That's 180-plus minutes against Houston in the books, and the Reign walked away with just 1 point from the two matches. It's hard to play late summer afternoons in Houston in the blistering heat and sodden humidity, and the Dash are a team finally finding a bit of fortune that eluded them early in the season, and the Reign are now winless in three.
Maybe you take that road point and run with it, all things considered. All the way back in May, I mentioned that the Dash seemed like a better team than their results, and it's always a hard away match even when they're struggling.
Still, it's hard not to feel like a third consecutive missed opportunity to pick up points and put some distance between us and the playoff line. That hold on sixth place grows tenuous. There are no easy matches in this league, and there are some gotdang hard ones on the horizon.
Houston was an opportunity.
And the Reign came out flat, Houston had the better of play for the entire first half, and looked the more likely team to score by some distance through the first hour. Then Yazmeen Ryan pounced on an uncharacteristic shared mistake between Phoebe McClernon and Claudia Dickey, Houston had their largely deserved lead, and... it could've gotten worse, if not for.
If not for Sofia Huerta conjuring a bit of magic, Jordyn Huitema rising up to meet the cross with her head, the record finally broken, the target forward finally looking dangerous...
But we don't live in that if not.
Huerta did conjure a bit of magic. Huitema did rise up like a salmon.
Assist record. Huge goal. Point taken back from a trailing position.
It wasn't a great match by the Reign, but a couple difference makers made a difference when they absolutely had to, and that's worth celebrating, too.
Before we jump into the ratings, a fair warning: I will talk a lot about the weather conditions. Rest assured, though, I will be talking about it far less than the league office should have been in the week leading up to the match.
Goalkeeper
Claudia Dickey – 5
Houston, flipping the script on some of their early-season struggles creating opportunities, took 14 shots over the course of the match, and four of them were legitimately good opportunities. Of course, of those 14 shots, they only put two on target, and Claudia Dickey, for the most part, had what you'd term a quiet, uneventful afternoon in goal.
For the most part.
The one notable exception, unfortunately, was an ill-timed bout of indecisiveness following a back line error. Phoebe McClernon gave Dickey a bit of a disaster ball, square and slow across goal, Yazmeen Ryan pounced, and Dickey, caught between two minds, started to challenge then backed off.
Ryan rounded McClernon, rounded Dickey, and tucked it home basically uncontested for a rare 0.99 post-shot xG chance.
Swamp take. I suspect many of us have trouble making split-second decisions when trying to play soccer while held hostage on the actual surface of the sun, but it's still a bit of a Furt Moment, and one we're not used to seeing from Claudia this season.
Defenders
Madison Curry – 6
A quiet afternoon in possession for Curry, who wasn't able to get much going on the attacking side of the ball, but a strong afternoon throwing down the gauntlet against Houston's attack. She put in 4 recoveries, 3 interceptions, 3 blocks, 8 clearances... if you want to talk reasons Houston took 14 shots but 10 of them were no-chance and pure-hopium, look no further than Curry (and Maddie Dahlien) defending wide and leaving little ground for Houston to exploit.
Otherwise, Curry touched the ball fairly often, carried the ball occasionally, largely failed to find purchase in the final third, and mostly opted for the safe passes back to Huerta and McClernon... and, of course, in one key moment, Sally Menti.
Swamp take. A stay-at-home wingback performance like this makes a ton of sense when you're being boiled like a frog in a pot because the league still hasn't figured out to not schedule early kickoffs in Houston in August.
Sofia Huerta – 7 (Co-POTM)
After literal actual years stuck on 31 assists, Sofia Huerta finally got her record, and it was a goddamn beauty. Unable to find an angle hugging the touchline, Curry hit the ball back to Menti, Menti laid it off to Huerta, and Huerta took one look up field, identified Jordyn Huitema's strong far-post run, and delivered a perfect teasing ball to Air Jordyn's rising forehead.
Goal, assist, tie game.
Huerta continues to grow into the role of ball-playing centerback, and I for one am deeply intrigued by the possibilities of a Bugg – McClernon – Huerta central defense corps as a way to give opposing presses absolute nightmares.
