Nine points out of nine.
NWSL is a league with no easy points and no guarantees, and the Reign's season has had some real lows to go with the highs. Big time win in Orlando, soul-crushing loss in Portland. Huge bonus road trip in Spokane. Five straight games without a goal. The community-galvanizing magic of the Etsy Witch. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Gotham.
The Reign came into this three-match homestand in a good position to set their own terms for the end of the season, but with plenty of questions to go around. They answered those questions about as well as they could have.
Against Bay FC, they were assertive but not always incisive, controlling more of the match than not but lacking the real cutting-edge chance to seize the narrative. They found a way to a lead, dodged the damage from the sort of unlucky bounce that would've spelled dropped points in the Bad Times, then slammed the door closed when the chance arose.
Coco Mondésir put in a scrappy and determined performance to demand the Reign get their rewards, Cassie Miller came up with the big stop when she absolutely had to, and Brittany Ratcliffe did not miss with the rondel when given the chance to close out the match with emphasis.
So here we are.
Fuck the haters, nine points out of nine.
Goalkeeper
Cassie Miller – 7
Plus. Every time she's stepped in for the Reign, Cassie's been rock solid, and Bay FC was no exception. While the visitors didn't create a ton of danger, there were moments where she had to be on her toes, react to the weird ones, and fight to keep that sheet clean. She delivered, giving Racheal Kundananji nothing in the 32nd minute and sprawling to keep out a rainy day knuckler from Claire Hutton in the 62nd. Excellent reading the play, Miller finished with 9 recoveries to go with dependable passing out of the back. A tidy night at the office for a backup who's turned up big whenever she's been needed.
Minus. A little more decisiveness with her long distribution could've turned a good performance into a game-defining one; taking a beat too long to get the ball off her foot let Bay pressure her, and she completed 0 of 7 long passes while pressured.
Defenders
The unit. This is an interesting one, because xG models (a) all agree that Bay FC created no more than – and mostly significantly less than – about 1 xG worth of chances, but also (b) can't really agree which of their chances were good or how good they were. Which is both interesting and frustrating from the perspective of a stats sicko.
Me, I like the eye test in this case: Kundananji's 32nd minute shot (0.3 xG by Opta, 0.55 by ASA) was from a great spot, but never likely to score with Phoebe McClernon’s challenge and Miller’s positioning giving her no real window to shoot for. Cristiana Girelli's 62nd minute shot (0.55 xG by Opta, 0.17 by ASA) had an empty net and a keeper out of the play, but would have required good contact on wet turf with no time to set it up to get on the scoreboard.
Regardless, the defense conceded almost nothing, and that's worth more than nothing. Take that as context for all of the following.
Sofia Huerta – 7
Plus. Another opportunity from the spot, another big goal for the Reign. Huerta's got the steely nerves and goalie-disintegrating stare to make a trip to the penalty mark count. Outside that obviously game-changing moment, Sof had another plus game as a progressor and possessor of the ball, running the touchline with confidence and virtually always finding the right pass to push the Reign attack forward. She completed 32 of 38 passes on 72 touches overall, including 8 progressive passes and 9 passes into the attacking third. Her defense was solid throughout, and Bay produced basically nothing from her side of the pitch, leaving Keira Barry on an island to lose again and again with little support for nearly 70 minutes.
And, sure, that 71st minute hit from way downtown may not have ever been troubling the keeper, but it was entertaining, and sports is entertainment, so I'm counting it here too.
Minus. Like most of the team's wide players, Huerta just could not land her crosses where she wanted them. One good ball in nearly found Mondésir on the run, but ultimately nothing came of one of the best crossers in history on one of the best-crossing teams on the continent given repeated opportunities to line up their crosses. Dang.
Disclaimer. I haven't independently verified whether or not Huerta's stare can in fact disintegrate an opposing goalkeeper, but I'm choosing to believe that this fact I just made up is 100% true.
Jordyn Bugg – 6
Plus. Oh my god, did you see Jordyn dialing in those long passes. Six of them, beautiful line-shattering deliveries arcing through the air like divine revelation. Long passes so good that Bay FC dedicated a substantial portion of their (frankly unhinged) defensive shape specifically to making sure she couldn't keep trying it. Her passing, in general, was sublime, exquisite, with scarcely a ball misplaced, an oasis of calm on the ball at the heart of the Reign's shape in possession. The recoveries (6) and defensive contributions (7) we've come to expect from her were there, and even in Bay FC's rare moments of significant match influence, Bugg did well to keep the game in front of her and deny them easy outlets into the penalty area. While she didn't get forward much, she picked her moments well, dialed in 5 progressive passes, and dropped a really good vertical ball in to Maddie Mercado that ended in a decent look for Mondésir in the 29th minute.
