Reign season ends with 3-2 loss in Orlando

The Seattle Reign played their final match of 2024 on a drizzly Saturday evening in Orlando, taking on the NWSL Shield-winning Pride. While they responded well to the Pride's threats, the Reign ultimately fell 3-2 on the road to close out the season.

The game began with all-too-familiar disaster as Barbra Banda found the back of the net in the 2nd minute, but the merciful offside flag spared Seattle the deficit for 7 more minutes. UW alum Summer Yates split the Reign backline with a bounding through ball between Lu Barnes and Hannah Glas. Former Reign player Ally Watt beat both defenders to the ball and finished the job.

The celebration was just getting started at Inter&Co Stadium when Seattle responded with an impressive longball of their own from goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. She found Jordyn Huitema, who flicked it to Tziarra King on the left wing. King paused and chipped a bouncing cross for Huitema to slip into goal for her third of the season.

The next goal was perhaps the most controversial of the match. Watt beat Glas down the right side and played a ball into the box in the 26th minute, which eventually fell to Kerry Abello, who netted it. Abello delivered some forceful contact that sent Emeri Adames to the ground while scrambling for the shot. The goal was reviewed for a few minutes but ultimately deemed good to put the Pride up 2-1 going into the half.

In her postgame presser, head coach Laura Harvey lamented the lack of a call: “Everyone in the stadium could see that Emeri was fouled.”

Orlando extended their lead in the 57th minute when who else but Marta dribbled her way into the box with little resistance or communication from the Reign backline.

The Pride held the momentum and had another goal ruled offside—this time from yet another familiar face, as Angelina found the back of the net in an effort to salvage play at the end line. 

Late sub Maddie Mercado delivered a spark for the Reign in the 85th minute, heading in her first NWSL regular season goal off a long cross from Veronica Latsko.

WHAT WORKED: TEAMWORK!!

Four contributors on two goals is nice to see from a team that struggled to connect all season, including in this match. Both of Seattle's goals came on multi-pass efforts that covered some ground, including an end-to-end effort for the Huitema goal. The Reign have now scored four goals against Orlando this season, accounting for 20% of all goals the Pride conceded in 26 games.

WHAT WORKED: CROSSES AND LONGBALLS

At times it felt like both teams had agreed to ignore the existence of midfields and play some end-to-end IRL foosball. What made this particularly unique is that it didn't feel like sufferball, and it was working. Both teams found success punting through backlines and into the box. Latsko was a key player in this strategy, shifting back to replace Sofia Huerta as a do-it-all right back to finish the season following Huerta's loan to Lyon.

In her postgame press conference, Latsko credited Huerta and the coaching staff for helping her figure out the new role—noting that her first two games required her to go up against Racheal Kundananji and Alyssa Thompson.

"I feel like I'm getting a better handle of it. I'll do whatever for the team, I'll play wherever. Just not goalkeeper...Never played hand sports."

WHAT DIDN'T WORK: THIS GENERAL AREA RIGHT HERE

Barnes and Glas both had quality moments against a high-octane offense. Barnes, in particular. made a few early plays on Banda and Marta that may have prevented goals. That said, all three goals were scored or initiated from the same region, slipping between the two. (Shoutout to the NWSL's revamped match stats tools for the visualization. Green arrows represent Orlando's goals, their assists are in yellow).

WHAT DIDN'T WORK: LETTING THE OTHER TEAM BLOW BY YOU

It's hard to play defense when they're already behind you.

“I don’t care who we’re playing. She’s playing.”

Coach Harvey confirmed her ultimate faith in Jordyn Bugg, and for good reason. "Not many people can defend someone like Banda the way Jordyn did to the point where they moved Banda to a different position." It's hard to exaggerate how good the 18-year-old has been for the Reign, a bright spot in a difficult season and hopefully for years to come. "She is going to be a fantastic player in the future. She's already a fantastic player right now."

Thus the bittersweet 2024 season concludes for the Reign, who currently sit in 12th place with 23 points. Orlando hopes to carry the momentum of their historic season through their first playoffs since 2017, starting next Friday, November 8, when they host the eighth place team.