Seattle Reign spent most of Sunday evening chasing a game they should have controlled, then flipped the script in the span of two minutes in the second half. Gisele Thompson's early strike had Angel City up 1-0 at the break, but the Reign came out of the locker room transformed, with Sally Menti leveling things in the 50th minute before Mia Fishel one-timed a Menti layoff into the upper corner two minutes later.
It looked like the second-half response this team has been searching for all season until Angel City substitute Prisca Chilufya beat the Reign backline to a long ball and chipped in an equalizer in the 72nd.
While the Reign walked away disappointed with the lost points, they extended their unbeaten run to three games. Here are three stats from the match.
June Ash Eden
5
The Reign have struggled to take control in the second half of matches all season. Heading into this weekend, only 15% of the Reign's 20 goals came in the second half. This trend shifted over the weekend.
After an uncharacteristically slow start in the first half against Angel City on Sunday, the Reign were a different team when the second half kicked off and were rewarded with two quick goals from Menti and Fishel.
Seattle has now scored 5 goals in the second half of games, and 40% of those goals came in Sunday's draw.
Another second-half goal was scored a week prior by Jess Fishlock to secure the road victory against Bay FC, meaning that 60% of all second-half goals this year have come in the last two weeks.
Now, five of the Reign's 22 goals (23%) have been scored in the second half. Baby steps.
The Reign have not dominated for 90 minutes in many games this year, and Sunday was no exception. But it is nice to see that the team is figuring out ways to make an impact in the second half of matches and come from behind. They are going to need to carry that same mentality for a full 90 minutes soon, as they are about to play three games in eight days.
1.74
Seattle's 1.74 expected goals (xG) total against Angel City was their second-best home xG performance this season, just ever-so-slightly behind the 1.78 xG they produced in their 2-0 win against Portland.
And 1.15 xG came in the second half, another sign of the team's positive response after a lethargic start to the game.
Angel City produced 0.98 xG, a disappointing number considering they also scored two goals against the Reign. At the same time, Seattle limited them to a much lower xG total despite both teams getting 16 shots. In short, the Reign's looks were better quality opportunities, which tracks with head coach Laura Harvey's postgame comment that "we don't tend to score crappy goals." (This author would like to state that she is very open to shifting this trend as well!)
Another huge win was the Reign limiting Angel City on set pieces. The LA-based club came into the match having scored 7 set-piece goals and got eight corner kicks on Sunday against Seattle. But the Reign defended those opportunities well and put bodies in front of any Angel City player in the box.
13
Ainsley McCammon's defensive workload was on display against Angel City. She recorded 13 recoveries, a match high. A recovery is when possession changes from one team to another in an open-play situation. McCammon's 13 recoveries were her highest this season, and only one other outfield Reign player hit a better number so far in 2026 (Sam Meza, with 14 recoveries vs. NC in the Reign's 3-1 loss).
McCammon added two tackles, three interceptions (also tied for a match high), and three clearances.
On the other side of the ball, McCammon struggled a little more than usual completing her passes. She finished with a 52.8% pass completion rate, completing 19 of her 36 passes and just 1 of 10 long balls. That was McCammon's second-lowest completion rate this season. Angel City, a team with an aggressive press, closed down quickly and tried to clog the midfield. It appeared to throw McCammon off a little in the first half, and the midfielder had a few instances where her pass was blocked or intercepted because she didn't play it fast enough.
The good news: she adjusted well in the second half while also being dominant on the defensive end. In fact, while she won't be credited for an assist, McCammon's smart pass into Sally Menti led directly to the Reign's second goal.
These stats reinforce what I noticed in the game: Against Angel City, McCammon was clearly having to play a scrappier, more duel-and-recovery-focused role rather than a possession one — something she's excelled at in the last month (McCammon leads the team with four assists). And while it took her a little time, she figured it out while also showing how resilient she can be defensively next to Meza. McCammon is an extremely talented long-range passer. Here's to continued growth for the Reign's young, talented players like the 18-year-old midfielder.
The Reign have another home match this week and will be looking to extend their unbeaten run. On Friday, August 14, they host the Chicago Stars at 7 p.m. PT. The club's Pride Match will air on NWSL+.
