Three Reign FC Players Named to NWSL Best XI and Second XI Teams
The National Women’s Soccer League today announced its Best XI and Second XI teams for the 2018 season. Three Seattle Reign FC players are included on the teams. Forward Megan Rapinoe earned a spot on the Best XI while defender Steph Catley and goalkeeper Lydia Williams made the Second XI.
The Best XI nod is the first of Rapinoe’s career, and adds to her Second XI distinctions from 2013, 2015, and 2017. During the 2018 regular season, Rapinoe scored seven goals and dished six assists. Her seven goals ranked behind only Jodie Taylor’s nine for the team lead, while her six assists were most of any Reign FC player and tied for third-most in the league. With a penalty kick goal on July 7, Rapinoe broke Kim Little’s all-time club scoring record. Her list of season accomplishments includes a brace on May 12 in her first game back from a three-match injury break, 42 chances created, and goals on a direct free kick, PK’s and open play.
Catley is a Second XI member for the third time in her career, previously being named to the team in 2014 and 2017. The Australian left back started 17 games for Seattle, missing seven due to international duties and personal matters. In those 17 games, she recorded three assists and made 178 passes ending in the final third, with a 60.1% accuracy. Catley also was one of Seattle’s primary corner kick takers. She took 13 corners in 2018, including one on July 11 against Utah that produced an assist.
Williams received Second XI honors for the first time in her NWSL career. The Seattle netminder led all starting goalkeepers in save percentage, save percentage in the box, and in clean sheets. She also stopped the only penalty kick she saw this season, saving a North Carolina PK on June 23. Williams was in net for the entirety of Reign FC’s 525-minute shutout streak from July 21 to August 25, covering four complete matches.
Below is the complete list of Best XI and Second XI players, as voted on by the NWSL Media.
Best XI
Forwards
Dunn, Crystal
Kerr, Sam
Rapinoe, Megan
Midfielders
Heath, Tobin
Horan, Lindsey
Zerboni, McCall
Defenders
Sonnett, Emily
Sauerbrunn, Becky
Erceg, Abby
Dahlkemper, Abby
Goalkeeper
Franch, Adrianna
Second XI
Forwards
Williams, Lynn
Daly, Rachel
Huerta, Sofia
Midfielders
Debinha
Lloyd, Carli
Sinclair, Christine
Defenders
Mathias, Merritt
Ertz, Julie
Menges, Emily
Catley, Steph
Goalkeeper
Williams, Lydia
Seattle Reign FC went 11–5–8 in the regular season, finishing third in the NWSL table and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2015. The team set a club record for fewest goals allowed (19) and tied the NWSL record with 12 clean sheets.
