The sun was just beginning to set at the SilverLakes Sports Complex in Norco, California when Seattle Reign FC took the field against UCLA’s stellar squad for the NWSL two-time Shield winner’s first pre-season match.
There were quite a few new faces stepping onto the pitch, something that arguably hasn’t been said about Reign FC in the last three seasons of the program. In the offseason, Reign FC coach Laura Harvey acquired New Zealand national team defender Rebekah Stott, Australian national team forward Larissa Crummer, and a few college draftees in Maddie Bauer (defender), Katie Johnson (forward), and Kristen McNabb (defender). Last but not least, the Reign acquired midfielder Christine Nairn and goalkeeper Madalyn Schiffel from the Washington Spirit in a trade.
Missing from the roster were some names that have made a massive impact on not just the Reign, but on the National Women’s Soccer League as a whole: Kim Little (who transferred to Arsenal Ladies in the offseason), former captain Keelin Winters (retired), and Kendall Fletcher (also retired). Hope Solo is also missing from the roster, allowing for Haley Kopmeyer to step up between the posts as the number one keeper for the Reign (though the team has made a statement she is keeping #28 on her jersey). Manon Melis, the Reign’s top goal scorer last season, also retired, leaving a hole up top.
The pre-season match against UCLA was a taste of what Coach Harvey and her squad has been up to in the offseason. The Reign team that played in that match was very much a team in transition. And it was apparent Harvey and her players are still honing a few things. This is absolutely a team that’s been forced to rebuild. The challenge will be in blending returning Reign FC players like Lauren Barnes, Jessica Fishlock, Beverly Yanez, Nahomi Kawasumi, Megan Rapinoe, Elli Reed, Kiersten Dallstream, and last year’s draft pick Carson Pickett with the newcomers. And in spite of the fact that the Reign struggled defensively a few times during last week’s match against UCLA, the chances they had on goal against a formidable UCLA squad were in the double digits by the time the final whistle blew.
Nahomi Kawasumi opened the scoring with a slick free kick from outside of the 18 in the 15th minute, but UCLA broke down the Reign’s defense after a turnover and gave Anika Rodriguez a one vs one opportunity against Reign FC keeper Kopmeyer. She tied it up before the half. In the second half, a corner kick resulted in another UCLA goal, giving them a 2-1 lead in the 58th minutes. The Reign held most of the possession and gave themselves quite a few opportunities throughout the match, and in the second half Dallstream was able to dribble through a few defenders to slot one in, tying it up in the 66th minute. UCLA held off the relentless (and patient) Reign FC attack until the 85th minute when a foul outside of the box resulted in a free kick for Seattle. Nairn bent the ball around UCLA’s defensive wall and sank it into the bottom corner of the goal, giving the Reign a 3-2 lead to end the game.
Seattle has proven to be an entertaining team to watch, and even with the new blood, there was some beautiful play between the players. If Harvey and her squad can iron out a few defensive missteps and speed up their passing, we can expect to see a formidable Seattle Reign FC squad in the 2017 season.
The 2016 season saw Seattle struggle in defense, but the creativity in making chances on goal that we saw in the two seasons prior was also missing for the most part. In both the match against UCLA, and in the match against the University of Washington Huskies which they won 3-0, Harvey’s 2017 roster gave us set piece goals, as well as moments of individual brilliance and team goals. This is good news for Seattle fans.
The Reign opens up their regular season on Saturday at home against an unpredictable Sky Blue FC side. There’s a sense of symbolism in the match for Seattle, as they played Sky Blue FC in their home opener last season and lost that one. Co-captains Jessica Fishlock and Lauren Barnes, along with the rest of the Reign, will have a lot to deal with in US national player Kelley O’Hara, Australian star Sam Kerr, and will try to get past a defense led by soccer legend Christie Rampone.
2017 may prove to be a year of transition and rebuilding for Seattle Reign FC and Coach Harvey, but if the prior seasons of this club’s history tell us anything, they will be absolutely fascinating to watch no matter where they end up in the NWSL standings at the end of the season.
