Five things to know about the Reign FC, the 2019 soccer season and NWSL
Let the games begin.
Reign FC plays one of four games on the opening weekend of the National Women’s Soccer League 2019 season, Sunday at the Houston Dash at 3 p.m. There’s a lot new with the team and league as they enter their seventh season.
First, it’s a World Cup year. After the last World Cup in 2015, there was a bump of interest in the league. That’s something the NWSL hopes happens again as teams are filled with national team players from around the globe, who will be playing in the sports’ centerpiece event that begins on June 7 in France.
The Reign have six potential players, highlighted by Megan Rapinoe, in the World Cup.
The team also hopes to get a bump by playing its games at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma as opposed to Memorial Stadium in Seattle (and hence, why the team is now known as simply Reign FC).
Here are five things to know about the 2019 season:
TV and other issues
The NWSL and A+E Networks terminated their broadcast agreement in February, leaving the league with no TV partner. Last season, a ‘Game of the Week’ aired on the Lifetime channel. A+E also surrendered its stake in the league, but Lifetime remains a jersey sponsor.
At least for now, the league’s games will be streamed live exclusively on the Yahoo Sports app, or on the Yahoo website.
The league currently stands at nine teams. Since the Boston Breakers folded just before the start of last season, there have been persistent rumors about whether the team will be revived by a new ownership group. Spanish club Barcelona had expressed interest in fielding an NWSL team, although there has been no movement on that front, either. Major League Soccer’s LAFC could also jump into the fray, with co-owner Mia Hamm suggesting as recently as last week that it is a priority.
Despite all the chatter, NWSL President Amanda Duffy previously indicated the league likely won’t make any expansion announcements until after this season.
Handling World Cup cycle
The 2019 Women’s World Cup culminates in the championship game on July 7, which caps a month of games. While that will help drive attention to the sport, the Reign and other NWSL teams will have to make do without its top talent.
Six players from the Reign could be called up to play for their home country: Rapinoe and Allie Long (U.S.), Jodie Taylor (England), Lydia Williams (Australia), Celia Jiménez Delgado (Spain) and Theresa Nielsen (Denmark).
Training camp for the World Cup begins in early May, which means up to nine matches could be effected.
Depth, versatility needed
While the Reign will be challenge by the World Cup absences, they’ve taken steps to help improve their depth. The Reign acquired forwards Shea Groom and Darian Jenkins, who are being counted on to step in for Rapinoe and Taylor.
Willliams is consider Australia’s top goalkeeper and Reign coach Vlatko Andonovski expects both Michelle Betos to split time with her. He said feels like either one could start for the Reign without a drop off.
Playoffs... again?
After missing the postseason in in 2016 and 2017, the Reign reached the playoffs last season. They ended up losing to the Portland Thorns in the conference semifinals. (The Thorns lost in the finals to the North Carolina Courage, 3-1.)
Only four teams make the playoffs so there really is little margin for error, especially given the World Cup effect. North Carolina, coming off an 18-1-6 season, and Portland are expected to nail down two of those spots. Fighting for the other spots, with the Reign, are the Chicago Red Stars, Orlando Pride and Utah Royals FC.
Nuts and bolts
Because a chunk of the league’s players will be away with their national teams for extended periods this season, the NWSL allowed teams to expand rosters to 22 players, in addition to four supplemental players who won’t count against the salary cap.
Teams play a 24-game schedule that ends on Oct. 12. The championship game is scheduled for Oct. 26.
The Reign will play a 12-game home schedule. The first home game is 7 p.m. April 21 against Orlando.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 12, 2019 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Five things to know about the Reign FC, the 2019 soccer season and NWSL."