As Susie noted earlier this week, Huerta's crossing ability from deep offers the Reign a vertical threat when their wingbacks lack options, and creates opportunities that the Reign have sometimes wanted for when teams mark Dahlien and Curry out of the attack.
Swamp take. I'm still waiting for Opta and NWSL to announce that actually, because of a thin layer of steam condensation on the ball from the sauna-like humidity, Huerta technically didn't touch the ball when she kicked it and therefore will not be credited with an assist.
Phoebe McClernon – 5
McClernon made one huge mistake, and the Reign instantly paid for it. We all know it, we acknowledge it, and we're going to leave it as it is and talk about the rest of the afternoon, because barring that moment, Phoebe was really freaking good.
70 touches, 85% passing, 7 clearances, 7 recoveries, and 4 interceptions good. Houston, for substantial periods of the game, was cooking (as in they were playing some slick ball, not as in they were literally cooking, although obviously the latter was probably also true), and Phoebe's commanding presence interrupted like 15 different promising attacking phases for the home side.
She won every single one of her one-on-ones. She put her body on the line to reject one of Houston's most dangerous shots of the match. She absolutely demolished Yazmeen Ryan on a strong run that could've been a dagger for the Reign.
But also... man, that one huge mistake.
Swamp take. Soccer's a devastating and cruel game sometimes. Phoebe played 90 near-perfect minutes, but in the unforgiving brutality of a merciless Texas summer, made one huge mistake, and the Reign instantly paid for it.
Lauren Barnes – 6 (off 87' for Emily Mason)
The comeback train continues at a runaway pace, and Lu Barnes put in another pretty, pretty fuckin' good shift covering at centerback. She doesn't cover the ground she used to, but she remains incredibly tactically astute, and her contribution to the Reign's defensive organization helped ensure that Houston's frequent shots were infrequently dangerous.
But one of the best things about Barnes on the back line is still the passing touch. She's one of the most consistent progressive passers on the team, and had four against Houston. Her dead ball service is also quite good, and led to Ainsley McCammon getting an excellent look at goal from six yards out in the 52nd minute for one of the Reign's best chances of the afternoon.
On balance, I may want Bugg, McClernon, Huerta, and Holmes to see minutes more than Lu, but whenever someone can't play, needs a rest, or just needs a second to get some things straight, Barnes is proving yet again to be a huge asset.
Swamp take. With all that said, Barnes was fading late in the match, and likely could've used a sub before the 87-minute mark. I understand the Reign just got scorched by shaking up their defense against Chicago, but there's a difference between hot-swapping young players to defensive positions they've never played professionally and giving a veteran a breather after dozens of hard recovery runs in brutal conditions. Did I reference the heat enough here?
Maddie Dahlien – 7
No, bear with me, Maddie fuckin' threw down in this one. She didn't get as much going on the offensive side as we're used to – no shot-creating actions, and just one shot of her own, a decent 8th-minute look that she couldn't put on frame – but this was an absolute shutting-down-the-wings clinic on the defensive side of things.
Three tackles won, four duels won, a block and an interception, three progressive passes to go with 88% passing (she misplayed just three balls all game) – Dahlien was a force on the left side, and while she wasn't driving and dangerous like she sometimes can be, she combined well with the midfield and consistently kept the ball in Houston's half when she had possession, and she absolutely shut down Avery Patterson and Yazmeen Ryan when they attacked up her side.
Dahlien at wingback has had its detractors (me, I'm detractors) but I can't deny just how much she's grown into the position, and how good she's getting at reading the game state and putting in the performance it needs.
Swamp take. I'd still rather see Danger Maddie run right at them a little more, but I can't really blame her (or Laura Harvey) for taking a measured conserve-your-energy-and-don't-get-caught-out approach in an away match played inside an actual boiler tank.
Midfielders
Ainsley McCammon – 6 (off 63' for Sally Menti)
There's a lot to chew on in Ainsley McCammon's mostly very good performance – how smooth she was in possession, scarcely putting a foot wrong. That chance she got her head to in the 52nd minute, arguably the Reign's most dangerous look of the afternoon. The pure touch she exhibited to beat her defender in first-half stoppage time. It's not all the way there, it's still not – the brilliance is punctuated with some very 18-years-old play, but the brilliance is still brilliant.
