Match Preview: Seattle Reign vs. Gotham

Susie Rantz -

Seattle Reign is back at Lumen Field on Monday, September 16, as the club continues its fight to climb up the NWSL ladder and sneak into a playoff spot. They host Gotham FC at 7 PM PT, and the match will air on CBS Sports Network.

The Reign will have new midfield destroyer Jaelin Howell back after serving her one-game yellow card accumulation suspension. For the first time this season, however, the Reign will be without right back Sofia Huerta, who went on loan to Olympique Lyonnais in France.

Gotham is coming to Seattle during a busy part of the club's schedule. Last week, the team traveled to Orlando on Sept. 1, to Costa Rica for a Concacaf Champions Cup match on Sept. 4, and back to New Jersey to host Houston on Sept. 8. After their game against the Reign on Monday, they'll have a Concacaf Champions Cup match on Thursday and a league game again on Sunday – both at home.

This all comes as Gotham has struggled with small injuries to several players. Can the Reign take advantage of Gotham's tough schedule and put them under pressure – and extend their seven-game unbeaten streak in the process?

"We've defensively been good, we've got to continue that. Gotham are a good team, they've got a lot of threats, and then when we create chances, we've gotta take them. That's been what we've done over the last couple of weeks, and we want that to continue moving into tomorrow," said Seattle Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey in her opening remarks during the team's pre-match press conference on Sunday morning.

Harvey said new arrival Hanna Glas from Kansas City Current is settling into the team as the likely candidate at right back with Huerta now on loan over at OL. Glas' time in Kansas City was limited to just one appearance due to an ACL injury, but Harvey spoke about the opportunity for Glas to contribute right away now that she's back to full health.

"I think previous to her injury, she would have been spoken about as one of the best right backs in the world. So we're getting someone who's really talented, just hasn't played a ton of minutes in the NWSL, but in the short time she's been with us, she's looked great," said Harvey.

Captain Lauren Barnes spoke about how the vibes of the locker room are obviously good with a three-match winning streak fueling the push for a playoff spot, but also because everyone has remained committed, united, and accountable, not just because she is carrying that responsibility as captain.

"I'm really proud of the group for doing that and being able to carry really anything from a lot of different players. We've seen the leadership come through from so many different players, and that's what you want to see when something like this happens, and honestly, when we're transitioning as well. We're not going to be here forever, so this needs to happen organically and naturally, and it is. I think this group has been great, change is always beautiful. The new people coming into the group have brought new energy, they haven't really had to endure the first part of the season that we did, which is hard when you're not winning and you're losing, and they've come in without that mindset. So it's great they're coming and are just like, 'We want to win, we want to change the season around.' We've seen that, and it's been super healthy and helpful."

Barnes has missed basically a month of this season; she was effectively shut down during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup as she recovered from a leg injury. She spoke candidly about learning something new about herself during the process of being away from the field.

"I've never really had to deal with a bad injury, and this one has been a unique one. It's not even necessarily bad, but I've never had to really sit out. So I think for me, there was a lot of tears, a lot of confusion, a lot of frustration, all mixed together. I learned a lot about myself and to really accept what's happening and trust the process, which you know when you're older and you're having to do this later in your career, it's hard to do. I'm not young. I'm not recovering as well as I used to, so, my time is short - there's like a clock ticking in the back of my head at all times, and I want to get out there as much as I can. But I also realized that my role is always going to be evolving and changing, and for me to accept whatever role that is, I'm going to do the best I can at it, and still be able to impact the team as much as I can. I realize that I can do that in other ways than being on the field, which has been a good reminder," said Barnes.

Recent Results

Last week, the Reign came from behind to earn a 3-2 win against Angel City on the road. Gotham scored a last-minute goal to defeat the Houston Dash 2-1 at home.

Head-to-Head

This is the second matchup between the two teams in 2024.

