The Reign just secured all three crucial points against the San Diego Wave, winning 1-0 at Lumen Field on a pleasant Sunday evening, a result that could be absolutely massive for their playoff hopes. It was a game of two wildly different halves, but what matters is our squad got the job done when it counted most. This wasn’t some easy stroll, though. Our hearts were in our throats for almost half the match!
Dahlien Unleashed and the Breakthrough We Needed
From the jump, the Reign came out swinging, looking sharp, owning possession, and just generally dictating the tempo. Maddie Dahlien, man, she was on a different level. Breaking the Wave’s line like it was nothing, she had our first real shot at goal in the 7th minute. You could tell San Diego just couldn’t contain her. Then, just three minutes later, she scorched past the Wave backline, splitting Mimi Van Zanten and Kennedy Wesley, making a beeline for the goal. Van Zanten, in a moment of desperation, went for the ball but got a whole lot of Dahlien’s ankle instead. After a VAR review, the referee Abdou Ndiaye flashed that red card, giving us a player advantage from the 13th minute! You love to see it.
We jumped on that advantage, no hesitation. Sally Menti had a header that just skipped wide, Sam Meza blasted one from distance that sailed off target, and Mia Fishel showed some clever footwork with a shot that barely missed. The pressure was building, and then BOOM! In the 29th minute, Maddie Dahlien once again tore down the left side, sending in an absolutely brilliant cross. Maddie Mercado was there, jumping to head it home! One-nil to the good, San Diego looked shell-shocked, and with a player up, it felt like a statement win was ours for the taking.
Holding On For Dear Life in a Second-Half Scare
But hey, this is sports, right? Things rarely go according to plan. After dominating the first half, the Wave actually started finding their rhythm just before the break, with Trinity Byars getting their first real chance. Then, after halftime, it was like a completely different San Diego team showed up. They adjusted like mad, clogging up our attack and taking over the midfield. Honestly, if you just tuned in, you’d think *we* were the team playing down a player!
The Wave put us on the ropes. They held a ridiculous 67% possession and outshot us 9-1 in the second half. Remember Ludmila, who absolutely terrorized us last year? She was a menace, creating two of their best chances in the 55th and 81st minutes, even going in hard against our keeper Claudia Dickey. Our defense bent, but it didn’t break. It was a total nail-biter, a truly nervy second half.
Securing these three points was huge, especially with playoff hopes on the line. We weathered the storm and saw it out. Next up, we need to bring that first-half energy for a full 90 minutes. That’s how you really make a statement and push for what’s ours this season. Let’s go, Reign!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Sounder at Heart.
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