The Reign came out with a mission against the Utah Royals: secure three points and give themselves a shot at hosting a home playoff match. The road to get there was, shall we say, a bit shaky. The final result, though, was ultimately good enough, as Claudia Dickey made some big stops, Bianca St-Georges missed some big chances, Ainsley McCammon scored a big damn goal, and Sofia Huerta got on the scoresheet with a converted penalty.
There's a lot to like and a lot to dislike in this match – the Reign spent much of the first twenty minutes on the back foot in their own stadium, struggling to contain an already-eliminated Utah Royals side that's shown a lot of fight and will to ruin someone else's day in the final phase of the season. They also put it all together in first-half stoppage time, with teenage phenom Ainsley McCammon stepping up in a huge way to put the Reign ahead at the break. They also, to use some colorful language, fucked around and found out in the second half, allowing Utah back into the game enough for Paige Monaghan to find the equalizer on an unfortunately beautiful bit of personal skill after an unfortunately dire Maddie Dahlien turnover. They also-also fought right the fuck back from that, won a penalty, and won the match, seeing out the final thirty without allowing another real chance to the Royals.
A whole damn roller coaster of emotions.
At the final whistle, though, it was three points needed, three points secured, and the top half of the playoff picture within their grasp.
Let's walk through the standouts and the disasters!
Goalkeeper
Claudia Dickey – 8
Bianca St-Georges and Cloe Lacasse were dealing. It's too bad they had to face Claudia "The Claw" Dickey, who started things strong by committing highway robbery on St-Georges from thirteen yards out just three minutes in, continued things strong by committing highway robbery on Lacasse from eleven yards out at the half hour mark, and for good measure stretched out to deny St-Georges again from distance in the 49th minute, making an utterly routine save on a shot that could've been quite dangerous. The shot that finally beat her, a Paige Monaghan banger from 20 yards, was placed and weighted wickedly, and it's hard to pin much blame on Claudia when she'd already made three world-class saves barely halfway through the match.
Her distribution did leave something to be desired – Dickey connected on fewer than half of her pass attempts, including going just 2 for 19 on long passes. Some of those missed passes came right back up the field for Utah to try to combine into something dangerous. The Reign arguably dodged several bullets with St-Georges and Lacasse in the first half, though it's also true that Dickey – even when she contributed to Utah's counter – was simply too good to lose to Utah in this match, and ably cleaned up the messes when they came to her.
Defenders
Maddie Dahlien – 7 (off 90' for Shae Holmes)
So, disasters – that 60th-minute turnover. We do, unfortunately, have to talk about it. It was a big misstep, coughing up the ball to Paige Monaghan under pressure with nobody back to defend. The thing is, though, Dahlien recovered immediately, she got back goalside, pressured Monaghan, and slowed her up enough for the defense to recover. It took something really special to get that shot off, let alone bury it in the top corner. It starts with Dahlien's turnover, but at some point, it was just a moment of brilliance from a player capable of them.
And aside from that turnover, Dahlien turned in a tidy game. It was her cross – and her assist – that found McCammon's forehead in first-half stoppage time to open the scoring, and it was her give-and-go with Maddie Mercado in the 89th minute that closed out the game's chances. It was her hard run up the left channel that created an opportunity in the 55th minute, and her tireless tracking and defending (3 tackles won, 8 duels won, 12 recoveries) that kept the Reign with the Pringle's share of the energy throughout the long middle portion of the match.
A good performance. Just don't give the ball directly to Paige Monaghan in transition next time.
Lauren Barnes – 6 (But It's A 10)
One more time, for one more game, Lauren Barnes turned back the clock as her career minutes ticked past 21,000. Steady and true, Barnes showed again her significant positional flexibility as she stepped high into the midfield to support the Reign in gumming up the middle and denying Utah space for their creative players.
