, and Claudia Dickey remains very much the best keeper in the league.

Defenders

Madison Curry – 7

Madison Curry was absolutely tremendous. She progressed the ball with purpose, ran the touchline with 90 minutes of blistering energy, threw and won tackle after tackle. In the 45th minute, she set up Lynn Biyendolo for a decent chance, in the 55th minute, her crunching tackle gave Emeri Adames space to fire, in the 65th minute, her clever pass found Ji So-yun for a volley in the penalty area, in the 67th her cross found Biyendolo's head. Leading all players in key passes and shot-creating actions, Curry was especially active in the second half, as Ji and Sam Meza helped the Reign hold possession higher up the pitch, and Curry absolutely blitzed the open space, becoming a constant threat and constant option up the right flank.

Going forward. A breakout performance from Curry, and getting her involved in the attack more consistently could go a long way towards helping the Reign's somewhat anemic chance creation.

Jordyn Bugg – 6

So yes, Ludmila skinned Bugg in the 11th minute, cutting a perhaps-too-aggressive Jordyn out of the play entirely with a clever turn away from contact. And yes, the entire back line got scorched in the 13th minute on a simple ball over the top. And yes, Bugg shares in the blame for both goals against. Three minutes of Ludmila nearly sank the team, and it could've been a long flight home for Bugg if Chicago had held on to win.

Except they didn't, and Bugg was a huge reason why.

After Lauren Barnes left injured, Bugg stepped up and became the focal point for the Reign, racking up 85 touches and getting herself involved in every play, everywhere. Her passing was a little less secure than we're used to, but some of that was the tradeoff for her forward vision – she led all players with 9 progressive passes and 7 passes into the final third – and willingness to get forward to support the attack. That willingness led to her 90th minute equalizing goal, a wicked shross that took an impossible bend to the far side netting, leaving goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz bewildered and defeated.

Going forward. It's easy to forget that Bugg is 18 years old – for the most part, she plays with a maturity that belies that. Even when she has an uneven match like this, though, she still adds so much. Adding these timely goals to her all-around skillset is almost unfair.

Phoebe McClernon – 6

Ludmila spent three minutes absolutely dunking on the defense, and nobody covered themselves on glory in the 13th minute, as Ludmila beat the entire back line to a simple clearance over the top. McClernon ran hard but was never going to make a difference once the play had broken like that. Aside that moment, though, McClernon offered what she always offers: composure, positioning, and a pressure valve on the back line.

While the 11th and 13th minute strikes forced the Reign to play aggressive and McClernon touched the ball just 46 times – a far cry from her usual involvement – she was as clean and reliable as ever on the ball, and put in the work, the attention, and the nine recoveries to make sure Chicago couldn't manufacture another big chance while the Reign fought for a result.

Going forward. McClernon is genuinely indispensable for the Reign, for all the same reasons she has been for the entire past two seasons.

Lauren Barnes – N/A (off 21' for Shae Holmes)

For the limited time she played, Lu had something of a struggle match, failing to complete some simple passes and contributing to some extra Chicago pressure at unfortunate times.

After a rough start, she did not have a chance to grow into the game. An early injury forced Barnes to exit the match after just 21 minutes.

Going forward. Hopefully, a quick and uncomplicated recovery.

Maddie Dahlien – 8 (off 90'+4 for Emily Mason)

Starting on the back line, Dahlien was, on average, the furthest player forward for the Reign anyway, as she took the open space ahead of her as a dare every single time and looked to muck things up and create her own brand of chaos. Danger Maddie had six carries into the penalty area. The rest of the Reign, combined, had two. She coupled that with a key pass, dangerous forward-looking passing, 29 touches in the final third, three shot-creating actions, and two goal-creating actions, including a very sure I guess sort of assist on Jordyn Bugg's hilarious, stunning equalizer. She created her own shot on the dribble and her all-in, no-chill zoomies kept Chicago scrambling for the final 40 minutes of play. She also had four recoveries, two tackles won in the middle third, and was one of very few Reign players to win more duels than she lost.

Just all in all an incredibly good performance by a player in a position she's significantly less comfortable in.

Going forward. Is Maddie Dahlien's best role at wingback? Almost definitely not. Does her willingness to zoom the line and get way the fuck forward and make stuff happen from the wingback position make it her most valuable position on the Reign as currently constructed? Honestly, possibly yes.

Midfielders

Nérilia Mondésir – 5 (off 46' for Ji So-yun)

The midfield trio of Menti, McCammon, and Mondésir struggled to hold and drive possession throughout the first half, and Mondésir in particular lost the ball too frequently and found too little opportunity to drive into dangerous spaces.

It's important to note she wasn't necessarily bad, she just failed to make much impact after the 13th minute: suddenly sitting on a two-goal lead, Chicago successfully played keepaway for the waning minutes of the first half, Coco worked hard but couldn't get traction. The Reign, needing possession and needing a spark, needed a change.

