Reign FC Announce 2019 Preseason Roster and Technical Staff
In advance of the Monday, March 4 start of preseason training, Reign FC has announced its 38-player preseason roster and its technical staff for the upcoming season. The preseason roster includes 22 players under contract and 10 non-roster invitees.
The preseason roster features eighteen players from Reign FC’s 2018 roster, and includes five new signings: forward Darian Jenkins, who was acquired in a trade with the North Carolina Courage; forward Shea Groom, who was acquired in a trade with Sky Blue FC, Spanish international defender Celia Jimenez Delgado, who was signed after being drafted by Reign FC in 2018; Australian international midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight, who was signed via discovery; and midfielder Morgan Proffitt, who was also signed via discovery.
Eight Reign FC players – Catley, Delgado, Kellond-Knight, Nielsen, Rapinoe, Taylor, Utsugi and Williams – will join the team after the FIFA break that concludes on March 6. In addition, non-roster invitee and Reign Academy product Sakky Yoshida will join after returning from international duty in Spain with the US U-19 WNT.
Midfielder Jess Fishlock remains on loan to Olympique Lyonnais. Fishlock will return to Reign FC at the conclusion of Lyon’s run in the UEFA Champions League.
2019 Reign FC Preseason Roster by Position
Goalkeepers (5): Michelle Betos, Kori Butterfield (NRI), Kelsey Dossey (NRI), Scout Watson (NRI), Lydia Williams (NYR)
Defenders (8): Lauren Barnes, Steph Catley (NYR / INT), Celia Jimenez Delgado (NYR / INT), Siobhan McDonough (NRI), Kristen McNabb, Theresa Nielsen (NYR / INT), Megan Oyster, Christen Westphal
Midfielders (8): Morgan Andrews, Jessica Fishlock (NYR – ON LOAN), Elise Kellond-Knight (NYR / INT), Allie Long (FED), Morgan Proffitt, Rumi Utsugi (NYR / INT), Beverly Yanez, Sakky Yoshida (NRI)
Forwards (11): Bethany Balcer (NRI), Jorian Baucom (NRI), Kiersten Dallstream (NRI), Shea Groom, Darian Jenkins, Jaycie Johnson, Emma Kete (NRI), Summer Mason (NRI), Megan Rapinoe (FED / NYR), Jasmyne Spencer, Jodi Taylor (NYR)
Key:
International Slot (INT)
Non-Roster Invitee (NRI)
U.S. Soccer Federation Player (FED)
Not Yet Reported to Camp (NYR)
Reign FC’s technical staff will continue to be led by Vlatko Andonovski, who returns for his second season with the club, his seventh at the helm of an NWSL team.
In his first season in Seattle, Vlatko led the team to a 11-8-5 record, returning the team to the NWSL playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season. Under Vlatko’s leadership, the defense logged a NWSL record-tying 12 clean sheets while only conceding 19 goals – second best in league history for a 24-game season. Reign FC finished the regular season ranked third in the NWSL standings and advanced to the semifinal round of the NWSL playoffs.
“I am thrilled to be returning to the team for a second season,” said Andonovski. “This club and the players are very special and I’m looking forward to getting to work and building on the success we had last season.”
Sam Laity, who has been with Reign FC since its inaugural season in 2013, will also return as Assistant Coach.
In addition to Andonovski and Laity, returning veterans of the Reign FC technical staff include Assistant Coach Milan Ivanovic, Director of High Performance Nick Leman, Trainer David Beauchene and Equipment Manager Alyssa Delsanter.
The Reign FC technical staff has expanded to include former Reign FC and USWNT outside back Steph Cox, who will return to the Assistant Coach role she served in during the 2017 season. Cox played professionally in both the WPS and NWSL while amassing 89 caps for the U.S. Women’s Natioanl Team. Cox was part of the U.S. WNT squad that captured gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Reign FC also added goalkeeper coach Ljupco Kmetovski-Rakush. Kmetovski-Rakush, who – like Andonovski – hails from Macedonia. He played professionally in Europe and has coached at the professional and international levels, most recently serving as the Director of Goalkeeping for the Football Federation of Macedonia, where he was responsible for overseeing the goalkeeping coaches for the Macedonia National Team. Kmetovski-Rakush holds a UEFA “A” coaching license and a UEFA “PRO” goalkeeper license.
2019 Reign FC Technical Staff
Head Coach: Vlatko Andonovski
Assistant Coach: Sam Laity
Assistant Coach: Milan Ivanovic
Assistant Coach: Steph Cox
Goalkeeper Coach: Ljupco Kmetovski-Rakush
Director of High Performance: Nick Leman
Head Athletic Trainer: David Beauchene
Associate General Manager: Brynn Baker
Equipment Manager: Alyssa Delsanter
Team Administrator: Alli Dimich
Reign FC’s first preseason match – against UCLA – is scheduled for Saturday, March 16 at 12:00 p.m. PT at the SilverLakes Complex in Norco, CA.
Reign FC will begin the 2019 NWSL Regular Season with a match on the road against the Houston Dash on Sunday, April 14 at 3:00 p.m. PT. Reign FC will play its first home match at Cheney Stadium on Sunday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. PT against the Orlando Pride.
Reign FC season ticket memberships are now available. To purchase tickets, visit reignfc.com/tickets or call the Reign FC ticket office at (855) REIGN-FC.