by Vanya Tucherov
When newly-acquired Reign midfielder Amber Brooks arrived at practice Friday morning, fresh off a flight from Rochester, New York; she likely didn’t expect significant playing time in the evening’s match, but her familiarity with several of her new teammates allowed her to slot into midfield and contribute immediately after an ankle injury to Havana Solaun in the 40th minute. “In the past, I’ve played with Keelin [Reign captain and midfielder Winters], Lou [center back Lauren]Barnes, Elli [left wing back Reed]with the US Women’s national U-23s, I’ve trained in the offseason with Kendall Fletcher, and played with Michelle Cruz last year in Portland. Soccer’s soccer, but knowing some of the tendencies of your teammates makes it easier,” Brooks noted in a post-match interview.
Amber Brooks looks for a cross into the box
No further information has been disclosed about Solaun’s injury, but the recent signee from the University of Florida was noted by coach Laura Harvey for having had a strong performance in what she otherwise classified as a sloppy effort by her squad, which pressed the Huskies and maintained possession through much of the match and directed a number of shots toward Washington goalkeeper Megan Kufeld, but few on target- and with just Danielle Foxhoven’s chip in the 12th minute and Beverly (Goebel) Yanez’s conversion of a ball played in by Merritt Mathias in the 69th getting behind Kufeld.
Several regular starters were absent from the Reign lineup, with Hope Solo and Megan Rapinoe away with the US National team for a Saturday match against New Zealand, and Welsh and Scottish internationals Jessica Fishlock and Kim Little were away on recall with their respective national sides, as was Scotland’s Rachel Corsie – who will likely be the fifth defender on the roster and spell Reed or Fletcher at center back as needed.
It was Fletcher who keyed the first goal, finding Foxhoven behind the Huskies’ back four after a brilliantly timed diagonal run into space left her one-on-one against Kufeld and with time to decide to chip the ball home.
Danielle Foxhoven takes a shot against Megan Kufeld
The Huskies pressed the Reign hard, even if play was dominated by the NWSL side, and in doing so, provided the opportunity for the Reign to face tactics they will in competitive matches, holding a high back line as much as possible and challenging every ball. Offensively, the Huskies managed little test for starter Haley Kopmeyer or 80th minute replacement Caroline Stanley, who combined for three saves in registering the clean sheet.
After the break, Merritt Mathias came on and the Reign attack shifted focus almost immediately to her runs on the right wing, often drawing one of the Huskies’ central defenders over to attempt to contain her. It was one such foray which led to the second goal of the evening, with Mathias taking a pass at her feet from Keelin Winters and carrying wide down the flank, eventually finding Yanez, who had slipped between the center backs and slotted the cross home past a diving Kufeld.
Merritt Mathias leads the charge down the right wing.
The pairing would nearly connect again in the eightieth minute, with Kufeld coming out of the six-yard area to aggressively challenge Yanez, diving to claim the ball from her feet to keep the tally at 2:0.
Next Saturday, the Reign open the defense of the NWSL Shield as they host Brooks’ former teammates, the Western New York Flash, at the Moda Pitch at Memorial Stadium. The Flash will bring former Reign forward Sydney Leroux Dwyer and defender Amanda Frisbie, who went east in the deal which returned Brooks, the rights to Abby Wambach and the Flash first-round draft pick to Seattle. Solo, Rapinoe, Fishlock, Little, and Corsie are all expected to suit up for Laura Harvey’s Royal and Black Army, and will undoubtedly bring the polish and skill which was absent at times in the friendly.
