The Reign returned from the break and picked up where they left off, hosting Angel City and coming away with an emphatic – multi-goal! – win, their second victory in a row and third in a four-match unbeaten streak.
Though the match featured the return of Sofia Huerta and the Reign debut for Mia Fishel, it was old stalwart Jess Fishlock once again driving the heartbeat of the team. While the Reign rode out Angel City's early pressure and largely controlled the game from the 25th minute on, it wasn't until Fishlock subbed on in the second half that the team turned control into chances and chances into goals.
We're a little more than halfway through the season, two points out of second place, got a Big Fish hungry for goals, and everything's coming up Reign. Is anything guaranteed? No. Not remotely. It's a tough league with no guaranteed points and a thousand chips on a thousand shoulders.
But we're back in the conversation and yes we can keep getting away with it.
Goalkeeper
Claudia Dickey – 7
The good. A relatively routine 9th minute save on Kennedy Fuller kept the scoresheet blank while the Reign were still finding their way into the match. A 40th minute save on Alyssa Thompson – a shot that looked eerily similar to one Thompson put past her in the prior meeting – was her best of the match, and yet another example of Claudia learning and refusing to be beaten the same way twice. In a game where Angel City created relatively little danger, Claudia stepped up in a distribution role, helping the Reign to control and recycle possession, with 48 touches, 93% passing completion, and two beautiful long passes dropped right into the attacking stride for quick counters. A good, all-around performance from an excellent goalkeeper who's only going to get better.
The bad. I have zero negative notes on Claudia's performance. She didn't have a big, vintage, high-impact moment, but like... can you really hold Angel City's allergy to the final third against her, though?
Going forward. To my eye, Claudia Dickey is the best keeper in the league. We'll see if she can hold that down for another half-season, and if NWSL will deign to give her the flowers for it over a more recognizable name.
Defenders
Madison Curry – 7
The good. Operating on an island for much of the match, Madison Curry ran the left flank ragged, tirelessly running up as the highest option and tracking all the way back in defense to provide an outlet and pressure release and demand the attention of the Angel City back line. She won't show up on the scoresheet, but she was effective in the role, providing two shot-creating actions (including the pass-before-the-pass in the 49th minute, for an extremely good Sofia Huerta chance that went begging) and opening space on the left side of the field with her marauding runs. Curry had five progressive receptions, two progressive passes, and 14 of her 32 touches in the attacking third, along with winning four free kicks (no yellow was shown for persistent infringement), making her a presence that Angel City's back line could never ignore.
The bad. While her tireless running provided dividends for the Reign, there were a number of instances where her timing was off, and holding her run another second or two might've yielded a better chance.
Going forward. With Huerta's return to the right, Curry will have to adjust to the left quickly to guarantee minutes. She's been one of the most consistent players for the Reign this year, and certainly looked up to the task against Angel City.
Shae Holmes – 6
The good. Slotting in as the left centerback in a five-back line, Shae showed both her defensive composure and the range of her passing. Her eight clearances led the side, and she brought a certain just hit it the fuck out of here if you're not confident energy that the Reign have struggled with at times these past two years. Her five progressive passes and seven passes into the attacking third also led the side, and she reminded that she, too, can drop a beautiful switch or long ball forward when the moment requires it of her.
The bad. While she showed the range of her passing, the accuracy of her passing left something to be desired, as she completed just 35 of 52 attempts – and an uncomfortable number of her misplaced passes were short, defensive third, and often dangerous passes to miss.
Going forward. Against a Portland side that thrives on overloading the middle, Holmes will need to clean up her short passing immensely. Her history says she's more than capable of that.
Phoebe McClernon – 7
The good. Another day, another ho-hum, no-big deal, 77 touches, 88% passing, 6 recoveries, 6 clearance performance for Phoebe McClernon. She's not a flashy defender, she doesn't go to ground all that often, she doesn't frequently hit the highlight reel tackle to spring the counter, but Phoebe does the little things that keep opponents from scoring and put points on the table repeatedly every single game. She stood up every player who tried to beat her on the dribble. She smartly dispensed with the ball when under too much pressure. She kept possession every time it was reasonable to expect her to. The absolute anchor of the back line, and she once again anchored a signature win.
The bad. It wasn't a great game in the air for Phoebe, who lost her only aerial duel, and failed to contest at all on a few others where she might've gotten a body or a head into the play and made things more complicated for the attacker.
Going forward. Last time the Reign played the Thorns, McClernon absolutely shut them down. Let's hope she's got another locked-down, dialed-in performance held in reserve.
Jordyn Bugg – 7
The good. Bugg led the field in touches with 86 and was a positive influence on the ball throughout. While she's more inclined to take a risk with the ball than Phoebe, Jordyn's success rate is exquisite; she brings a mix of deft touch, fearless physical presence, and downfield vision to the position that's rare at any level of the game. Amongst her 71(!) completed passes, she had six perfectly weighted, line-breaking long passes to spring attacking movements and keep Angel City honest. Five recoveries and three clearances added to a strong back line showing, consistently getting to balls first and making sure they couldn't end up someplace dangerous.
