Valkyratings: Listlessly Racing edition

So first of all, an apology. This one (and every other one since) is very late. COVID isn't over, but your intrepid Valkyrater will be endeavoring to catch up on missed ratings columns and get back on to the usual mad-scramble schedule that NWSL+'s 72 hour blackout period tends to enforce.

On June 23rd, the Reign hosted Racing Louisville on a balmy Seattle afternoon, took an early lead by way of a penalty and red card, looked dominant up a player for much of the ensuing 70 minutes but couldn't get a second goal out of it, then retreated into an inexplicable defensive shell, invited inexplicable pressure, and maddeningly conceded the tying goal in the 90'+7. For sadly not the first time this season, three points were there for the taking and the Reign bravely stepped up and found a way to finish with only one point, instead.

And since this match, they've gone and settled for one point when they could very much have had three another two times, and though neither stings the way this one did, and this four match "unbeaten" run shows a degree of fight the Reign had often lacked earlier this season, we're to the point where the last gasp of hope for a miracle turnaround demands wins, not draws.

So! Let's do a silly little ratings column and talk about some things that went right, like leading for 89 minutes, and some things that went wrong, like no longer leading as stoppage time ticked away.

Goalkeeper

Claudia Dickey – 6

The good. Claudia made a quality save on a sharp shot from inside the area in the 2nd minute, and another quality save on a strike from distance in the 46th. Her comfort taking command of her own six remains an important plus factor. She was mostly tidy in possession, and consistently found the open player with her short and medium passes.

The bad. That far too casual chest trap that nearly turned to an own goal in stoppage time was a real moment. The goal against her was basically unsavable, but her defense seemed to be in complete disarray on the set piece, and at least some of that is always on the keeper.

Going forward. While Dickey's got a lot of attributes that make her a good keeper for the Reign's style, she needs to be less cute in front of her goal line, and needs to help quell the Reign's consistent issues with defensive organization.

Defense

Ryanne Brown – 6 (off 62' for Shae Holmes)

The good. A 57th minute cutback pass found Bethany Balcer with an open look eight yards from goal, which, unfortunately, Balcer put well over the crossbar. Both times a Louisville dribbler tried to challenge her, Ryanne utterly demolished their dreams of building an attack through a moment of ball-handling magic.

The bad. At times, her choice of pass left something to be desired, but she was taking higher-risk passes with more potential reward. One of the better players on the afternoon, Brown unfortunately left the match with a knock in the 62nd minute.

Going forward. With left back a bit of a conundrum so far this season, I am increasingly of the view that Brown is our best all-around option there (and that McClernon should be starting at CB.)

Lauren Barnes – 6 (off 74' for Alana Cook)

The good. A calm presence in the back, Lu turned in a more vintage Lu performance than many of her efforts this season, with crisp passing, well-timed tackles to break up attacks, and good, solid organization on the back line.

The bad. After she left, the Reign started collapsing into a defensive shell and their defensive organization started crumbling, in a truly worst of all worlds way to play while up a player.

Going forward. 2024 Lauren Barnes continues to have a 2024 Lauren Barnes season. Despite the occasional growing pains of the younger centerbacks on the roster, I firmly believe we need to be finding as many minutes as possible with Phoebe McClernon, Shae Holmes, and Julia Lester at CB.

Phoebe McClernon – 6

The good. It was McClernon's beautifully weighted pass over the top that put Jordyn Huitema into space in the 6th minute to win the penalty and the red card. She served as a timely outlet on a 29th minute corner, helping to keep the pressure going until Tziarra King's sharp volley forced a save from goalkeeper Katie Lund. For 90+6 minutes, she was astute, defensively sharp, and part of a team effort that consistently kept the pressure on an outnumbered opposition.

The bad. McClernon was marking space on the tying goal for Louisville, ceding the first defensive header to Huitema (who lost it) and failing to get into position to make Reilyn Turner's life harder.

Going forward. Despite the disaster of the 90'+7, which she was absolutely a part of, based off the body of work from the roster so far, we should still be starting Phoebe McClernon at centerback every match we possibly can.

