When Angel City faces OL Reign tomorrow at Seattle's Lumen Field in their first-ever playoff appearance, it will be the fifth time in 2023 the two teams have matched up. ACFC has historically struggled against the Reign; their 2–1 home victory over the Seattle-based team in August was the first Angel City win in the history of the matchup.
On the other hand, Angel City's performance against Portland on Sunday represented a new level for the club, which has lost just one game since June 10.
AngelCity.com sat down with defender Madison Hammond and Assistant Coach Eleri Earnshaw for a deep dive on what fans can expect from the Reign Friday night.
The Reign roster is replete with quality up and down the field. 'I feel like their team, actually, has been a little bit up and down this year in terms of lineup,' says Hammond, who played for the Reign before Angel City. 'Something that's always been a strength of Seattle's is just the depth on the whole entire team. It doesn't matter who's on the field or who's on the bench—anybody can change the game.'
On the front line, forwards Bethany Balcer Jordyn Huitema, and Veronica Latsko have all made big contributions alongside USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe, who has announced she will retire after the 2023 season. Rapinoe is making the most of her final year with the team, having contributed four goals and five assists on the season, including a penalty goal against ACFC in August.
In the midfield, Welsh international Jess Fishlock, who has four goals, is also a Reign legend. 'She's a threat from any distance shooting-wise,' says Earnshaw, who used to play with Fishlock. 'She can pull one out of a hat anywhere with [either] foot.'
Deeper in midfield, Canada international Quinn and Emily Sonnett, who moved up from the back line this season, have been excellent as disruptors, providing a first line of defense for their center backs. USWNT star Rose Lavelle is a magician, but has sat out most of the season due to injury, and it's unclear how much she might be able to play this week.
Finally, the team's rotating group of defenders—a group that typically includes Reign original Lauren Barnes and USWNT center back Alana Cook—has been difficult to break down, having only conceded 24 goals on the season. Right back Sofia Huerta, who has also struggled with injury in recent weeks, adds a scoring punch as well when she's available.
The Reign are a dangerous team in the air, with their two top scorers, Balcer and Huitema, having both scored a majority of their goals using their heads. Angel City's defense will need to lock that area down in order to keep Seattle off the board.
'Bethany Balcer and Jordyn Huitema are going to be really big points of emphasis for us in terms of marking in the box,' says Hammond. 'They're both really good in the air.'
Of course, a striker needs quality service to get their head on the ball, and that's typically provided in the form of long-range crosses from Rapinoe and Huerta. The Reign have the second most crosses of any team in the league, and Rapinoe and Huerta are the leading crossers for their team, with 67 and 65 on the season, respectively—which ranks them third and fourth in that stat across the league.
'You've got someone like Rapinoe who will drop off the line, receive to face up and look to deliver a whipped ball,' says Earnshaw. 'So we have to make sure that our defend-the-box structure is really, really intact, that we're super aggressive in bumping runs and not allowing players to run through gaps in our back line.'
When it comes to defending the Reign, limiting service from the wings will also be a priority. Rapinoe, who plays on the left, is naturally right-footed and dangerous with both feet. 'We want to keep her on her left and not allow her to cut in,' says Earnshaw. 'To take that away and make sure every cross she delivers is predictable and that we're in the right spots to defend.'
Seattle are a fairly stingy team defensively, with their 24 goals conceded including just 10 in the second half of the season. Angel City's attack, however, has never looked as dominant as it did Sunday against the Thorns.
Interestingly, the only team that crosses the ball more than the Reign is Angel City. But the way the two teams employ crosses, says Earnshaw, is markedly different. In contrast to the long-range crosses into the 18 Seattle favors, ACFC's wide players are more likely to cut inside and send in a shorter, lower cross.
'Our wingers want to receive, face, up and dribble,' Earnshaw says. 'From our perspective, attacking, you might know what we do, but it's really hard to defend it even if you do. The physicality that we have, the pace that we have, the assertiveness—it's difficult to defend that.'
Hammond echoed that, adding, 'I think that we have a lot of strengths along our front line against their backline, and a lot of their possession is from their back line's patience. But if we're able to put a little bit of pressure on them, I think [we can force them to] give us the ball.' In possession, she continues, 'the more that we allow ourselves to have the ball, to not be afraid, and to go for brave passes that seem risky, but are actually just the right flow of the game, I think that will really pin them back in their half.'
The Reign's offensive style can also leave them exposed to attacks in transition. 'What makes them dangerous in attack also makes them really susceptible defensively,' says Earnshaw. 'If Huerta starts, [she's] going to want to commit forward, and then you've got someone like Claire [Emslie] or Scarlett [Camberos] to exploit the space behind.'