Minus. Jordyn and Phoebe both got turned about a fair bit in the latter stages of the first half, with Girelli playing strong holdup and Kundananji cutting in aggressively. While nothing all that much came of it for Bay, the Reign's struggles in adapting to their movement – starting with the central defense too often playing too passive and too deep – also contributed heavily to the Reign's struggle to play the ball out between minutes 30 through 45.
Weird. Without making it a referendum on referee Lauren Aldrich, the one foul Bugg was whistled for just absolutely was not a foul on Bugg.
Phoebe McClernon – 6
Plus. The Phoebe / Bugg defensive unit remains extremely hard to break down, and Phoebe was once again the stopper of last resort at the top of the Reign's defensive penalty area. She led all players with 13 defensive contributions, including 9 clearances, and held her own with the ball when Bay's pressure showed the ball to her over Bugg. While she doesn't have quite the line-breaking finesse that Bugg offers, she was more than able to take advantage when Bay forced the ball to her, scorching them to the tune of six long passes to the right wing and eight to the left. Bay's best opportunity came in the 32nd minute, when Racheal Kundananji got a shot off in close quarters, but Phoebe's well-timed challenge made sure Kundananji had basically nowhere to shoot, and turned a dangerous position into a fairly routine catch for Miller.
Minus. Jordyn and Phoebe both got turned about a fair bit in the latter stages of the first half, with Girelli playing some strong holdup and Kundananji cutting in aggressively. While nothing all that much came of it for Bay, the Reign's struggles in adapting to their movement – starting with the central too often defense playing too passive and too deep – also contributed heavily to the Reign's struggle to play the ball out between minutes 30 through 45.
Ryanne Brown – 6 (off 67' for Madison Curry)
Plus. The penalty starts with Brown stepping forward with the ball and putting a beautiful ball into space for Nérilia Mondésir to run onto, catching Jenna Nighswonger without support. It was a disaster moment for Bay, and it unfolded through Brown's aggression in one key moment. While it was her most impactful single moment on the ball, Brown was sharp overall in possession, getting up the field with more intention than we've seen from her and making good choices with the ball on her feet. She did all that while taking on a ton of responsibility to mark Kundananji, erasing her entirely for large portions of the game (she kept simply beating Kundananji to the ball when Bay tried to skip the press) and forcing Bay to make some clever on-the-fly adjustments to start getting the ball forward.
Minus. Those clever on-the-fly adjustments – with Kundananji underlapping Girelli and making aggressive outside-in runs to find space – caught Brown flatfooted for a good 15 minutes, during which Bay enjoyed their strongest run of play. Brown, and the team, adjusted well at the half and adapted to it, but there were flashes of almost-scary along the way.
Midfielders
Sam Meza – 7
Plus. I could talk about how good Meza's spacing and recovery defense was in this match, but I've said it all so many times before. She's done it all so many times before. It's normal and expected Sam Meza things, winning the duels, winning the tackles, winning the hearts and minds of onlookers, winning the games. So instead of repeating that paragraph yet again, I'll just regale you with some totally true Sam Meza facts.
Fact: Sam Meza completed 90% of her passes and won 83% of her duels. Fact: Sam Meza won 3 tackles, 2 free kicks, and 8 recoveries. Fact: Keira Barry is still trying to figure out where Sam Meza came from on that one play. You know the one. Fact: the sport of football had to be invented in order to give Sam Meza a safe outlet to demonstrate her power levels, which are well over 9000.
Minus. I could mention how the Reign's center got pretty soft for about 15 minutes and Sam was complicit in some of the miscues in coverage, but I'd rather share another Sam Meza fact. Fact: Sam Meza could stop to rescue a basket of kittens from the tracks at King Street Station and still get back to the pitch in time to win that tackle at the midfield line, and for all we know, she has.