Sofia Huerta – 7

The good. The results haven't been there, but the service has been getting better week over week, and Huerta had a number of good deliveries off corners and free kicks on the day. She led all players with six shot-creating actions, and whenever she got over the ball with time to cross, good things happened. Her 90'+2 delivery found a wide open Alana Cook at the top of the area, who chipped it to Veronica Latsko in the six yard box, only for Latsko to kick it straight into space three yards from an open goal.

The bad. I don't have much to nitpick, other than that it's a results-based game. Huerta made the right choice and executed it well nearly every time she had the ball with time to pick her pass, but neither she nor the players she served could make it count in the moments of leverage.

The truly annoying. At this point, it feels like the curse of capricious soccer gods that she cannot get that one, singular assist she needs for her record. She's made the right delivery (literally, I checked and counted) 48 times and gotten the result zero.

Going forward. After starting the season with some wildly out of sync crossing, Sofia's been finding her form, and in theory, if somebody on the team can commit to finishing a chance three yards from an open goal, that should start amounting to something. All in on the Brown - Holmes - McClernon - Huerta agenda.

Midfield

Quinn – 7 (POTM) (off 86' for Nikki Stanton)

The good. Quinn threw down six tackles, demolished five dribblers, and chipped in five recoveries, to go with eight progressive passes, nine passes into the final third, and an... attempt on goal in the 20th minute. For 60+ minutes, they were the ball-winning, ball-progressing talisman we expect and need them to be.

The bad. As good as they were to that point, Quinn looked increasingly exhausted after the 65th minute, and their impact declined greatly as the minutes ticked by. A shorthanded Racing Louisville was able to exploit their declining range – and hesitancy to throw a tactical foul – before Quinn subbed off for Nikki Stanton in the 86th minute.

Going forward. In their second start since returning, Quinn was the best player on the pitch in an under-appreciated position for an hour plus. The fitness isn't all the way there, but that should come with time.

Jess Fishlock – 6

The good. Jess showed her characteristic bite with two tackles won, two interceptions, two dribbles tidily dispossessed, and one leading directly to a shot of her own. A nifty bit of combination with Ji So-yun in the 65th minute ended with Fishlock putting in a wicked ball that Veronica Latsko got her foot to but couldn't make count, one of the three huge chances the Reign failed to put away.

The bad. In the 67th minute, she gave up on the play after a miscommunication with her midfield, and the danger she could've provided fizzled out. On Louisville's tying goal, she didn't put herself in a position to help with any of the potential danger, and though the dagger wound up coming far away from where she could've changed it, it was part of a disorganized and disinterested Defensive Moment.

Going forward. Fish is still playing at a very high level, and it's hard to see pulling her off the pitch improving the Reign in the short term. With that said, she's also 37, and giving some rotational minutes to, just spitballing, Sam Meza and Maddie Mercado to see what we have in them would probably not go amiss.

Ji So-yun – 6 (off 90+' for Olivia Athens)

The good. When it looks good, it looks really good, and Ji combined with Fishlock and Huitema in incisive ways several times. Later in the match, playing as a withdrawn forward, she was instrumental in orchestrating a beautiful buildup that teased out space in the packed in Racing defense in the 57th and 65th minutes, only to watch both end with the final touch absolutely bottling a gigantic chance.

The bad. In her first half-dozen matches with the Reign, Ji frequently released the ball quickly into dangerous space and saw it go unrewarded. In the last half-dozen matches, she's held on to the ball too long, dribbling her way into more pressure while leaving dangerous off-ball runs to fizzle out into nothing. It's becoming a recurring problem for the Reign's attacking buildup, and it was on display again against Louisville.

Going forward. Ji really, really, really needs to release the ball more quickly when she has open space and runners ahead of her, especially now that most of the Reign's missing pieces are back on the pitch. As with Fishlock, Ji can still provide a lot, but with two young midfielders who can't seem to buy minutes and a season that's already largely lost, we should, in fact, see what the kids can do.