In a rare early double substitution, Mondésir left the field for Ji So-yun at halftime.

Going forward. Plagued by intermittent setbacks and small injuries, Mondésir hasn't had a lot of opportunity to come into her own with the team. The Reign still probably need to see more from her, though.

Ainsley McCammon – 5 (off 46' for Sam Meza)

On the one hand, there's moments of jaw-dropping vision. Ainsley saw a lane, took a touch, and delivered a lethal, line-cutting ball (that came to nothing, but still), reminding just how incisive she has the potential to be. On the other, she touched the ball infrequently, got into challenges infrequently, and wasn't particularly comfortable or clean in her passing.

As with Mondésir, there's not necessarily a lot of blame – as a midfield trio, McCammon, Mondésir, and Menti were collectively struggling to make a big impact on the game. And while she didn't necessarily play badly, the Reign needed more influence from the middle of the park to get something out of the match.

In a rare early double substitution, McCammon left the field for Sam Meza at halftime.

Going forward. Impact level low, but flashes of tantalizing vision that remind of her potential level comparatively high.

Sally Menti – 6

In the first half, Menti was part of a relatively ineffectual midfield trio with McCammon and Mondésir. Chicago was able to take and hold possession too easily, and able to break the midfield lines too easily. Menti was the most effective of the three in the early going, though, and she came alive after the 60th minute as Meza and Ji's addition infused some life into the Reign.

Playing off Ji, Meza, and Biyendolo in the second half, Menti was dynamic, providing dangerous service and tirelessly running to keep the Reign on the front foot. She finished the match with 6 shot-creating actions, 6 progressive passes, 65 touches, and 8 recoveries.

A big-time gut check performance to come back from a shaky half and deal like that for the next 45.

Going forward. This was not Menti at future superstar levels like last time she played, but it was Menti at fighting through it to make a difference levels, and that's just as important.

Forwards

Emeri Adames – 6 (off 67' for Jordyn Huitema)

Lynn Biyendolo lined up the shot from distance, Mackiewicz saved it, and Emeri Adames was first to pounce on the rebound, drilling a volley from nine yards... only to see it blocked away. She might want another crack at that one. It was however a ridiculous chance, one created by first trying shit and then following up, and the chance that kicked the Reign into gear for the final half hour, a phase of the game that they won decisively.

Emeri didn't play most of that final half hour, and in the hour-plus she did play, she wasn't always in sync with her teammates. Her first shot attempt came in the 55th, and she completed just 9 of her 17 passes, often attempting the audacious pass instead of the pass to keep possession alive. She worked through the difficulty and provided creativity and a huge, huge chance, though, and if you do that a couple times a match, the goals will come.

Going forward. Give Emeri Adames another start after this!

Lynn Biyendolo – 8 (POTM)

Yeah, so, aside from six shots, three shot-creating actions, two passes into the penalty area, three progressive passes, nine receptions in the attacking third, and ABSOLUTELY LACING that 87th minute goal from 23 yards out, what's Lynn Biyendolo done for us lately?

A massive performance from Lynn, who worked through it when it was hard and kept working through it when the Reign started tilting the field, and got a deserved goal on a stunner of a strike as time was expiring and Chicago looked ready to seal the deal. A striker's work can be thankless, especially when the team is struggling to provide service and opportunities, but Lynn did that work from minute zero to minute 90. Eventually, she found the moment to cash it in.

Going forward. Another tremendous goal from a tremendous player with a tremendous history of scoring tremendous goals.

...tremendously.

Substitutes

Shae Holmes – 6 (on 21' for Lauren Barnes)

Three substitutions changed the course of the game entirely. I'll talk about the other two in a second, but Shae Holmes coming on cold in the 21st minute for an injured Lu Barnes was an underrated piece of the Reign's resurgence.

Coming into an already discombobulated game, Shae helped to lock. it. down. in the back, with five clearances, five recoveries, and three massive blocks that sapped the life out of a Chicago attack smelling blood and helped force them to backpedal and play keepaway rather than adding to their lead.

Shae was also active on the ball, touching it 55 times and maintaining 80% pass completion, including the pass before the pass on Lynn's opening goal. Coming in for an injured centerback and already trailing by multiple goals, simply stopping the bleeding wasn't enough, and Shae provided some attacking vision from the back that ultimately helped the Reign secure a result from the jaws of defeat.

Going forward. If Lu is out for any length of time, Shae looks more than comfortable to fill in the minutes. Even if Lu isn't, Shae should be getting a look.

