Seattle Reign are back at Lumen Field this Friday night, but after two rough road games last week, they’re sitting in ninth place, just one measly point outside the playoff picture. This isn’t just another game, Emerald City, it’s a make-or-break moment for our squad as they kick off a critical two-game homestand against the expansion club, Boston Legacy.
What Gives With This Offense?
Okay, so here’s the deal with our Reign offense: they’re on a historic tear, scoring in 16 straight games! That’s massive. But here’s the catch, the one thing that’s been driving us crazy: they’ve only popped in one goal in seven of their last eight matches. What gives? Coach Laura Harvey saw it, too. She said this week’s focus has been all about cashing in on those 1v1 chances and getting more bodies around the ball so we can be patient when we need to. Remember back in May when Sofia Huerta and Maddie Dahlien put away Boston with a 2-1 win? We need that energy again, but consistently.
Don’t Sleep on Boston’s Gritty Style
Now, about Boston Legacy. Yeah, they’re an expansion club sitting at 14th with a 7-13-5 record, but do not sleep on these guys. They play gritty, leading the league in tackles per match at 19.9 and fouls per match with 12.2. They’re tenacious, never giving up, and they’ve given up the most penalties (8) and second-most set pieces (10) in the league. That could be a golden opportunity for our Reign if we can draw them into some bad spots. But we’ve got to watch their key players. Aïssata Traoré is dangerous, leading them with 10 goals and an assist. She’s got speed, gets her shots off quick, and she’ll sneak a step on defenders. We absolutely cannot let her make unmarked runs in the box. Then there’s Sarah Schupansky, a recent trade addition who’s already got an assist for Boston. Her crosses and set-piece delivery are some of the best in the NWSL. We cannot, and I mean CANNOT, make the same mistake we did against Denver last weekend, letting crosses fly into the box easily. And Nichelle Prince, with five assists and two goals, is their main dribbler and crosser from the right wing, also key to their defensive pressure. This isn’t just a walkover, folks. Boston averages 52.3% possession to our 49.6%, and they make more accurate passes, too. We’re 7-3-2 at home, they’re 3-5-3 on the road, so let’s make that home field count!
This Friday’s match is everything. A loss pushes us further out, a win could launch us as high as sixth. It kicks off at 5:30 p.m. PT at Lumen, streaming on NWSL+. You know what’s at stake. Let’s get loud, Seattle, and push our Reign back into that playoff picture!
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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