Her counting stats don't look bad either – she put in enormous defensive contributions, with 4 tackles, 4 clearances, 6 recoveries, and 5 of 6 duels won. She also showed some creative flair with her passing, finding the right touch on a number of long passes and earning credit for eight progressive passes as well as one shot-creating action, the pass before the pass on Mercado's solid 49th-minute opportunity.
Barnes has four (we're assuming a cup run, deal with it) more matches in a Reign kit, and she'll always be one of the best to ever do it.
Jordyn Bugg – 6
Spending most of the match in Phoebe McClernon's usual spot, as the covering centerback, Bugg played a mostly sound and solid game, with crisp passing and somewhat infrequent (7 defensive contributions, 2 of 3 duels won) but always important interventions to help keep the game in front of the Reign. While this setup allowed for Barnes and Sofia Huerta to step forward, get into the mix in the midfield, and deliver balls forward, it largely robbed Jordyn Bugg of the ability to do the same – and that's a bit of an issue.
A Jordyn Bugg who isn't searching for the touch on her long passes, taking clever touches to open space and stretch the field, stepping to her attacker to break up play and spring something the other way, able to make higher-risk, higher-reward plays with strong cover behind her, is a Jordyn Bugg missing a whole lot of what makes her so incredibly special.
Also, the one time she did really step forward and take a clever touch to open space for herself, she wound up playing herself into serious trouble. Claudia Dickey wasn't too troubled by the ensuing dispossession and counter, fortunately, but it was perhaps a bit too much of a risk while playing a role that demands a lot of discipline.
Sofia Huerta – 7
The longer it goes on, the better the Huerta, Wide Centerback experiment looks. It both keeps Curry (who, admittedly, didn't have her best game this time out) on the pitch to run the touchline like a maniac, and provides the Reign with wholly different crossing and passing angles to choose from when they build out. Huerta's 10 crosses were frequently dangerous, forcing goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn to make hard choices, and she had three shot-creating actions to go with, of course, the penalty goal.
She also won three free kicks, put in a number of good services from dead balls (that 24th-minute service to Mia Fishel!), racked up six recoveries, led the team with 62 touches, and generally looked the part of a two-way defender who can provide danger from any part of the field. If there's one real area for improvement, it's finding the easy pass quicker; Utah was often quick to pressure, and Huerta wasn't always well-prepared for the pressure when it came.
Madison Curry – 5 (off 67' for Phoebe McClernon)
Perhaps the Reign player who struggled the most with both Utah's pressure and with Utah's tenacious but bogged down midfield, Madison Curry had an often-forgettable day at the office. Struggling to do much either playing or receiving the ball, she most often settled for hitting it back to Sofia Huerta when she had possession, and spent a good portion of her afternoon in a physical battle with Paige Monaghan that she didn't necessarily get the best of.
She also had a fairly terrible giveaway, one of three egregious ones for the Reign in a second half where they flirted with disaster until it finally struck; her miscue didn't ultimately lead to a goal, but it was emblematic of the too-casual care for the ball that plagued the Reign as they approached the 60th minute.
With that said, this wasn't a disaster of a performance, and Curry did well to run forward thanklessly, repeatedly, often being the sole vertical outlet on the right side of the field – and with her final act of the match, she created the material conditions for Seattle to seize the means of goal production. I'm sorry. That was terrible. What I mean, of course, is she delivered her best pass of the afternoon, deftly finding Maddie Mercado in her stride in the area, who took a single touch with the inside of her leg and promptly got annihilated by Bianca St-Georges for the penalty.
It won't show up as an assist, but to be honest, it maybe should.
Midfielders
Nérilia Mondésir – 6
Firstly: I love love love how hard Coco is to muscle off the ball. She's had an up-and-down season, with injuries slowing her integration with the team in her first full year, but we're finally starting to see what Mondésir can cook, and there's a whole lot to like in that dish.
Duels won? A nifty nine of fourteen. Slick ball skills? Count the two sweet take-ons, the four progressive carries, and the approximately 836 times (this number was derived through advanced data science and definitely not extreme hyperbole) a Utah defender bounced off her hip as she quickly shielded the ball until she could find support to keep the play alive.
