The 2015 Seattle Reign FC season was the club's third season of play and their third season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. To accommodate the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, the league announced that it would reduce the season to 20 games while extending the calendar length into September and take a two-week break from June 7–19.
Review and events
Preseason
Following a record-breaking 2014 season that saw the team winning the NWSL Shield and losing to FC Kansas City in the playoffs final, Head Coach and GM Laura Harvey expected minimal roster turnover entering into the off-season. Key contributors Nahomi Kawasumi and Beverly Goebel both returned to INAC Kobe Leonessa at the end of their season-long loans. In November, the team acquired the rights to midfielder Merritt Mathias from FC Kansas City in exchange for defender Kate Deines and the 16th and 26th draft picks in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. Two days later, Harvey added former Portland Pilots defender Michelle Cruz.
Prior to the 2015 NWSL College Draft, Harvey signed forward Beverly Yanez from Japanese club INAC Kobe Leonessa. Yanez, under her maiden name Goebel, played in Seattle on loan in 2014, scoring five goals and adding four assists while helping the Reign FC to a regular season title. A day later, NWSL announced allocated National Team players for the 2015 season, with Reign FC defenders Stephanie Cox and Carmelina Moscato removed from the list. The club expects to bring Cox back on a standard contract but has announced that Moscato will be exploring playing opportunities overseas. Then on January 16, the Harvey selected Florida Gators midfielder Havana Solaun and Stanford Cardinal defender Kendall Romine at the NWSL Draft.
In anticipation for post-World Cup fatigue for the national team players, Harvey signed Danish forward Katrine Veje on January 21. Veje will join the club on July 1 after her current contract with Brøndby IF ends. The club was also able to retain defender Stephanie Cox by signing her to a standard contract after she was removed from allocation by U.S. Soccer. To make room on the roster, Harvey waived second-year defenders Megan Brigman and Holly Hein. Additional defensive reinforcement came soon after as the club signed Scottish international Rachel Corsie from Notts County Ladies F.C. on January 29.
For the second season in a row, the Reign FC was involved in a blockbuster trade as last season's prized acquisition Sydney Leroux requested a move away from the club. On March 30, Harvey sent Leroux and Amanda Frisbie to Western New York Flash; in return, the club received midfielder Amber Brooks, WNY's first-round draft pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft, and the rights to Leroux's international teammate Abby Wambach. Wambach had already announced that she will not play this season to concentrate on preparing for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, and Harvey does not expect her to suit up for the Reign FC until 2016 at the earliest. The club then finalized its roster by signing second-round draft pick Havana Solaun on April 3.
The Reign FC headed into the regular season with a 19-player roster, with the one open spot reserved for Danish forward Katrine Veje's mid-season arrival. It includes 14 returners from last season's Shield-winning team, featuring league MVP Kim Little and fellow Best XI selections Jess Fishlock and Kendall Fletcher. Harvey hopes that the blend of returning core plus new acquisitions will help the club defend its Shield and win the playoffs this year.
Club
Coaching staff
Roster
Competitions
Preseason
International friendlies
Regular season
Regular-season standings
Results summary
Results by matchday
Playoffs
Statistics Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.
No.Pos.Nat.NameRegular SeasonPlayoffsDiscipline(regular season)AppsGoalsAppsGoals1GK USA 8020003DF USA 20120104DF SCO 14 (2)220107DF USA 9 (9)00 (2)0008MF SCO 201020209MF USA 17 (1)2201010MF WAL 198200111MF USA 191201012GK USA 10000013DF USA 192200014DF USA 200201015MF USA 105210017FW USA 1791 (1)10018FW USA 2 (14)0001019MF USA 00000020MF SAM 4 (9)00 (1)10021DF USA 0 (1)0000022MF USA 4 (8)1000024FW DEN 4 (5)01 (1)01025FW USA 2 (6)0000028GK USA 1100000Players who left the club during the regular season40GK USA 000000
Awards 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or FIFA Women's World Player of the Year: Megan Rapinoe, Hope Solo (nominees) FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women's Football: Laura Harvey (nominee)
FIFA FIFPro Women's World11 Hope Solo
BBC Women's Footballer of the Year
Kim Little (finalist)
NWSL season awards Award finalists announced on September 9. Coach of the Year: Laura Harvey, winner Defender of the Year, presented by Coppertone: Lauren Barnes, finalist; Kendall Fletcher, finalist MVP: Jess Fishlock, finalist; Kim Little, finalist; Beverly Yanez, finalist Best XI: Lauren Barnes, Jess Fishlock, Kim Little, Beverly Yanez Second XI: Stephanie Cox, Kendall Fletcher, Megan Rapinoe, Keelin Winters
Team season awards Announced on October 5. MVP: Kim Little Best Attacker: Beverly Yanez Defender of the Year: Lauren Barnes Unsung Hero: Keelin Winters Goal of the Season: Little's third goal against Houston Dash on August 21 Best on Social Media: Haley Kopmeyer
NWSL Player of the Month Kim Little, June 2015.
