Orlando Pride vs. Reign FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (4-12-2, 14 points) take on the Reign FC (7-5-6, 27 points) in Tacoma, WA. This is the second meeting between the teams this season and the first since April. The teams are scheduled to play one more time on Oct. 12 in the season finale.

History

The Pride and Reign are tied in the all-time series (1-1-6) and have played to six straight draws. Each team won its home game in the 2016 series. On May 8, 2016, Sarah Hagen and Lianne Sanderson both scored as Orlando won 2-0. A few months later, on July 23, 2016, the Reign evened the series with a 5-2 win.

Since then, no team has been able to come away with three points. The 2017 season saw a pair of 1-1 draws, and last season there were two 1-1 draws in Orlando and a goalless draw in Washington.

2018 was much of the same story. The season ended with the teams having three draws in three meetings. Marta and Allie Long both scored on April 28 as the match ended 1-1. A little over a month later, the teams played to a goalless draw in front of 5,251 fans in Seattle. The final meeting last season ended 1-1. Toni Pressley scored for Orlando in the first half, and Jodie Taylor leveled it in the second.

The last time the teams met was April 21, 2019. After two straight losses to start the season, Marc Skinner earned his first point in the NWSL with a 1-1 draw. Alanna Kennedy got the scoring started with a bicycle kick in the sixth minute. Bethany Balcer leveled it in the 21st minute and the matched ended in a sixth straight draw.

Overview

The Orlando Pride are in last place in the NWSL, have allowed the most goals, and are without the player directly responsible for the most team goals as Chioma Ubogagu was waived and signed with Real Madrid. Still, after six straight draws against the Reign and four wins in the last nine matches, the Pride will have a sense of confidence ahead of tonight’s game.

Orlando’s last match was postponed because of Hurricane Dorian. This gave the Pride a two-week break after its 2-1 loss to the Washington Spirit. Rachel Hill assisted to Marta in that match, and the winger now has a goal and two assists in the past two games.

The Reign are coming off a 1-0 loss to the North Carolina Courage. The Reign only managed one win in the month of August, a 1-0 victory against Portland on Aug. 7. In the four matches last month, the Reign only found the back of the net three times.

This is good news for Orlando, as the Pride’s defense has not been the best this season. Since the end of the World Cup, Orlando’s offense has improved, and the team has been starting to find the back of the net on a much more consistent basis. It will be interesting to see how the Pride do in the final third without Ubogagu, who had arguably her best season in Orlando before being waived.

Skinner will likely look to Claire Emslie and Hill on the wings, but both Marta and Alex Morgan will be out. Defender Ali Krieger also won’t be available for the match.

Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Ashlyn Harris.

Defenders: Kristen Edmonds, Shelina Zadorsky, Julie King, Erin Greening.

Midfielders: Alanna Kennedy, Dani Weatherholt, Joanna Boyles.

Forwards: Rachel Hill, Marisa Viggiano, Claire Emslie.

Bench: Haley Kopmeyer, Camila, Bridget Callahan, Morgan Reid, Danica Evans, Carson Pickett, Abby Elinski.

Reign FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Casey Murphy.

Defenders: Steph Catley, Lauren Barnes, Megan Oyster, Theresa Nielsen.

Defensive Midfielders: Allie Long, Celia Jiménez.

Midfielders: Beverly Yanez, Rosie White, Bethany Balcer.

Forward: Jodie Taylor.  

Bench:  Morgan Andrews, Schuyler Debree, Darian Jenkins, Ifeoma Onumonu, Morgan Proffitt, Sammy Jo Prudhomme, Rebecca Quinn. 

Referees

Ref: Karen Abt.

AR1: Deleana Quan.

AR2: Jennifer Garner.

4th: Corbyn May.

How to Watch

Match Time: 10 p.m. ET.

Venue: Cheney Stadium — Tacoma, WA

TV: None.

Streaming: Yahoo! Sports app (U.S.), NWSLsoccer.com, NWSL app (international).

Twitter: For live updates, follow along at the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride) and on The Mane Land’s Twitter (@TheManeLand).

Match Thread Rules

This is your live thread for posting comments on the match. So use our comments section below to talk about the game in real time with other supporters. If you’re new, welcome to our happy home! While you’re here, please observe a few basic rules:

• Absolutely no links to illegal streams. They can get us in trouble, and no one wants that.
• Try not to be the person who spews nothing but venom and hate for the team. It’s OK to be critical, and, let’s face it, sometimes even the best teams can be frustrating to watch, but being overly negative relentlessly can sap the enjoyment for others.
• Keep it somewhat clean and fair when criticizing players / officials. You never know who might be reading.
• Do unto others in the match thread, the way you would have others do unto you. We are a fun community and want to keep it this way. We have a moderator, but we’d rather let him enjoy the game instead of having to play babysitter.

Enjoy the match! Go Pride!