Her 49th-minute key pass to Maddie Mercado was pretty dang good too. Hopefully, we're to the point of her Reign career where the unfortunate injuries and squad carousel are behind her, and we can start seeing the magic Nérilia can bring on a more regular basis.
Sam Meza – 6 (off 90' for Angharad James-Turner)
This was another fairly quiet outing for Meza (who could be forgiven for experiencing a bit of fatigue after carrying the whole damn midfield this season), but once again, quiet by Meza's standards still winds up being a pretty decent line. Her seven defensive contributions (3 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 block) mucked up the midfield line for Utah in a way they were never able to fully solve, especially after their frighteningly good first fifteen minutes.
She also had three shot-creating actions, helping to set up Maddie Mercado early as the Reign searched for the opener, and Jess Fishlock late as the Reign searched for some insurance. Though neither came to anything, Meza was unafraid to show her vision and try for the killer ball when she had the time and space to do so in a crowded middle third.
Her choice of pass wasn't always so good, though, and she was significantly less tidy with the ball than we're used to, misplaying at least five relatively simple balls that I counted. The Reign weren't punished for any of them, but it was a somewhat troubling trend on a team outplaying the opponent but struggling to take care of the fundamentals.
Ainsley McCammon – 8 (POTM)
Goddamn, Ainsley has come alive down the stretch!
And of course, we're going to start with the goal. The hard run delayed a split second to create the separation she needed, the perfectly timed header, the brilliant stoppage-time finish on Dahlien's inch-perfect cross to give the Reign a halftime lead. But it was a much more complete performance than just the beautiful goal.
She was a menace running from box to box, racking up six recoveries and seven defensive contributions along with three shot-creating actions, two key passes, and two progressive passes. She covered space like nobody else, switching and overlapping with Meza, popping up all over the field to provide a little extra when the Reign needed a little extra, and a lot extra when the Reign needed a spark.
Goals change games, and nothing Ainsley did changed the narrative of the match more than scoring, but she does so many little things so well, sees the game unfold like a dang Jedi master. She's already exciting. The question is just how much more of this can she unlock?
Forwards
Mia Fishel – 5 (off 67' for Jess Fishlock)
There's this one-touch pass Fishel sees and makes – she's made it half a dozen times now, in limited minutes with the Reign – that catches me out every time I see it. This time, it was in first-half stoppage, moments before the goal; receiving the ball and passing it forward for Maddie Mercado with the back of her foot, in full stride. It's real hard to defend ball movement like that; while Utah was able to ultimately block Mercado out for a throw-in, they were still out of sorts defending the ensuing throw-in, switch of play, cross, and goal that followed.
Beyond that, Mia attempted nine passes and completed six, touched the ball twenty times and carried it ten... and got into space for a killer chance in the 24th minute to jolt the Reign back into the game, put in a huge shot block in a nerve-y moment, and did a whole lot more than a casual glance at her stat line would immediately suggest. She also had some less great moments – miscontrols that lost possession, an incredibly, uh, hopeful 47th minute shot from half the field that didn't even force McGlynn to blink... but there's a lot to build on there.
Fishel doesn't burn like a speedster, doesn't body up like a target woman, but she puts in such a tantalizing mix of soft feet, nose for goal, and incisive vision. There's an NWSL superstar in there waiting to bust out, if we can set her up to succeed.
Maddie Mercado – 6
At the tip of the spear, Maddie Mercado was a physical presence, demanding and receiving a ton of attention from Utah's defenders. She committed three fouls and drew four, and constantly mixed things up with the opposition and forced them to make choices that put them off balance. I was surprised, looking back through the match, that she was not as effective as I'd remembered in the air – she's credited with one aerial won and five lost, and she was seldom even in position to be favored in the air.
