It wasn't the prettiest match — games in Chicago rarely are — but Seattle Reign did what they needed to do, leaving the Windy City with three points and a 3-1 win over the last-place Stars. Maddie Mercado scored in the first and second halves, while Nérilia Mondésir came off the bench to add another for the Reign.
The win helped the Reign leapfrog the North Carolina Courage, who lost to the San Diego Wave this weekend, and settle into 8th place, the final playoff spot, with two matches remaining in the regular season. The win was just the fourth victory the Reign have notched in their 16 road matches against Chicago.
While the Stars didn't mount any dangerous attacks in the first half, the home side sat deep and compact defensively, and the Reign struggled to use their width and time their switches and crosses to get around Chicago's backline. They finally registered their first shot in the 33rd minute when Jess Fishlock headed a cross on target, which was saved.
That seemed to wake the visitors up, and the Reign finally broke through in the 38th minute. It started with one of Ainsley McCammon's signature long switches, which found Fishlock. The 39-year-old midfielder faked a pass to the overlapping Sofia Huerta on the left wing, then sent a ball over the backline and into the box, which Mercado brought down with her chest and volleyed in a low shot before the ball hit the ground.
That pass from Jess Fishlock 🔥 The finish from Maddie Mercado 👏 Seattle leads in Chicago!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 4:52 PM · Oct 18, 2026
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After another disjointed second half, Nérilia Mondésir doubled Seattle's lead in the 80th minute. After a Reign free kick was cleared back to Huerta on the right flank, she whipped a cross into the box for an unmarked Mondésir, who took one touch away from the goal, then turned her hips and shot to the left corner.
Nerilia Mondesir doubles down for Seattle 💪 The Reign pick up a huge goal in the race for the playoffs!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 5:55 PM · Oct 18, 2026
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Mercado earned her brace in the 84th minute, heading in Brittany Ratcliffe's cross after the substitute stole the ball from Nadia Gomes when the defender couldn't control goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz's pass.
Mercado now has 10 goals and is the first Reign player to reach double digits since Megan Rapinoe's 12 in 2017. The Reign have also now scored in 11 straight road matches.
Simone Charley got one back for Chicago in the 90th minute, beating Jordyn Bugg to a ball in behind and slotting it into the upper left corner, scoring on Chicago's only shot on target all match.
Simone Charley opens her Chicago Stars FC account with a late goal 👏
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 6:01 PM · Oct 18, 2026
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The top three teams in the league have clinched a playoff spot, and seven teams now vie for the final five spots. Fourth-place Kansas City and 8th-place Reign are separated by just four points, and Seattle is just two points ahead of 9th-place North Carolina. Buckle up: the last two matches will be crucial for the Reign, and fortunately, they control their own destiny.
WHAT WORKED: Fishlock on the wing
While it wasn't a surprise to see Jess Fishlock in the starting lineup, it was a shock to see her on the left wing at kickoff. The decision paid off for the Reign, as Fishlock got on the ball much more and combined with players like Sofia Huerta and Maddie Mercado in the build-up. Mercado noted that the Reign have been practicing the exact kind of passing and movement that led to her opening goal, and it all flowed through Fishlock.
"In that specific play, when Jess received that ball, obviously something we talked about is Ryanne [Brown] plays Ains [McCammon], Ains switches the ball, kind of creates space for us. But I think Sofia [Huerta] making that run gives Jess a second longer on the ball. And then for me, it was kind of getting on the back shoulder of that defender because I know Jess can put a ball on a dime. But in terms of playing with her, I think she's so smart, and I don't think people really understand it unless you've been in the environment with her. I think every single person on her team would describe her as extremely smart. And she just understands the game. She's a great leader. Having her on the field to see space and adjust as it's happening too is great. So she's invaluable to us."
As head coach Laura Harvey noted, Fishlock knows how to win and execute the game plan. She spoke to Fishlock earlier this week and asked her if she'd be game to give them "a bit of [Megan Ra]pinoe action this week," meaning making runs off Mercado that could cause the Stars a lot of problems.
"[That] was something that we thought could cause them a problem, and it did in the first half. I think they solved it a little bit better in the second half, but she just knows how to win. And I think her leadership all year, her leadership, her guiding people in the right moments and then showing quality when we need her to."
WHAT WORKED: Impact subs
Nérilia (Coco) Mondésir and Madison Curry came on in the 74th minute, just as Chicago were on the brink of gaining momentum and pressing higher up the pitch. Both players brought much-needed energy. Six minutes after Coco subbed in for Mia Fishel and slotted into the center forward role, she was rewarded with her second goal of the season. Brittany Ratcliffe also played a significant role in the third goal. Her pressure won the ball back for the Reign high up the pitch, and she sent a pinpoint cross that found Mercado's head.
"Brit is extremely determined, gritty," Mercado said. "She's fast. She can get down the line and take on defenders. And so when she got in that position for me, obviously being in the box to just kind of find that space and get on the end of that cross was great. Coco was amazing when she came in as well. Obviously scoring that goal. I just think it's so important for us when people come off the bench and make a difference. And I think every single person that came off the bench today was great and really made a difference, specifically those two who produced."
The Reign have had mixed results in the second half when chasing a goal or trying to build on their lead, and the substitutes today did their jobs.
"I thought in the first half we did really well [winning first and second balls]. In the second half, I felt like we kind of let them get a little bit of momentum, but when the subs came on, we got that momentum back and started doing a lot more. They really helped us out a lot," defender Ryanne Brown said.
Harvey echoed her defender's comments. "At the start of the second half, I thought we were a little bit lax. We were giving them a little bit too much. We didn't recognize the shifts that they made quick enough. I thought the substitutions that came on obviously had a huge impact." Harvey also noted that it can be hard for Mondésir returning from international duty, as she's often asked to carry a heavy load for Haiti. But she was really sharp in training, and it showed in her goal.
WHAT WORKED: Containing Mal Swanson
Despite giving up the late goal, the Reign limited Chicago to only a few half-chances from outside the box and completely shut down Mallory Swanson. Swanson finished with the second-fewest touches among starters and didn't record a shot or a key pass.
Brown said the team's backline organization and commitment to winning the first and second balls were key to Swanson's quiet performance. "I think it was just about staying organized in the back, recognizing their threats. You always want to be aware of where Mal is. I thought we did a really good job of that."
WHAT DIDN'T WORK: Not ruthless enough
Despite finding the back of the net three times, the Reign didn't create nearly enough chances and find that bite in a match that felt like a slog at times. They finished with just 1.19 expected goals and five shots on target. While Harvey said she was still really happy with their performance, it still felt like a game that the Reign could have dominated on the scoresheet well before the 80th minute.
The Reign must recover quickly after returning to Seattle on Monday, as they play their final road match of the season on Friday, October 23, against the Utah Royals, who sit just three points above the Reign in 6th place. That match kicks off at 6:30 p.m. PT and will stream on NWSL+.