What most impressed me, though, and a marked improvement on some prior outings for Ainsley, was just how quickly she moved from receiving the ball to finding a downfield option. She led the team with five progressive passes, and she found the willing runner at every distance and on every portion of the field. It's something she's obviously worked on, and the dividends that's paying are already clear.
Swamp take. McCammon was the first substitute of the night. She didn't really do much wrong, but, along with Ji and Mondésir, the influence just wasn't there as the game dragged on, and even the kids need to get out of the frying pan after so many recovery sprints.
Sam Meza – 7 (off 87' for Jess Fishlock)
For a couple matches, it looked a bit shaky, but Sam Meza is back on her nonsense, and the real winner is everyone who gets to watch her fly into 11 duels (winning six), eight tackles (winning four), and six recoveries en route to running Houston's midfield in circles. The Dash may have had a 16-point advantage in possession, may have had a 14-5 advantage in shots, may have had the momentum and the danger on their side for most of the match, but time and again they ran into a tiny, tireless wrecking ball, and time and again Meza broke the triangle and ended Houston's efforts.
Oh, and, all of that plus one of the sickest dribbles a Reign player has given us in awhile.
Anyway, nobody in the league throws challenges with the bite or frequency Meza does, and she's also incredible at going in fairly. She doesn't always win the ball, but she's exceptional at both not giving up the free kick and forcing the attacker to cycle back even when she doesn't come away with it. I'm not sure what the question was, but I'm still sure Meza is the answer.
Swamp take. I don't know how Meza successfully ran like 13 consecutive marathons while everyone around her was visibly melting moment by moment, but I'm glad she has the capacity to do so.
Nérilia Mondésir – 6 (off 74' for Emeri Adames)
Two or three really good moments—
An early exchange with Jordyn Huitema, culminating in a streaking Maddie Dahlien roaring in for the Reign's first chance of the afternoon.
A slick pass into the area in the 72nd minute, giving Huitema a clean look with her left that forced a save and could've given the Reign a turn-it-upside-down lead.
A ball taken in stride from Lynn Biyendolo and driven with authority towards the end line.
Mostly, though, it was a game of almost for Coco, who led the Reign with two successful passes into the penalty area and was the only player on the side with multiple shot-creating actions, but couldn't consistently find separation from her defenders and wound up pinned too deep and too wide for too long to really impact the match.
Swamp take. I think Mondésir needs a few consecutive starts to get all the way in sync with the team, and I think she's got a skillset that will pay some real value when she can do that. Under the wrathful eye of the Gulf Coast sky, in a game played at 40% speed in waders and galoshes, she wasn't able to break free frequently, but she showed – again – some of the tantalizing traits that could make her a game-breaker if she can put it together.
Ji So-yun – 5 (off 64' for Lynn Biyendolo)
Even as I write it, the 5 feels harsh, because Ji didn't really do anything wrong. It's just – her impact was blunted, everywhere. She kept the ball better than anyone on the Reign, she got on the ball often, completed her passes at a ridiculous rate, progressed the ball, and... couldn't deliver the one moment that she needed to find the game.
Somehow, she was both the most active and least impactful starting midfielder for the Reign: 45 touches, 35 carries, 32 completed passes, one defensive action, zero offense registered. Operating high up the pitch and shading left in a strong partnership with Dahlien, Ji was excellent receiving the ball and all too often looked to have a chance to create the moment, but everything moved in slow motion, and she couldn't find the right touch at the right time to make anything dangerous come together.
Swamp take. The molasses playing field, the slow ball movement, and the soft crack heat of an endlessly sprawling city crafted wholly of concrete and despair did Ji no favors. Her ball control was, characteristically, excellent, but she could do little with it other than Keep Possession for awhile.
Forwards
Jordyn Huitema – 7 (Co-POTM)
Everything else doesn't even matter that much when the headline is Air Jordyn scored a huge goal to claw back a point.