The bad. We weren't treated to another banger of a Bugg Bomb.
Going forward. Jordyn Bugg is already looking like the defender we hoped she'd become. She's on a level with the handful of best centerbacks in the league. She's on the cusp of turning 19. I have no idea what her ceiling is, but we've got a front row seat to see her chase it down.
Sofia Huerta – 7
The good. The Reign's breakthrough came in the 66th minute: a perfect Huerta cross to Jess Fishlock's head. Angelina Anderson sprawled forward to make the save, tangled herself up with Nérilia Mondésir, and couldn't recover before Fishlock pounced on her own rebound and struck it home. Unfortunately, the save and rebound mean no assist for Huerta, who remains stuck at 34 all-time, but this was a welcome performance, a solid outing for a returning Reign icon. Aside from her goal-creating action and two key passes, Huerta got on the end of a 49th-minute ball from Dahlien for one of the best chances of the game, a close-range volley that she just couldn't get on frame.
The bad. Sofia Huerta returned to the Reign, and in her first match back, created a goal without being credited with the assist. Again. I mean, come on. What's a Sof gotta do to get a credited assist around here?!
Going forward. While Huerta was lacking a little bit of chemistry with the Reign, that should come quickly. That she got on the ball this much and this confidently with so many new faces is extremely promising.
Midfielders
Sam Meza – 8
The good. I've honestly run out of ways to say how good Sam Meza is. You want dribbles? She brought that, taking on and beating her defender four different times. You want hard-nosed tackles and high-intensity defending? She brought that, winning three tackles and three of four duels in the match. You want positional awareness and a nose for the loose ball? She brought that, with two blocks, an interception, and six recoveries. Meza was all over the pitch making good things happen for the Reign; Meza was all over the pitch stopping good things from happening for Angel City; Meza was, once again, just absolutely everywhere doing a little bit of absolutely everything.
The bad. Amongst that absolutely everything was coughing the ball up with a little more frequency than we're used to (Angel City forced her into six turnovers), and she almost got the Reign burned for it once. Fuller, Jun Endo, and former Reign defender Madison Hammond brought plenty of pressure, and it took Meza a few minutes to adjust to it.
Going forward. The Mezazoic Era continues. The Reign will go as far as Sam can take them, and it increasingly looks like that's a long, long way.
Sally Menti – 7 (off 81' for Mia Fishel)
The good. In the 66th minute, it was Sally Menti finding Sofia Huerta that led to the cross that led to the rebound that led to the opening goal. Three minutes later, it was Sally Menti drilling a ball from Nérilia Mondésir from near the top of the area, which, though blocked, created a scramble and a couple of good opportunities for the Reign to double their lead. Menti led all Reign players in shot-creating actions with four and matched Shae Holmes' five progressive passes. She also won two tackles and three of her five duels. Menti was active and effective on both sides of the ball, and remains something of a revelation.
The bad. Menti, like Meza, was pressured into six turnovers by Angel City's quick and aggressive midfield, and another team having a better day might've turned some of those giveaways into goals.
Going forward. With Sally Menti exploding onto the scene in an already crowded and quality midfield, where are the minutes for everybody going to come from? That's a hard problem, but it's a good problem to have.
Ji So-yun – 5 (off 46' for Jess Fishlock)
The good. Ji remains one of the best in the league at controlling and keeping possession in tight spaces, and in a first half where the Reign had some trouble finding their footing, she did a lot of work to keep things under control until the Reign could take control, with her 34 touches coming in just 45 minutes on the field. Some nice sequences of interplay with Meza and Curry led to almost-chances on a few different occasions, most notably in the 36th minute, where the combination ended in an admittedly fairly speculative shot.
The bad. Almost-chances aren't chances. Under pressure, Ji wasn't able to create much going forward, a major contributing factor to the Reign finishing the first half with an xG of 0.06.
Going forward. At this point in her career, Ji can be a light-the-field-on-fire player, and she can also be a fairly average player. She's markedly less dangerous without a gravity-bending forward like Biyendolo (or Fishel!) on the field. Fortunately, we do have a couple of those.
Forwards
Maddie Dahlien – 5 (off 64' for Jordyn Huitema)
The good. The 49th-minute run, step, and cross to find Sofia Huerta from four yards out, yawning empty net in front of her, was a thing of beauty and deserved an assist. Unfortunately, it was a high-difficulty volley and Huerta couldn't get the right angle to knock it home. Maddie ran (and ran and ran), and pushed and pulled at Angel City's back line, often thanklessly, but always forcing them to be aware of her position and how quickly she could blaze past them.
The bad. Dahlien ran (and ran and ran), but didn't see much of the ball, managing just 17 touches and 55% passing. Through most of her 60+ minutes on the field, Angel City effectively denied her service and denied her the ability to serve others.
Going forward. There's a lot of competition at every position on this Reign team, and the forward corps just got more crowded with Big Fish, but Danger Maddie offers elite speed and a growing list of tools to make it count. There will be plenty of minutes for her, and it's on her to make the most of them.
