The road trip continues for Seattle Reign as the club faces Angel City on Sunday, March 30, in Los Angeles. The match kicks off at 5 p.m. PT and will air on CBS Sports Network.
The Reign will be hoping to keep their undefeated streak going in their third game of the season after earning a draw and win in their first two matches. They'll be doing it at BMO Stadium, an electric atmosphere with fans close to the field that create a loud environment. It can be both a fun and tough place to play as a result.
It will be a battle between two coaches who know each other well, as Reign head coach Laura Harvey will be facing off against Angel City's interim head coach Sam Laity, who was an assistant with the Reign from 2013 through 2022.
While the Reign are dealing with some injuries, they have an international break after this match that should give players like Lynn Biyendolo and Jordyn Huitema more time to recover. Biyendolo said on the Good Vibes podcast with Sam Mewis that she got her ankle stuck in a hole while shooting in training, causing a high and low ankle sprain. She is expected back after the international break.
Head-to-Head
- The Reign are 8-2-1 against Angel City.
- That includes a 4-1-0 record on the road.
- The Reign have scored 20 goals while conceding 10 in this matchup.
Recent results
- Angel City drew 1-1 in their first two games against San Diego (at home) and Portland (on the road).
- The Reign drew 1-1 at home against Gotham and earned a 2-1 road win against the North Carolina Courage last week.
2024 results
- Angel City finished the 2024 season in 12th place with a 7-13-6 record.
- They scored 29 goals and conceded 42.
- The Reign ended in 13th place with a 6-15-5 record.
Offseason moves
- Angel City saw eight players depart and eight players come into the squad.
- They lost Madison Curry to free agency, as she signed a three-year deal with the Reign.
- Angel City parted ways with free agents Jasyme Spencer, Meggie Dougherty Howard, and Rocky Rodriguez. They also traded Messiah Bright to the Houston Dash.
- Meanwhile, Merritt Mathias and Katie Johnson retired.
- Angel City managed to get Savy King in a trade with Bay FC and signed rookies Macey Hodge and Riley Tiernan, who have started their first two matches — Hodge at defensive midfield and Tiernan at center forward. Both are tenacious defensively and love to pressure opponents.
- The club also signed Australian veteran Alanna Kennedy, who has been playing in the midfield, Japanese defender Miyabi Moriya, and French winger Julie Dufour.
Angel City players to watch
Alyssa Thompson: The speedy player and U.S. Women's National Team forward typically lines up on the left wing for Angel City. She scored in their opening draw against San Diego and will look to get behind whoever starts at right back for the Reign. Thompson loves to carry the ball up the field. In 2024, she was in the 83rd percentile for progressive carries (among attacking midfielders and wingers). The Reign will need to try to prevent her from having that kind of time on the ball or cutting inside to get a shot off.
Sarah Gorden: Gorden reached 10,000 career NWSL minutes last week against Portland, a signal that she's been one of the league’s most consistent centerbacks. Gorden, 32, is an important leader alongside a young Angel City backline. She reads the game well, is tough to beat in a 1v1 situation, and has a ton of speed. Can Maddie Dahlien get in behind Gorden? We'll see.
Kennedy Fuller: The 18-year-old attacking midfielder already has a goal and an assist. Her goal in the 9th minute against Portland last week was a well-taken left-footed shot from a tough angle. Look for the Reign to disrupt her flow in the middle of the pitch.
What to watch
Angel City likes to go long: Angel City currently leads the league in long balls attempted. Much of that comes from their backline. Look for their centerbacks to try to send long balls to their front line — and for the Reign to try to cut off these balls higher up the field. The Reign's high press will be important this match, as they don't want to get in a foot race with speedy players like Alyssa Thompson.
Speed on the dribble: As the below graphic from McLach App demonstrates, Angel City creates a lot of chances by carrying the ball up the field. Alyssa Thompson, Gisele Thompson, MA Vignola, and Claire Emslie are all players who have speed and like to dribble up the field. Gisele Thompson and Vignola do that from the fullback position, while Alyssa Thompson and Emslie are on the wing in the attack. The Reign are going to need to disrupt these chances.
While Angel City has historically been a club that leads the league in crosses, they haven't done as much of that so far this season – relying more on their speed on the wings and trying to get behind defenses.
A defensive focus: Under Laity as their interim head coach, Angel City has focused on being hard to break down defensively. In their first two matches, they have been comfortable sitting back a little deeper instead of high pressing and relying on their organized defense to block or clear chances. Angel City leads the lead in clearances (75 compared to 61 for the Reign), and goalkeeper Angelina Anderson leads the league in saves with 13 after two games.
Projected starting lineup
Injury / Availability Report
Seattle Reign
OUT: Lynn Biyendolo (lower leg), Ryanne Brown (SEI – knee), Jess Fishlock (leg), Jordyn Huitema (leg), Veronica Latsko (SEI – lower leg)
Angel City
OUT: Elizabeth Eddy (lower leg), Jun Endo (SEI – knee), Sydney Leroux (excused absence), Ali Riley (SEI – upper leg)
How to Watch
The Reign will face Angel City FC on Sunday, March 30, at 5 PM PT. The match will air on CBS Sports Network in the U.S. and will stream on NWSL+ for international viewers.
