Ji Showcases Her Quality in Standout Performance Against Utah

In her first start since May 11, midfielder Ji So-Yun produced a standout performance with a goal and two assists as the Reign picked up a road victory over the Utah Royals on Saturday.

In the Reign’s last match against the Chicago Stars, the South Korean midfielder came into the field at halftime and made an instance difference, re-energizing the team with her veteran presence in the midfield. Following the 2-2 comeback draw, Head Coach Laura Harvey was quick to credit her for the shift, citing it as her best 45 minutes of the season.

"Ji came on and played really well [last week] and the reward that Ji got was to start. And she rewarded herself again today by getting a goal and getting two assists, and that’s the Ji that we signed,” said Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey.

Today, against the Royals, Ji demonstrated her skill from the opening whistle as she opened the scoring just six minutes into the match. After forward Lynn Biyendolo kickstarted the attack with a cross to the far post, forward Maddie Dahlien, aware of her surroundings, tapped the ball toward the center of the box, where Ji, technically sound as ever, took one tight touch before precisely placing her shot to the lower left corner of the goal.

10 minutes later, Ji set up the second goal of the match, again connecting with Dahlien. Forward Emeri Adames played a ball to Ji in the center of the field, where she one-touched a ball into space for Dahlien, who used her pace to get on the end of the ball and touch it over goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn to make it 2-0.

Later, in the second half, the veteran midfielder also claimed the assist on the Reign’s third goal of the night. She received the ball at her feet well outside of the 18-yard box and danced through Utah’s defense before slipping the ball to Adames, who made no mistake as she took a touch and finished with a shot to the back post.

“She's come back and proven the Ji that we all know she is, which is great because that's the quality that we know she is and we know that we need from her,” said Harvey.

Though Ji’s performance is highlighted by her name splashed across the scoresheet, the role she plays in the middle of the field goes beyond goals and assists. Experienced for club and country, she brings a sense of leadership that is tangible in the Reign’s young and rotating lineup – a leadership that was integral in Seattle going undefeated on their three-match road swing.

She created the most chances of any Reign player on the field (3), in addition to winning possession of the ball eight times for Seattle – more than any other player on the team, and earning a 100% tackle win rate.

The 71-minute shift she put in today was just a glimpse at the threat the 34-year-old will continue to provide for the Reign as the team continues to work through the season.

Now, Ji and the entire Reign squad enter a long summer break from league play that will see many players join their national teams. The squad returns to action on July 20 at Lumen Field as they take on Urawa Red Diamonds in a friendly match.