Maddie Mercado just punched through a decade of drought for the Reign, hitting 10 or more goals this season with two matches still left on the schedule. It’s literally been ten years since a Reign player put up those kinds of numbers, and honestly, the Emerald City needs to start paying attention to what this unheralded player is doing in a tough league.
Mercado’s Brace Changes Everything For Playoff Hopes
Mercado’s brace was the lightning bolt that powered the Reign to a comfortable win over a hapless Chicago side. That win wasn’t just another game, those three points were HUGE. They shot the Reign right back into a playoff position and, more importantly, put their destiny firmly in their own hands. The math is simple now: win these last two matches, and we’re in, no matter what anyone else does. That’s the kind of control you dream of this late in the season. She’s even got a shot at eclipsing Megan Rapinoe’s 12-goal campaign from 2017, although this is a longer season. Still, that’s elite company.
The Unsung Heroes: Dickey’s Growth and Huerta’s Fire
Yeah, yeah, everyone looks good against Chicago this year, we get it, they’re a tragically hapless team. But our players can only play who’s on the field, and a few individuals really stepped up.
Claudia Dickey, our goalie, keeps growing her sweeper credentials. She’s already confident with the ball at her feet, but her ability to come high off the line to clean things up, kickstart attacks from high claims, and break aggressive presses has leveled up. Against Chicago, she had 7 recoveries and completed 93% of her passes, hitting 100% on short ones. She was confidently holding things down while the defenders pushed forward. The one knock? When you only face one shot on goal and clean sheets are rare, a talented keeper gunning for a top national team job needs to make that one big save when the moment hits, and that’s been a tough spot for Dickey in her last few matches.
Then there’s Sofia Huerta on defense. This was easily her best chance-creating game in a long, long time , maybe even since August 2025, also against Chicago. She was a danger woman all night, dishing out 6 progressive passes, 5 key passes, and 6 shot-creating actions. When she got on the ball, something was happening.
The energy of the Maddies is with us, and the Reign are in a prime spot. With their playoff fate resting solely on winning the final two games, every single minute on the pitch is going to be electric. Let’s get it done.
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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