Angharad James-Turner – 6
Plus. Turning in a very strong defensive game, James-Turner won 3 tackles, 3 duels, and 6 recoveries, and covered as much ground as we've seen her cover this year. She went after the ball like she was personally aggrieved by it, on a cinematic quest for vengeance. The way she put her laces through it on a shot from infinity yards away in the 9th minute – blocked well short of goal, but full of venom – might support that theory, too.
I also really want to bring up Haz' defensive recovery in the 62nd minute: after Miller made the big save off the post but took herself out of the play, the ball fell kindly for Bay FC. Running hard for the rebound, Girelli was the first to the ball, but Haz’s recovery was quick enough to hurry her, give her no time, and Girelli instead put the ball nowhere close to the net.
Minus. During the long dark 15 minutes of struggle to end the first half, Haz was a repeat offender in getting pulled out wide to provide extra cover and leaving space that Kundananji took advantage of. In that 15 minutes, she also misplayed a ton of passes, exacerbating a real spell of Bay game control when just kicking it around for a few easy passes and breathing would have done wonders for letting the Reign regain their shape.
Sally Menti – 6 (off 68' for Sally Menti)
Plus. A different look up front, but the same Sally Menti we've grown increasingly used to seeing since the World Cup break. 28 touches, 4 touches in the attacking penalty area, 14 completed passes, 4 progressive passes, 100% of her duels won and 2 attacking free kicks on top of that. The low volume / high leverage nature of her time on the ball remains perplexing, but it was very good to see her able to replicate it with half of the more-usual front five not on the pitch with her. She got off two shots inside the penalty area, one midway through the first half after recycling her own corner, one right before leaving, and put both on target.
Minus. Menti can still be a bit of a ghost in defense, especially when Meza drifts out of her usual positions. Most of the night, she did fine maintaining the Reign's shape and picking her forays smartly, but there were moments of nerves where she needed Maddie Mercado to cover for her. Oh, and, once again – Menti put in a handful of great corners and the Reign simply couldn't capitalize, but we'll get one. One of these days. We have to, right?
Forwards
Maddie Dahlien – 6
Plus. Once again able to tear up the touchline and break into the attacking penalty area basically at will, Dahlien went up against another fullback that couldn't really contain her and refused to be contained. The straight-line speed is obviously a big asset, but Danger Maddie continues to get better, month after month, at the timing and spacing required to make the most of it at this level. And even when she's not creating much, the threat she presents on the break demands attention and provides opportunities. You can see a bit of this on the 50th minute penalty-drawing run by Mondésir, where Nighswonger wound up isolated all alone in a matchup she'd lost all day because every other defender was shading to cover the cross, the back post run, the inexorable threat presented by the Fighting Maddies.
Minus. While she was once again able to tear up the touchline and break into the attacking penalty area, she wasn't able to replicate any of the prior few weeks' success at turning that into dangerous chances. She took just one shot, from well outside the box, and had just one successful cross. Doing well to beat her defender too infrequently turned into making the next good decision to cut the game open.
Maddie Mercado – 6
Plus. Starting at the nine rather than her recent run of quality and scoring on the right wing, Mercado put in a solid shift, with 30 touches (5 in the Bay FC penalty box), 3 shots, 3 chances created, 16 of 18 passing, and some excellent complementary and trailing runs to create chaos for the wings. Likely the best on the team at finding her own shot and taking it, Maddie nearly put the Reign on the board in the 24th minute, but watched it skitter just wide, by far the best opportunity she was involved in. She was defensively active and frequently dropped into midfield to support Menti. Big picture, Mercado plays a very different nine to Mia Fishel, but brings her own flair to it with some real efficacy of her own.
Minus. The primary problem with starting Maddie at the nine, where she's solid, is that you take her away from the wing, where she's been casually brilliant. And a knock-on effect, one thing Mercado does quite a bit less than Fishel while playing up top is body up the centerbacks and really demand their attention – I do think if she could have found more opportunities to get into the physical matchup, she could've opened more space for her fellow Maddie to slice through.