NWSL Player of the Week Megan Rapinoe, Week 1. Jess Fishlock, Week 9. Beverly Yanez, Week 15. Kim Little, Week 19.
Gene Juarez Salons & Spas Player of the Match Team awards for select home matches only. Megan Rapinoe vs. Western New York Flash, April 12. Merritt Mathias vs. Washington Spirit, May 2. Beverly Yanez vs. China WNT, May 22. Jess Fishlock vs. Sky Blue FC, June 6. Kim Little vs. FC Kansas City, June 27. Beverly Yanez vs. Western New York Flash, July 11. Beverly Yanez vs. Portland Thorns FC, July 26. Rachel Corsie vs. Houston Dash, August 12. Megan Rapinoe vs. Boston Breakers, August 26. Jess Fishlock vs. Sky Blue FC, August 29. Beverly Yanez vs. Washington Spirit, September 13 (semi-finals).
Transfers For transfers in, dates listed are when the Reign FC officially signed the players to the roster. Transactions where only the rights to the players are acquired (e.g., draft picks) are not listed. For transfers out, dates listed are when the Reign FC officially removed the players from its roster, not when they signed with another club. If a player later signed with another club, her new club will be noted, but the date listed here remains the one when she was officially removed from the Reign FC roster.
In DatePlayerPosPrevious clubNotesRef November 12, 2014 Merritt Mathias MF FC Kansas City Traded for Kate Deines and Seattle's 16th and 26th draft picks in 2015 November 14, 2014 Michelle Cruz DF Apollon Limassol Undisclosed January 13, 2015 Beverly Yanez FW INAC Kobe Leonessa Undisclosed January 21, 2015 Katrine Veje FW Brøndby Undisclosed; will join the club on July 1 January 27, 2015 Stephanie Cox DF Seattle Reign FC Re-signed to a standard contract after being removed from allocation by U.S. Soccer January 29, 2015 Rachel Corsie DF Notts County Undisclosed March 30, 2015 Amber Brooks MF Western New York Flash Traded along with WNY's first-round pick in 2016 and the rights to Abby Wambach for Sydney Leroux and Amanda Frisbie April 3, 2015 Havana Solaun MF Florida Gators 2015 2nd Round Pick (#15) July 22, 2015 Caroline Stanley GK USC Trojans Signed as injury replacement for Hope Solo; previously an amateur call-up July 31, 2015 Abigail Steele GK Oregon Ducks Signed as injury replacement for Haley Kopmeyer
Draft picks Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. Only those who are signed to a contract will be listed as transfers in. Only trades involving draft picks and executed during the 2015 NWSL College Draft will be listed in the notes. DatePlayerPosPrevious clubNotesRefJanuary 16, 2015 Havana SolaunMF Florida Gators2015 2nd Round Pick (#15)January 16, 2015 Kendall RomineDF Stanford Cardinal2015 4th Round Pick (#36)
Out DatePlayerPosDestination ClubNotesRef November 12, 2014 Kate Deines DF FC Kansas City Traded along with Seattle's 16th and 26th draft picks in 2015 for the rights to Merritt Mathias January 14, 2015 Stephanie Cox DF Seattle Reign FC Removed from allocation by U.S. Soccer January 14, 2015 Carmelina Moscato DF Removed from allocation by CSA January 26, 2015 Megan Brigman DF Waived January 28, 2015 Holly Hein DF Waived March 30, 2015 Amanda Frisbie FW Western New York Flash Traded along with Sydney Leroux for Amber Brooks, WNY's first-round pick in 2016, and the rights to Abby Wambach March 30, 2015 Sydney Leroux FW Western New York Flash Traded along with Amanda Frisbie for Amber Brooks, WNY's first-round pick in 2016, and the rights to Abby Wambach August 2, 2015 Abigail Steele GK Waived after Hope Solo returned from injury after the match at Boston Breakers
Offseason loans Rachel Corsie to Glasgow City FC Jess Fishlock to Melbourne City WFC (as player and assistant manager) Kendall Fletcher to Canberra United FC Haley Kopmeyer to Brisbane Roar Kim Little to Melbourne City WFC Keelin Winters to Western Sydney Wanderers FC
See also
2015 National Women's Soccer League season
References
External links