The Reign, fresh off having a four-point lead for the last playoff spot, just absolutely fumbled it on the road. They headed out with everything going their way, two crucial matches against their nearest rivals, and results around the league that left the door wide open for a huge jump in the standings. But they totally failed to take advantage. Now, their pathway to a playoff spot , forget a good seed, forget a home game , got much, much narrower, and they’re staring in from the outside.
The Reign’s Own Play Left Them Looking In
Look, there’s context. Rough travel, a gassed team, Angel City and Denver having extra rest, and the absence of Ainsley McCammon was felt more keenly than expected. But honestly, nobody’s going to care about those reasons. Just like against Angel City, the Reign weren’t speedbagged by Denver. The goals they gave up were bangers, killer finishes from hard angles and through crowds, and they gave up relatively few clear-cut chances. That’s the frustrating part. They created even less, found themselves on the wrong side of those killer finishes, and were completely out of the match, looking for a way back in. They only have their own play to blame for letting those four points slip away.
Claudia Dickey’s Insane Saves Can’t Paper Over the Cracks
Even when the team struggles, you gotta shout out the standouts. Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey was straight up incredible, earning Player of the Match honors with a 7 rating. Think about that 83rd minute save on Tash Flint: six yards out, central, off her right foot. That shot had an xGOT of 0.95, and Claudia just casually saved it. Getting a hand down behind her, she stopped the ball from slipping through her legs and sat on it. It might’ve looked awkward, so it won’t get the attention it deserves, but it absolutely should. The last four goals Dickey has conceded have had a combined xG of just 0.34, meaning she’s faced wicked finishing for two straight matches. It’s brutal. On the flip side, Dickey was too indecisive in distribution, taking too long to get the ball off her foot, which Denver aggressively pressured. Defender Ryanne Brown, who came off in the 79th minute for Madison Curry, also had some flashes with 10 progressive passes. She even got up aggressively in the 66th minute and won a header in the attacking penalty area, flashing it wide. That end-to-end effort was awesome to see. But overall? This was possibly Ryanne’s roughest outing since returning from injury.
So, here we are. The Reign are officially on the outside looking in, Seattle fans. It wasn’t a total disaster, no, but the path forward is undeniably narrower. They desperately need to put together much better results and much better performances to get back into this playoff conversation. The clock is ticking, and it’s time to show up.
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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