But just for fun, let's talk about the everything else, too. Seven minutes after scoring the leveling goal, she got in clean with a solid chance to give the Reign the lead. Up against an aerially capable Houston back line, she won 80% of her aerial duels, and half her ground duels for good measure. Playing as a forward, she nonetheless racked up five clearances and two interceptions. She turned 29 touches into two shots, a goal, and a key pass.
She was defensively dominant, offensively dynamic, and looked the part of the forward we hoped we'd see when she first came to Seattle.
And also, Air Jordyn scored a huge goal to claw back a point.
Swamp take. Also, she played 90 minutes defending from the front and scrapping for every chance in that grotesque bog heat, and still looked like she could play another 90 if she really had to. Dedication, or something like that.
Substitutes
Sally Menti – 4 (on 63' for Ainsley McCammon)
Immediately after subbing on, Sally Menti had the hockey assist on the Reign's only goal, choosing the safe quick pass to Huerta, who had a good angle to drive the ball forward. Otherwise, she touched the ball six times in 30+ minutes, committed two fouls, one of them not a great foul to give up, and in general wasn't really helping the Reign's case as time ticked off. The hockey assist matters, though. Choosing the simple pass is sometimes the best choice you can make, and she made it.
Lynn Biyendolo – 4 (on 64' for Ji So-yun)
Immediately after subbing on, Biyendolo made a hard run, dragged a defender with her, and opened up Jordyn Huitema's head for a killer Sofia Huerta pass. Thankless off-ball runs get the goods, and Lynn delivers really good ones. Like Menti, though, she never settled into the game and was neither impactful nor particularly effective after a nice opening play, touching the ball just seven times and completing 1 of 4 passes, hitting two clearances in defense but one of them right to an onrushing Houston attacker... the run to create space matters, though, and helped the Reign secure a point.
Emeri Adames – 3 (on 74' for Nérilia Mondésir)
For the final 15-plus minutes, Emeri Adames replaced Mondésir, and on the afternoon, it did not improve the Reign's field influence. The Reign lost yet more control of the game and ceded yet more possession, as Emeri proceeded to touch the ball just four times and turned it over three while the Dash ratcheted up pressure and searched for the winner on their molten home pitch.
Jess Fishlock – N/A (on 87' for Sam Meza)
In the final substitution window, Jess Fishlock gave Meza a well-earned break, and amongst the substitutes on the evening, impressed by actually completing a pass and winning a tackle in short minutes.
Emily Mason – N/A (on 87' for Lauren Barnes)
Alongside Fishlock, Emily Mason gave Barnes a much-needed breather, and recorded a stoppage time recovery and clearance to help see the game out.
Referee
Iryna Petrunok – 7
On a matchday when only a couple players really distinguished themselves, Iryna Petrunok came through with a confident and quietly very good performance in the middle of the park.
I have two nitpicks. I don't think Emily Mason's 91st minute challenge was a foul, let alone a yellow card, and I think Petrunok had a couple opportunities to show an early card – and I'd generally rather a ref take one of those opportunities to keep the temperature down. (Even when it's one billion degrees and 175% humidity in the Houston hellswamp.) With that said, Iryna called a largely consistent game, didn't show much patience for extracurriculars, didn't reward time wasting or simulation, and kept things moving at about as clean a clip as you could expect given the match conditions.
Also, she had a ridiculously good trap on a ball that caught her by surprise. That doesn't factor into this rating, really, and she correctly awarded the drop ball afterward, but it was both very funny and a sneaky bit of technical skill from a position you don't expect it from.
Swamp take. I've rated Petrunok twice, and I've liked her better than I like most PRO refs both times. Hopefully next time we see her, she doesn't have to spend half an hour doing heat checks on a field that everybody in the universe knew would be too hot to play at the scheduled kickoff time, except for the league office.
And Another Thing!
We've gotta start getting wins again with some urgency.
The gap between 6th and 10th is just 6 points, and with matches against Washington, Kansas City, Gotham, and Orlando still to come in the final third of the season, the margin for error is going to be thin as hell.
Dropping winnable points against Houston, Chicago, Bay, and Angel City hasn't helped. But at the same time, the Reign have picked up big points against the league's best, and they're just a couple big results from cementing their spot.
It's time to make a statement or crash out, so let's make a fucking statement, yeah?
