Lynn Biyendolo pounced on a loose ball in the box on a Seattle Reign corner kick to give the Reign a 1-0 lead over Bay FC in the 10th minute. The goal was all the Reign needed to secure their first Coachella Valley Invitational preseason win on Sunday afternoon.
Biyendolo also scored and assisted in the Reign's 3-1 win in a closed-door scrimmage last week against the Spokane Zephyr.
The Reign started six of their seven players heading on international duty after Sunday's match. Biyendolo started on the left wing, Jordyn Huitema up top, and Ana-Maria Crnogorčević on the right. Nérilia Mondésir started as the attacking midfielder, with Jess Fishlock and Angharad James-Turner behind her.
Madison Curry, who signed with the Reign as a free agent after a standout rookie season at Angel City, started at left back. Phoebe McClernon and Jordyn Bugg held down the centerback positions while rookie Emily Mason started at right back in front of Claudia Dickey in goal. Mason, who played centerback primarily at Rutgers, played right back for Laura Harvey on the U-20 women's national team in 2020.
The Reign dominated possession early and found their goal 10 minutes into the match. Mondésir got the ball near the right wing and took her defender on, dribbling into the box. The ball was cleared out for a corner, which Fishlock took. Bay FC attempted to clear her ball, but it fell to Curry at the top of the box. Her shot deflected off Biyendolo, who then pounced on the loose ball and finished into the left corner in the 10th minute.
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The Reign continued to have more possession and better looks in the first half but also had limited clear chances in front of the goal. Mondésir found Huitema in the box for a great chance that Bay FC's goalkeeper saved, but the play was ultimately ruled off. Just before halftime, Huitema claimed that Bay FC defender Caprice Dydasco had a handball on a routine play in the box, but the ref didn't whistle for a penalty and no replay was shown.
The Reign limited Bay FC to two shots before the halftime whistle and did fairly well to limit their chances in transition, which is where Bay FC is most dangerous. In the 15th minute, rookie Karlie Lema got a ball in the box, turned quickly and fired a shot that went over the goal. In the 32nd minute, rookie Taylor Huff ran onto a pass behind Mason on the left wing and cut the ball across the goal for Tess Boade. Her one-touch shot went right to Dickey, who made her only save.
The Reign made three changes to start the second half. Ji So-yun replaced Crnogorčević and moved into midfield, pushing Mondésir to the left wing. Biyendolo moved to the right flank, and Fishlock played a bit higher than Ji in the midfield. Mason was replaced by Shae Holmes, who slotted in at left back and pushed Curry to the right. Cassie Miller replaced Dickey in goal.
Seattle again had more possession but few clear chances in front of goal. One of the best looks came in the 59th minute when Ji, Biyendolo, Fishlock, and Mondésir combined to set Biyendolo up for a cross from the left side of the box. Her cross was deflected just out of the reach of Huitema and went out for a corner. Holmes had a dangerous cross a few minutes later that was snagged by Bay FC's keeper.
Reign head coach Laura Harvey made seven subs in the 65th minute, bringing on several young players, including Maddie Dahlien, Emeri Adames, and Ainsley McCammon. Adames came in at left wing, Maddie Mercado up top, and Dahlien at right wing. Sam Meza became the attacking midfielder with Ji and McCammon behind her. Holmes, Bugg, Julia Lester, and Hanna Glas rounded out the backline.
The play was a little disjointed as both sides tried to manage their significant rotation toward the end of the game. Bay FC put some pressure on the Reign after subbing Asisat Oshoala into the match in the second half, but the Reign defense held firm and Bay FC never really challenged Miller.
Veronica Latsko subbed on for Bugg in the 76th minute and positioned herself at left wing, which pushed Maddie Dahlien to left back. Unfortunately, a few minutes later, Latsko fell down awkwardly while challenging for a ball and immediately grabbed what looked to be her Achilles. Teammates McClernon and Dickey rushed to be by Latsko's side as she was treated, and Harvey came onto the field to check in with the forward at one point also. After being treated for several minutes, she was carted off the field on a stretcher and replaced by non-roster invitee Moira Kelley. It looked like a brutal injury for Latsko.
The match ended 1-0 in the Reign's favor.
The Reign will wrap up the Coachella Valley Invitational against Angel City next weekend, who defeated the Portland Thorns 2-1 earlier in the day. That game kicks off Saturday, February 22 at 12 PM PT and is expected to air on Fox 13+. It will also stream live on the Angel City YouTube channel. Players who didn't get significant time against Bay FC should get minutes next weekend, as the Reign will be without seven players due to the FIFA international window.
Notes and Observations
- Mason had a solid 45 minutes at right back. She got involved in the attack, whipped in two decent crosses, and made a couple of crucial tackles and interceptions. She also kept Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji quiet and showed she has a pretty solid long throw-in.
- Bugg played 76 minutes and looked even more poised and calm than she did in 2024. At just 18 years old, her centerback positioning is so strong, she times her tackles and blocks well and has speed, and she keeps her passes calm and composed.
- Curry also put in a great shift and looks poised to secure an early starting spot on this roster. Her versatility on the backline is a huge bonus.
- Fishlock, Mondésir, and Biyendolo showed fun combination play in both halves. The final touch wasn't always there, but those three could create exciting attacking moments in 2025.
- Biyendolo already offers the Reign so much. She closed down quickly on Bay FC's backline and put them under a lot of pressure. Her speed helps stretch the field, and she fills a significant gap on this roster.