She took four shots – one good, three forgettable – and pulled defenders to her when the shot wasn't forthcoming. Her most important touch of the match, though, came in the 63rd minute, a high-difficulty control on Madison Curry's entry pass to put her past two defenders. Bianca St-Georges crashed into her from behind and took her out. After a VAR review, Cristian Campo Hernandez pointed to the spot, and the Reign had their lead restored.
Mercado provides an interesting and different look from Jordyn Huitema in the same role – while Huitema is undeniably better contesting in the air, Mercado is a bit faster and stronger on the ball, and provided an often-dangerous pairing with Fishel up top.
Substitutes
Phoebe McClernon – 5 (on 67' for Madison Curry)
After the Reign reclaimed their lead, Phoebe McClernon spelled Madison Curry to help see out the match, and the Reign shifted their defenders to try to contain Utah and minimize the mistakes that lost them the lead in the first place. The change worked: Utah managed just two shots in the last thirty minutes, both of them from well over twenty yards out, neither threatening Dickey's goal.
For Phoebe's part, a seeing-things-out shift with a tackle won, a shot blocked, three clearances, two recoveries, and no significant mistakes on her 12 touches was just fine to keep the Reign lead intact. When you can count on nothing else, you can count on Phoebs to get it done.
Jess Fishlock – 5 (on 67' for Mia Fishel)
After the Reign reclaimed their lead, Fishlock came on for Mia Fishel to provide a different look going forward, and treated the Royals to thirty-ish minutes of vintage Fishlock buzzing, leading the press from the front, keeping the line of confrontation organized, and nicking a half-chance out of the deal for good measure, pouncing on the rebound from Meza's long (long, long) shot and forcing a good block along the way.
She gave up the ball a few too many times for comfort, but mostly not in dangerous places, and kept the energy and pressure going until the full-time whistle sounded and the Reign were flying into Decision Day with a whole lot to play for.
Shae Holmes – N/A (on 90' for Maddie Dahlien)
In the 90th minute, Holmes came on as a late sub for the hard-running, hard-fighting Danger Maddie. She touched the ball twice and committed no serious errors.
Angharad James-Turner – N/A (on 90' for Sam Meza)
In the 90th minute, James-Turner came on as a late sub for the hard-running, hard-fighting Mezazoic Sam. She touched the ball once, completed one pass and committed no serious errors.
Referee
Cristian Campo Hernandez – 5
The penalty was pretty unmistakable, and rightly awarded after a VAR check – and it's understandable how he missed the actual weight of the contact in real time, as well. No real complaints on how that was handled. I also liked how he showed an early yellow card to Cloe Lacasse to set the tone and try to keep the game under control. Unfortunately, ah.
I do have some complaints about the lack of a yellow card to Bianca St-Georges in particular, a thing that became conspicuous after her third yellow card-worthy challenge and outright incomprehensible after her fourth. And I do have some questions about other cards not shown. Maddie Mercado likely could have seen one for the Reign, and after eating four fouls of her own, certainly should've been protected with one.
In general, more than anything, Hernandez officiated like he was the center of attention, demanding eyes, issuing dramatic lectures, giving warnings that were never followed up on, and often delaying the game more than any incident he was reacting to could have. It's an annoyance more than a disaster, but it's always deeply annoying to watch.
I've given PRO refs a lot of 4s and 5s this year, which feels like I'm probably needing to recalibrate my view on what average even looks like for a PRO referee officiating in NWSL. It's really kind of a problem that your reward for being very good at NWSL officiating is that you officiate it less and MLS more, isn't it?
And Another Thing!
The Reign are back in the big dance after a disastrous 2024 campaign, but there's still one more regular-season match to go. And Sunday's away match at Orlando has big implications. If the Reign can find a way to win, they're guaranteed the third seed and at least one home playoff game.
If the Reign can't find a win, the situation gets substantially messier and could see them tumble as far down the table as 7th, depending on other results.
Best to just win, in my opinion.