Nérilia Mondésir – 7 (POTM)
Plus. So first of all, Coco absolutely cooked Jenna Nighswonger, like, eight times. Any time Jenna thought about getting forward – something she admittedly does often because she really wants to be an attacking mid, not a left back – Nérilia was ready to take the space she vacated, receive the ball on the move, and cause problems. Obviously, no problem was greater than in the 50th minute, when Mondésir took the ball on a marauding run, shrugged off the first challenge, and skated the endline to beat Nighswonger, forcing her to either let Coco free on goal or throw in a risky challenge. Risky challenge became penalty. Penalty became goal. Goal became game. Aside from that devastatingly good run, Mondésir had a couple half-chances of her own, stinging Jordan Silkowitz’s palms twice, and one really good cross (finding Mercado's head on the run, tragically to no avail) amidst the more wasteful crossing the whole team seemed cursed with.
Minus. The Reign are one of the best ball-crossing teams in the league, but you might not've noticed it in this one. When she wasn't going right at it herself, Mondésir had a rather forgettable and wasteful night crossing the ball, connecting just 1 of 6, and a similarly wasteful night switching the ball. Better execution in any of 10 moments could've seen the Reign create a clear-cut chance much sooner than they did.
Substitutes
Madison Curry – 5 (on 67' for Ryanne Brown)
This was not a particularly active shift for Curry, who touched the ball just 9 times in her 30-ish minutes of play, and completed only a single pass. She was disruptive and destructive in a way that kept Bay FC from repeating their brief moments-of-hope scramble in the 62nd, and recorded 3 defensive contributions and a recovery in a perfectly serviceable but not especially memorable substitute defender shift.
Mia Fishel – 6 (on 68' for Sally Menti)
Soccer records assists extremely sparingly, and NWSL scorekeepers more than even most soccer leagues, but Mia Fishel deserves an assist on Brittany Ratcliffe's game-securing goal. It was a beautiful pass to put Brit in behind, and Joelle Anderson's desperate last-gasp attempt to disrupt it registering the faintest of touches en route to not actually disrupting the play at all should not remove the creative quality there.
...and also Mia threw down and made every one of her 11 touches and 7 challenges count, immediately getting on Bay’s centerbacks and making them uncomfortable. This drastically curtailed Bay’s efforts to build out an attack, and they largely did not threaten the Reign’s goal after Fishel subbed on.
Jess Fishlock – 5 (on 79' for Maddie Mercado)
Fishlock played a short shift, in which time she stole the ball once, completed 2 passes, and marshaled a disciplined campaign to close out the game. While her on-ball influence wasn't especially profound in this one, the way the Reign locked in and dragged it across the finish line when she came on was palpable.
Brittany Ratcliffe – 7 (on 89' for Nérilia Mondésir)
Four minutes, 5 touches, 2 duels and a free kick won, and oh yeah, also? Brittany Ratcliffe absolutely demolished the goal and ended Bay's faintest dream of a comeback point.
You literally cannot do more with a stoppage time substitute appearance than this.
Holly Ward – N/A (on 89' for Maddie Dahlien)
Holly Ward played another few minutes of stoppage time, ran some good routes, and did not register a successful touch on the ball.
Bay POTM
Cristiana Girelli
I don't mean this as a dunk – I know Girelli missed what was, albeit fortunate, probably Bay's best chance, but I thought she also looked really good in the thankless work of a distributing center forward, receiving the ball and finding the soft places in the Reign defense with some real alacrity. She was at her best between the 30th and 45th minutes, a stretch that saw her combine with Kundananji to create Bay's other solid chance of the game. And while Racheal was a big part of Girelli's success, and is without any doubt Bay FC's most consistently dangerous player, in this one all pathways forward flowed through Cristiana from the opening whistle until she left the pitch in the 81st minute.
Referee
Lauren Aldrich – 7
There were a couple that's-never-a-fouls and a couple that-s-always-a-fouls and a couple come-on-ref-show-her-the-cheeses along the way, but I genuinely have very little to complain about in this one. A relatively new face to the PRO assignment circuit, Aldrich wielded her cheese with discretion and authority, whistled fouls when she had to, pointed to the spot on a clear penalty, and kept the game moving at a good clip, avoiding any bizarre, inexplicable, or deeply controversial decisions along the way. Yeah, sure, I don't think Jordyn Bugg committed a foul there, but Aldrich disagreed and ultimately that's her right.
One of the hardest things about officiating is that the best games seldom have lots of referee intervention, but how much intervention you need to do in any given game is largely out of your control. In this one, Aldrich didn't have to do all that much intervention, but when called on, she was more than up to the task.
And Another Thing!
No time to linger.
Let's grab the playoffs by the yoke and go beat Los Angeles.