Ji So-yun – 7 (on 46' for Nérilia Mondésir)

In 45+ minutes of play, Ji So-yun turned in one of her best performances of the season, coming on at the half and instantly dialing up the pressure on the Tsars. Immediately finding her favored pockets of space, she put on a clinic in dishing passes and progressing the ball into dangerous spaces. The numbers are unequivocal, as she put her foot on it, taking 39 touches and parlaying them into 88% passing, 7 progressive passes, 3 shot-creating actions, a sharply volleyed shot of her own from near the top of the penalty area, four recoveries, and consistent danger from her passing, running, and dribbling.

She won't show up with counting stats on the scoresheet, but she was absolutely instrumental in reversing the Reign's fortunes. The ratcheting pressure was too much for Chicago's back line to contain, and driven by Ji's relentless effort, the Reign absolutely commanded second-half possession and kept applying that pressure until something broke.

Going forward. Ji is one of the best progressors of the ball in the league, and when the Reign put her in the middle of the park and let her cook, good things happen.

Sam Meza – 7 (on 46' for Ainsley McCammon)

In 45+ minutes of play, Sam Meza once again showed how instantly indispensable she's become for the Reign. With 33 touches, 90% passing, and 6 progressive passes, she and Ji provided a ball-progressing, ball-possessing pair of midfielders that Chicago had absolutely no answer for. Every time she got on the ball, which was often, she looked to carry it forward and find the next pass, every time she picked up her head she found the lane to keep the possession alive and keep the pressure going.

And on those rare cases she couldn't keep possession, she was relentless in winning it back, with five recoveries and a nose for the play that saw her winning second balls before the opposition had finished reacting to the first ball. Meza's engine in the midfield is relentless, and against the Tsars, it pushed the Reign over the top, turning a listless first half on its head and showing how the Reign can play when they take the initiative and run with it.

Going forward. Meza is a must-start whenever she's available and healthy. The Reign have a number of quality midfielders they can plug in around her, and the incredible news is so far, Meza plays well with all of them. That said, Meza - Menti - Ji looked revelatory together in the second half, and are worth further exploration.

Jordyn Huitema – 5 (on 67' for Emeri Adames)

Subbing on for Emeri Adames in the 67th minute, Jordyn Huitema looked to provide more pressure in the air in the attacking third and support the attack as the Reign threw numbers forward to try to claim something. Huitema didn't really do anything wrong, but she wasn't hugely influential, either. She got up and fought for it in the air and won a couple headers in dangerous spaces, including a 93rd minute win that set Lynn Biyendolo up for a quick shot.

Going forward. Huitema has skills that aren't translating well to the Reign at the moment. That's not to say they can't, and getting wingbacks up into the attack more frequently likely helps her, but for whatever reason – injury history, confidence, style mistmatch – it's still just not clicking for her here.

Maddie Mercado – 5 (on 80' for Phoebe McClernon)

A late sub, Maddie Mercado came on for ironwoman centerback Pheobe McClernon as the Reign threw it all on the mat to chase that first goal. While Maddie wasn't necessarily deeply influential, she did provide another body in dangerous spaces and more chaos for the Reign to try to claw something out of. She took two shots in stoppage time, both relatively speculative, and forced a save with a well-struck poacher's hit on one of them.

Going forward. Maddie has absolutely shown enough to be worth a look for more minutes this season.

Emily Mason – N/A (on 90'+4 for Maddie Dahlien)

Due to Ludmila's concussion sub in the second half, the Reign were able to make a sixth sub, giving Maddie Dahlien a short break and Emily Mason a short run-out. She did not touch the ball in her two-ish minutes.

Going forward. ...but I still want to see more of Mason and Curry starting at the wingbacks.

Referee

Shawn Tehini – 6..?

Look, I don't know, man. I thought Tehini was mostly fine, and that held up to rewatch. She listened to her VAR and correctly (if annoyingly) overturned Dahlien's penalty. She spent 30 seconds warning Halle Mackiewicz not to waste 10 seconds, and then did the same thing again without showing a card, keeping with the league custom of warning players to knock it off or she might have to warn them again. She deferred to her ARs when she didn't have the view, which is generally what you want the CR to do, but damn, her ARs had an absolutely shocking outing, repeatedly getting basic corner / goal kick calls visibly and demonstrably wrong.

But what even is average?

What can you expect from PRO?

How do you score a ref who's managing a game fine but has an AR completely asleep at the wheel?

All I've got is a gigantic shrug.

And Another Thing..!

The Reign Vibes are hard to track this year. Some things have really worked. Some aren't fitting as expected. We're much better than last year, but maybe not all the way to good. We can beat the best teams in the league one week and fall flat on our faces against bottom feeders the next.

The Reign are still in search of a winning identity. They are also, by all indications, looking at some new (and returning) players over the summer.

Taking all three points against Utah and going into the break undefeated in three would go a long way towards maximizing the vibes for the back half of the season. There IS real talent on this roster, and figuring out how to consistently get the best out of it is the puzzle before us.