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Reign Beat Wave 2-0, Mercado and Bugg Score Quick Headers

Early set-piece headers and Claudia Dickey's nine-save shutout created momentum for Seattle while San Diego now faces questions about consistency.

Overview

  • Seattle opened the scoring in San Diego with a Maddie Mercado header and added a Jordyn Bugg header three minutes later to make it 2-0 on Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.
  • Both goals were created by Ainsley McCammon, who assisted Mercado's 17th-minute strike and set up the 20th-minute corner sequence that led to Bugg's goal.
  • Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey preserved the clean sheet with nine saves, denying several second-half chances as Seattle shifted to a defensive posture after taking the lead.
  • Spanish signing Sandra Paños made her NWSL debut for the Wave, faced tough finishing situations on both goals, and finished the match with three saves.
  • The result extends Seattle's historical advantage over San Diego and gives the Reign a short-term momentum boost while the Wave head into a two-game road trip still seeking consistent form.