Forward

Jordyn Huitema – 6

The good. In the 6th minute, Huitema got the jump on her defenders, breaking past the back line to collect a beautifully weighted McClernon long ball. Arin Wright wrapped her up and dragged her down in the area, and after VAR review, the Reign had a penalty kick and a player advantage. When Huitema puts her timing, speed, and athleticism all together, she can be goal dangerous herself, and she can force defenses into making no-win decisions.

The bad. In the 90'+7, Huitema stepped in to contest the header on Katie Lund's free kick, and was beaten badly by Jaelyn Howell for the game tying assist – her fifth lost aerial duel of the night on six attempts. Jordyn's a menace in the air when she's on her game – tall, strong, and with big hops – but she's struggled to consistently win her aerial duels this season, and against Racing, as it has in other matches, it bit the Reign badly.

Going forward. Huitema offers a dimension at forward that the Reign missed in her absence, and it's not accidental that the Reign have looked more dangerous since she's returned, even if it remains not good enough.

Bethany Balcer – 6 (off 62' for Olivia van der Jagt)

The good. In the 9th minute, Boats stepped up to the spot and coolly drilled the penalty home to give the Reign a lead they would hold for the next 90 minutes. She was buzzing between the 50th and 60th minute as the Reign ramped up the pressure, creating a series of opportunities, two of which turned into shots, and one of which she found on her foot from nine yards out. Unfortunately...

The bad. While she got into the right spot to create danger off Ryanne Brown's cutback pass in the 57th minute, with the ball on her foot and a chance to put Racing away, she instead hooked it up for a field goal. Struggling to score and struggling to put teams away, the Reign cannot afford to keep blowing that sort of chance when it comes.

Going forward. Boats' consistently solid play has been a bit of brightness in a bleak season, and despite the frustration of her having the second goal on her toe and doing nothing with it, she's still by far the most complete striker on the roster, and remains a very good NWSL forward.

Tziarra King – 5 (off 62' for Veronica Latsko)

The good. In the 29th minute, Zee took a shot and forced a save out of goalkeeper Katie Lund.

The bad. Even with the Reign up a player for 90 minutes and holding ~60% of the possession, King was mostly invisible, touching the ball just 23 times, completing just 11 of 16 passes, and making very little impact even in the occasionally beautiful passing sequences the Reign assembled in their best moments.

Going forward. Zee remains a bit enigmatic. She's got the skills and the tools, but it's hard to say whether she'll actually bring them to bear on any given match. Her play has improved from the end of last season and the beginning of this, but she still needs to show more impact and more consistency.

Substitutes

Due to a concussion substitution for Racing Louisville's Taylor Flint in the 45th minute, the Reign had six substitutions in the match.

Veronica Latsko – 6 (on 62' for Tziarra King)

The good. Latsko came on for an ineffective Tziarra King and brought her brand of chaos, energy, and chaos energy. In a short shift, she came up with two huge chances, in the 65' and again in the 90'+2, and made her mark on the Reign attack another handful of times in between. Unfortunately...

The bad. Latsko had two huge chances to put the game away for the Reign, in the 65th minute and again early in stoppage time, and she did nothing with either. Then, a few minutes after her last miss, she left her leg in at a moment she very much did not need to, committing the foul that led to Racing's tying goal.

Shae Holmes – 5 (on 62' for Ryanne Brown)

The good. Holmes came on for an apparently injured Ryanne Brown, and played a hard-nosed, defensively solid half hour where she effectively facilitated getting the ball to more creative teammates and keeping the occasional attacking probes by Louisville at bay.

The bad. The creativity on the left side dipped substantially after Shae replaced an unexpectedly aggressive and effective Ryanne.

Going forward. Holmes has a lot to offer as a centerback, and despite a couple shaky outings there, should be given more time to build chemistry with McClernon, Cook, and Lester in game states. However, in most game states, she should not be expected to be an impact sub.

Olivia van der Jagt – 5 (on 62' for Bethany Balcer)

The good. Brought on for Bethany Balcer, Olivia van der Jagt (of course) played deeper, and Ji So-yun shifted forward; the tactical shift led to one very good chance for the Reign, and Olo was her usual engine of destruction, winning every single one of the five challenges she went into across a 30 minute runout.

