Reign Face Gotham with Chance to Leap into Third Place

The Seattle Reign have seen plenty of highs and lows this season. Despite struggling to string together three-point results lately, the largely youth-driven squad has managed some gritty wins here and there to put Seattle in the NWSL's fifth seed with a 9-7-6 (W-L-D) record.

Ahead of Seattle by one point is New Jersey/New York-based Gotham FC (9-6-7), while eighth-seeded Louisville is just four points back. Needless to say, the Reign have plenty of control over their fate with four matches to play in the regular season.

Sunday will be the hardest remaining test in a rematch of the 2023 NWSL title game.

Previous Matchup (March 15, 1-1)

The last time these two met was the first match of season in mid-March. Maddie Dahlien and Madison Curry, now mainstays on the Reign's offense and defense, respectively, each made their Seattle debuts in that game.

Emeri Adames subbed on late and scored a tying goal in the 71st minute to split the points for the Reign and start what's been a career season for the 19-year-old.

It was a solid result for Seattle, considering Gotham doubled it up on expected goals (1.4-0.7) and Adames' goal was the only shot on target for the Reign.

Gabi Portilho had the goal for Gotham in the 47th minute as her squad outshot Seattle 12-7. It was also a physical game, as six cards were issued, including a red on Mandy Freeman in the 87th minute. Gotham Forward Esther González has gone on to have quite the season for Gotham, and she started strong by generating 0.6 xG herself on three shots.

Gotham Overview (WDWWW)

Seattle needed to capitalize on its lone shot on target last time around because this is a Gotham team that rarely surrenders opportunities.

Gotham's 16 goals allowed in 22 matches trail only league juggernaut Kansas City, as does their 21.8 expected goals against. Defender Lilly Reale has been about as productive as any defender in the league, as her 30 ball-carrier tackles place her fourth in the NWSL this season.

Reale is also top-10 in interceptions (32) while midfielder Jaelin Howell has 28 herself.

As a team, Gotham has allowed just two goals in their last six games, going undefeated in that stretch with four wins.

González, meanwhile, is an easy runner-up in the MVP race to KC's Temwa Chaŵinga.

The Spanish forward has scored 13 goals this season (second in the NWSL) and created 9.8 xG (also second in the NWSL). González has been a dynamic force all season, and the disparity in actual goals and xG tells you all you need to know about the level of difficulty of her scores.

USWNT and former Reign star midfielder Rose Lavelle is on fire on the offensive end for Gotham right now, as the 30-year-old has scored in three of her last four matches. According to OptaJack, Lavelle has scored more goals in the September through November timeframe than March through August timeframe in her career. Needless to say, she plays with a heightened level of urgency later in seasons and should be accounted for at all times.

Gotham is tied for the third-highest goal mark in the league with 29, but much of their production has come in the recent six-game unbeaten streak. In those games, Gotham has scored 11 goals, as Seattle's defense will have its work cut out on Sunday.

Seattle Updates (WLWLD)

Maddie Dahlien scored the game-winner last week to seal a much-needed win over the Courage, and it continued a trend for the first-year pro. Per OptaJack, Dahlien is the first player in league history to have her first four career goals come from game-winners.

Beyond that apparent clutch gene from the young forward, she's provided life to a sputtering traditional offense. Dahlien's dribbling on the left side last match and her connection with veteran midfielder Jess Fishlock all season have ignited a Seattle offense that is in the middle of the pack in most stats.

With a two-goal performance last match against North Carolina, Seattle has scored three goals in its last five games. But Gotham is stingy, and Reign skipper Laura Harvey's solution to the offense has been to try and win in transition.

"We've got to be really hard to beat defensively, we've got to bait them to play where we want them to play, win it off them and hurt them in those moments," Harvey said on Saturday.

Defensively, this is a Seattle team with plenty of empowered players all over the field. The Reign’s -9.4 goals allowed minus expected goals allowed still dwarfs second-place Washington and Gotham (-5.8). In short, both teams are adept at keeping goals off the board in promising situations for their opponents, but Seattle is on another level thanks to star keeper Claudia Dickey.

Up the field, Sam Meza and Madison Curry have been high-work-rate nightmares for opponents, as has Sally Menti. If Harvey is hoping to shepherd Gotham into turning the ball over to generate offense, it will be the younger defenders pushing Gotham into poor passes.

As far as injuries go, the Reign are about as healthy as they've been all season. The only exception is Lynn Biyendolo, whose nagging knee injury still lacks a timetable for a possible return.

One last thought for a Seattle team that finished 13th last season. The Reign are 1-3-1 against the top three teams in the NWSL in Gotham, Washington and Kansas City. If Seattle wants to establish itself as a dark horse contender just a year after missing the playoffs, it could truly use a signature win against a top team right now.

The Verdict: Defend For Your Life

Gotham is favored on both ends of the field and has the benefit of homefield advantage this time, but Seattle's defense is where it can make up ground.

Similar to the draw these teams played in March, Seattle will need to try and keep Gotham off the board until it can figure out a way to break its opponent's ranks. The difference this time is that Gotham has another dangerous scorer to account for in Lavelle.

If the Reign can manage on defense, the next order of business is to work the midfield like their life depends on it. Seattle will need to catch a few breaks, but it can only do so if the Reign keep the pressure on for 90 minutes in hopes of forcing turnovers and easy goal-scoring opportunities. Harvey suggested that possessing the ball isn’t a priority when her team plays that way, so don’t expect Seattle to have the ball a whole lot if it decides to work in transition. With a healthy lineup, however, you can expect Harvey to use plenty of subs to keep her midfield fresh as the second half gets underway.

Seattle can leapfrog Gotham with a win, but a draw will keep the Reign in the top half of the playoff picture either way. A loss will put Seattle in a position to be overtaken by both Portland and San Diego, which would land the Reign back in seventh. Another draw with Gotham doesn’t sound half bad.

This stage of the season demands urgency, and the Reign will need to show it in New Jersey on Sunday.