Seattle Reign's scoreless streak reaches 5 games with loss to Gotham FC
The Reign don't want to panic because they're finding it difficult to score lately. But when the clock ticked past 450 minutes since their last goal celebration, the alarm started to hum.
The club also fell asleep on its defensive assignments Friday, dropping a 2-0 decision to NJ/NY Gotham FC at Lumen Field.
Seattle is winless in its past five matches (0-3-2). Nérilia Mondésir scored the Reign's last goal in the 41st minute of a win against Racing Louisville in March.
A 499-minute drought. A goalless stretch at Lumen the Reign won't have an opportunity to change until July due to a monthlong hiatus for the FIFA men's World Cup.
A scarcity even the game's rules couldn't correct. Reign winger Maddie Dahlien appeared to get clipped from behind during a drive in the box in second-half stoppage time, tumbling to the ground.
Despite cries from majority of the 6,406 in attendance and the Reign bench, referee Alyssa Pennington didn't agree. She instead showed a yellow card to the bench for their colorful commentary.
We were not good enough and it needs to be better," Reign midfielder Angharad James-Turner said. "There's no shying away from that. But we have to remain positive. It's a long season and we've got two big games (on the road) before the international break."
Gotham (5-2-3) netted its opening goal in transition in the 24th minute. Shae Holmes made her season debut for the Reign and was spun to her backside trying to defend Gotham winger Jordynn Dudley on the left flank.
Dudley got the ball into the box and midfielder Savannah McCaskill tapped a pass to Jaedyn Shaw at the spot. The striker whipped around a right-footed shot past keeper Claudia Dickey. Shaw has scored in her past three matches and has four goals overall this season.
The second score started from a corner kick in the 57th minute. Gotham center back Tierna Davidson redirected a deflection into goal, her first score since returning from a knee injury.
The Reign had nine shots in the match, two on-target.
Mondésir nearly tucked a shot from distance under the crossbar in the 14th minute. Brittany Ratcliffe, who subbed on for the Reign in the 62nd minute, had an attempt from the top of the box in the 85th minute that missed.
"We have to keep looking at film, keep looking at things we can do better," Reign midfielder Sam Meza said. "We're perfectionists, so we're always striving to get that right and get those pieces right. Whether it's the type of ball or the type of run. But it's about staying strong mentally. The season is long and there's highs and lows, that's normal."
Reign coach Laura Harvey pointed to Gotham's roster to partly explain the Reign's struggles. The defending NWSL champions also have multiple players who've won FIFA Women's World Cup titles.
Yet, unlike when facing a talented Washington Spirit on Sunday, the Reign (3-4-2) didn't generate many threatening opportunities. The Spirit dug a goal out of a quick transition play for a 1-0 win.
"They're full of experience, they're full of winners and they know how to win games," Harvey said of Gotham. The Reign's most experienced player, midfielder Jess Fishlock, is out with an ankle injury.
"Defensively we can match anybody on any given day," Harvey continued. "But we're not scoring goals. That's the reality. You're not going to win games if you don't score goals."
Harvey made three lineup changes after Sunday's loss at Lumen. In addition to Holmes replacing defender Madison Curry, midfielder Ainsley McCammon and forward Maddie Mercado were swapped out for James-Turner and Emeri Adames.
Mercado entered for Adames during halftime.
Holmes returned from a leg injury suffered during training camp. She joined defender Jordyn Bugg in making a delayed season debut. Bugg subbed on in the 72nd minute, marking the end of her rehab for a hamstring injury.
Former Reign midfielder Jaelin Howell (2024) started for Gotham on Friday. Teammates Emily Sonnett (2023-24) and Rose Lavelle (2021-2024) also had stints with the Reign. Sonnett entered the match at the break and Lavelle was out with a hamstring injury.
Gotham assistant Shaun Harris is leading the team while head coach Juan Carlos Amorós is on paternity leave.
"I don't think any of this is about effort," Harvey said of Friday's loss. "It's about quality. We didn't show enough quality.
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