The bad. She didn't really do anything wrong, but she also wasn't particularly impactful, and taking off Balcer for her was a somewhat disappointing choice, a prelude to the extremely conservative substitutions to come.

Going forward. Olo is excellent cover as a holding midfielder. There's a lot to be said about the tactical shift that started with subbing her for Balcer, but that's not on her, and she remains a very good sandpaper option for midfield depth.

Alana Cook – 5 (on 74' for Lauren Barnes)

The good. In the 90'+2, Sofia Huerta's corner service found Cook all alone at the edge of the box, and she neatly dipped the ball over the defense and right in Veronica Latsko's path. Latsko put the ball into space, but it was a beautiful attempt by Cook, and deserved an assist.

The bad. After Lu subbed off, the organization of the back line fell off hard. It's unfair to pin it all on Cook, but someone needed to step up, and as a veteran who's shown she can be world-class, it's hard not to look her way.

Going forward. Cook hasn't looked especially good this season, but this was a perfectly serviceable substitute outing, and if it's a step on the way to finding her form, well, the Reign could really use something like the 2022 edition of Cook.

Nikki Stanton – 3 (on 86' for Quinn)

The good. Stanton came on for a fading and exhausted Quinn, who badly needed a sub, and probably needed it 10 minutes earlier.

The bad. A defensive substitute in a match the Reign had a player advantage in for 90+ minutes, Stanton was credited with no touches and no defensive actions, and in the closing seconds, completely lost her mark on Racing Louisville's last-gasp set piece, ball-watching helplessly as Reilyn Turner stole back a point the Reign had no business coughing up.

Going forward. Stanton has a time and place where her skillset is an asset providing cover for the roster. I would prefer she not see the pitch as part of a prevent-defense strategy against a side playing with 10. If she is part of a prevent-defense strategy against a shorthanded side again, it'd help if she at least played some defense to help prevent a goal next time.

Olivia Athens – N/A (on 90'+ for Ji So-yun)

The good. Athens completed a pass, missed a clearance, won a tackle, and was generally fine in six minutes of stoppage.

The bad. She was the final piece of a maddening and inexplicable decision to sub off possession and attacking intent against a 10-player side.

Going forward. Olivia Athens always plays hard and puts in the work, and should absolutely get minutes in game states it makes sense in. This was not one of those game states.

Referee

Mathew Corrigan – 6

The good. Corrigan listened to his VAR, Alyssa Nichols, and correctly upgraded Arin Wright's penalty and yellow card to a penalty and red card. And you can see on the Inside Video Review angles exactly why it should have been, and was, upgraded. He mostly handled the game well and was fairly clear about what his lines were and where he was drawing them.

The bad. Corrigan certainly had some of the positioning of all time on the pitch out there, routinely finding himself in the way of players and the ball, and just straight up taking out Jordyn Huitema with a borderline hockey check at one point. There was also a certain degree of reffing to the scoreline as the second half progressed, a frequent but always annoying problem.

Going forward. Look, I'm not going to lie about this, I don't even know what average is in this league. I can't even complain about the length of stoppage time, because PRO has just decided that 10 minutes is the standard for NWSL matches. He listened to his VAR and got a tough call right, and he didn't call anything egregiously wrong in a major, game-altering way. We'll fucking take it.

Stray Thoughts

Despite the Reign having stolen three points while down a player earlier in the season... there's really no excuse to be up a player for 90 minutes and come away without a win. Through 90+6 minutes, the Reign had a 2.0 - 0.2 advantage in xG, but once again had a single team-wide Furt to give up a gigantic chance and boldly seize a worse result.

There's really no excuse to give up that goal, in that moment.

There's really no excuse for the conservative substitutions, the allergic to assertive play game plan, the shrinking into a defensive posture for the last 15-plus minutes.

This should have been a win. And while you can equivocate about Balcer and Latsko's misses on big chances that might've put the game to bed, ultimately, when you're up a goal, up a player, and just have a few seconds of stoppage time left to kill off the game, you have to find a way to fucking kill it.

Stay tuned for the next catchup Valkyratings, coming soon to a Sounder At Heart / Ride of the Valkyries near you.