  • Their June 30 match-up ended in a 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena.
  • The Reign are 12-9-8 all-time against Gotham.
  • Seattle has a 6-6-4 home record against the club from New Jersey/New York.
  • The Reign have scored 43 goals in this matchup, while Gotham has scored 38.

Quick Stats

  • Gotham (11-4-4, 37 points) has scored 23 goals and conceded 16.
  • Seattle Reign (5-9-5, 20 points) has scored 23 goals and conceded a league-high 32.
  • The Reign are 3-2-4 at home this season. Gotham is 5-3-1 on the road.
  • Both teams have won three of their last five games.
  • Ella Stevens leads Gotham with six goals and three assists.

What to Watch

A tough team to break down

Gotham has only conceded 16 goals this season and allows the fewest shots in the league. Opponents average 8.7 shots per match against Gotham compared to the Reign's 11.5 shots allowed per game.

In their 1-1 draw, the Reign had 7 shots compared to Gotham's 15.

It's no surprise that Gotham also leads the league in expected goals against (xGA) at 18.3 – the Reign's xGA is 25.6. They close down extremely quickly on opponents and work hard to prevent touches in their final third, which is why teams cannot get many shots against them. In fact, Gotham allows the fewest touches in their attacking third and penalty box. They also allow the fewest opponent passes per defensive action – a sign of the intensity of their press.

Still, Houston found several good looks last week in three key ways:

  • Switching the field
  • In transition
  • Getting extra bodies in the box on crosses

The Reign have players who can create goals in all three ways. Can they pull it together against a tough Gotham side – and continue to finish their chances?

Some injuries and rotation for Gotham

Gotham continues to sign quality league players, bringing forwards Cece Kizer and Jéssica Silva into the squad recently as players like Rose Lavelle, Lynn Williams, Esther Gonzalez, and Ella Stevens have dealt with injuries. Williams subbed into the match last weekend, but Stevens and Lavelle were unavailable.

Gotham also transferred forward Katie Stengel to Crystal Palace this week. Due to injuries and absences to other players, Stengel appeared in 15 matches for Gotham this season, going 830 minutes in eight starts.

While the Reign may not know who will line up against them on Monday, there is one thing they can expect: a lot of movement along the forward line and in the midfield. And with a player like Williams healthy again, Gotham has speed on the frontline that could give the Reign some problems.

Limit Gotham's wide play

In the words of Harvey, Gotham likes to play "expansive football" – building out of the back and looking for their holding midfielder or fullbacks out wide to stretch defenses. Their forwards also check back to combine in the midfield and pull defenses out of position.

The last time the Reign faced Gotham, they played some of the best defense all season in the first half. The Reign allowed Gotham's centerbacks to have the ball while their wide forwards did a lot of work to make things difficult for Gotham. Meanwhile, the midfield worked hard to prevent balls into Gotham's midfield.

Unfortunately, despite flustering Gotham and creating five of their seven shots in the first half, the Reign couldn't find the back of the net before halftime. Gotham adjusted well in the second half, making the Reign chase them more. Can the Reign put in a 90-minute performance this time around on the defensive end? With the Reign frontline pressing and looking dangerous in transition right now – especially with the addition of Ana-Maria Crnogorčević – it's a real possibility.

Injury / Availability Report

Seattle Reign

OUT: Ryanne Brown (SEI – knee), Jess Fishlock (leg), Olivia Van der Jagt (excused absence)
QUESTIONABLE: Jordyn Huitema (illness)
INTERNATIONAL DUTY: Emeri Adames (USA), Jordyn Bugg (USA)

Gotham FC

OUT: Sinead Farrelly (SEI – concussion), Svava Gudmunsdottir (excused absence), Sam Hiatt (foot), Maitane Lopez (hip), Kelley O’Hara (excused absence), Midge Purce (SEI – knee), Jessica Silva (illness), Abby Smith (SEI - lower leg)

How to Watch

Seattle Reign hosts Gotham FC on Monday, September 16, at 7 PM PT. The match will air on CBS Sports Network.