Emeri Adames – 6 (off 64' for Nérilia Mondésir)
The good. Adames was a proper menace on the ball, parlaying 36 touches into two successful dribbles, three switches, solid passing in the final third, and one of the Reign's more dangerous opportunities, a 53rd-minute strike from distance off a Jess Fishlock ball that she unfortunately couldn't put on frame. She was defensively active, if not always at maximum effectiveness, getting into challenges and mucking up Angel City's ability to get out quickly on the break.
The bad. Adames managed only one shot, from twenty-two yards, and though she hit it from a good part of the field, it wasn't all that likely to score. While she put in the effort defensively, and did her part to slow up Angel City's counters, she still got beaten more often than not when she got stuck in.
Going forward. Adames remains a work in progress, but the bright spots are very bright, and she's audacious in a way the Reign need more of. I'm particularly keen to see her working with Mia Fishel in the future.
Substitutes
Jess Fishlock – 8 (POTM) (on 46' for Ji So-yun, off 90'+4 for Ainsley McCammon)
Jess Fishlock played around 45 minutes. It took her twenty minutes to break the game open, heading a Huerta cross on goal and then pouncing on her own rebound to score, and forty minutes to put things to bed, a cheeky back-heel deflecting off defender Alanna Kennedy and into the net. Playing just half the match, she still led the field in recoveries with six. Standing just 5'2", she nonetheless went into aerial duels repeatedly and won every header she challenged for.
She had a few loose touches and a few tired moments where she couldn't muster the steam to run her player down. But you know, when you come on as a halftime sub and create two goals, are we really going to nitpick that too much?
Going forward. At some point, Jess Fishlock will inevitably retire, but when she's still got this in her pocket, why would she be in any hurry to?
Jordyn Huitema – 5 (on 64' for Maddie Dahlien)
Huitema subbed on, and the Reign immediately scored. Okay, so the opening goal was mostly Huerta and Fishlock, but Huitema (and Mondésir!) both substantially contributed to it with strong forward runs, pulling multiple defenders and creating acres of space for Menti to find Huerta, Huerta to glide forward and pick her cross, and Fish to get the jump to the header. This wasn't a must-start sort of performance, but it was a strong bench performance where Huitema did a bunch of the tactical dirty work that supported the Reign turning control into a well-earned lead.
Going forward. Forward minutes are going to be at a premium with Fishel, Biyendolo, Dahlien, and Mondésir all showing well. Huitema does offer something different from any of them, but at some point, she does need to show herself as a consistent scoring threat.
Nérilia Mondésir – 5 (on 64' for Emeri Adames)
Mondésir subbed on, and the Reign immediately scored. Okay, so the opening goal was mostly Huerta and Fishlock, but Nérilia (and Jordyn!) both substantially contributed to it with strong forward runs. After helping Jordyn pull the centerbacks nearly to the goal line, Mondésir's strong horizontal run created a logjam with the keeper, nearly got to the rebound herself, and made sure no defender was in space to collect it before Fish got it herself. Like Huitema, this wasn't a must-start sort of performance, but it was a strong, tactically astute shift off the bench that contributed to a well-deserved lead.
Going forward. The Reign suddenly have a surfeit of forwards doing strong work, and Coco will have to contend with Fishel, Biyendolo, Dahlien, and Huitema for minutes at the position. She offers something different from any of them, though, and she's shown a lot of flexibility playing central, wide, high, and withdrawn.
Mia Fishel – 5 (on 81' for Sally Menti)
Making her first appearance for the Reign, Big Fish showed off a little bit of what makes her so exciting, matching big-time physical prowess with soft, cultured feet and crazy quick reactions. While she didn't spend a lot of time on the pitch, the short time she did spend was enough to win a corner out of nothing with pure foot skill, and for the Reign to take the lead on that corner.
Going forward. Her time at Chelsea was hampered by injury, but we have a pretty good idea what she can do at full health, and she's got plenty more upside to still grow into.
Ainsley McCammon – N/A (on 90'+4 for Jess Fishlock)
Ainsley McCammon spelled Jess Fishlock late in stoppage time. She did not touch the ball.
Going forward. McCammon's a big talent with a big future. This just wasn't the night she gets to prove it.
Referee
Shawn Tehini – 5
The good. For the most part, Tehini kept things flowing and used her whistle judiciously. Her advantage calls made sense and were well-handled. While there was a foul on Dahlien that I think is at least a 50/50 penalty, she was consistent in not calling incidental contact in the area, and consistency is the thing we most want from referees.
The bad. I was more incensed with Tehini live than on rewatch, though I still think she let too much go and was generally too slow to card. Madison Curry, in particular, took an absolute beating and was given no respite from the ref. As is, unfortunately, fairly common in the business, after the Reign took the lead, she took up the time-honored practice of officiating to the score.
Going forward. I'm not about to say this was a mindblowing show of refereeing excellence, but it's a standard I would be at least okay with.
And Another Thing!
The Reign travel to Portland with a chance to keep getting away with it against their most storied rival, a chance to make it five unbeaten, and a chance to give themselves some breathing room in a real logjammed NWSL table.
Please, Reign, give me a fun column to write next week.
