Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. OL Reign: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride have another chance to jump over the playoff line as they take on OL Reign in Seattle.
Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (7-9-1, 22 points) make their longest trip of the season to face OL Reign (7-7-3, 24 points) in Seattle. This is the second and final scheduled meeting between the two teams this season.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
The Pride and Reign have met 15 times since the Pride joined the league in 2016. The Pride hold a 2-6-7 record in those meetings and have yet to beat tonight’s opponent away from home, with an all-time record of 0-4-3 out west against the Reign.
The most recent meeting was on July 7 at Exploria Stadium. It was one of the best performances of the year for the Pride, as they had more shots and shots on target than the opposition. Julie Doyle beat her defenders and found the head of Messiah Bright in the 16th minute for the game’s lone goal as the Pride won 1-0 for their second all-time win over OL Reign.
The teams played for the first time last season on Aug. 26 in Orlando. Meggie Dougherty Howard gave the hosts the lead, and the Pride tried to hold onto that one-goal advantage, but Megan Rapinoe found Bethany Balcer for an equalizing header. The visitors pushed for a win and Rapinoe got a goal for herself two minutes into second half injury time, lifting the Reign to a 2-1 win, snapping Orlando’s seven-match unbeaten run.
The return game was on Oct. 1, 2022 at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Pride had already been eliminated from playoff contention and it looked like it as OL Reign dominated the game. Rapinoe opened the scoring just eight minutes in, Jordyn Huitema doubled the hosts’ lead soon after, and Balcer made it 3-0 after 31 minutes. The Pride held the Reign scoreless in the second half, but fell 3-0.
The teams played twice during the 2021 season and the first game was on July 24 in Orlando. The Reign scored a goal in each half with Jess Fishlock scoring early and Tziarra King doubling the lead just after the break on the way to a 2-0 win. On Sept. 26 in Tacoma, WA, Balcer opened the scoring in the third minute and Eugenie Le Sommer scored a brace, giving the Reign a 3-0 lead at halftime, ultimately beating the Pride by that score.
COVID canceled the teams’ meetings in 2020, but they played three times in 2019. On April 21 in Tacoma, Alanna Kennedy gave the Pride an early lead. But Balcer equalized and the teams drew 1-1. They met again on Sept. 7 in the same location. This time the Reign took the early lead as Darian Jenkins scored twice inside the first 12 minutes. Beverly Yanez made it 3-0 soon after, effectively putting the game away early. Camila converted a late penalty but the Reign won 3-1. The final meeting that year came on Oct. 12 in Orlando. The Pride scored first through Rachel Hill, but Jenkins and Jodie Taylor gave the visitors a 2-1 lead going into halftime. Marta equalized late and the teams drew 2-2.
The first meeting in 2018 came on April 28 in Orlando. Allie Long gave the Reign a first-half lead, but Marta equalized, resulting in a 1-1 draw. On June 3, the teams met in Seattle but neither team could find the back of the net as they ended in a scoreless draw. The final meeting that year was on July 21 in Orlando. Toni Pressley gave the Pride a first-half lead but Taylor equalized with 20 minutes remaining and the teams drew for the third time that year.
The 2017 season saw the Pride and Reign play twice, first meeting on May 21 in Seattle. Yanez gave the hosts the lead just before halftime but Marta scored just after the break and the teams drew 1-1. They met again on Sept. 7 in Orlando in a game that looked to be ending scoreless but took a surprising turn. Alex Morgan gave the Pride the late lead in second-half injury time, but Fishlock equalized two minutes later and they drew 1-1.
The first-ever meeting between the two teams occurred on May 8, 2016 in Orlando. Sarah Hagen gave the Pride an early lead and Lianne Sanderson made it 2-0 late, which was the final. The return game in Seattle was on July 23 and was the highest-scoring game between the two teams. Kim Little and Fishlock made it 2-0 Reign at halftime. Manon Melis scored a third for the hosts. Jasmyne Spencer scored, but Kendall Fletcher made it 4-1 four minutes later. A Pressley own goal and late strike by Kristen Edmonds added one more goal to each team’s tally in a 5-2 Reign win.
Overview
The Pride went into last weekend’s game against San Diego Wave FC on a three-game winning streak and two points out of a playoff position. The hosts had more possession and chances than the visitors, but could only convert once. They fell apart on two set pieces, which resulted in San Diego’s two goals in a 2-1 result.
It was a missed opportunity for the Pride to climb into a playoff spot, but they get a do-over this weekend. They currently sit two points behind Angel City FC and OL Reign, and have a game in hand on the former. A win tonight will see them vault over both teams and into the sixth and final playoff spot.
Claiming points in this game is harder than it sounds as the Pride have struggled mightily in the northwest. Since the team’s inception in 2016, the Pride are 1-11-3 against the Pacific Northwest teams — the Reign and Portland Thorns. The poor record is due to the long travel and tough opponents, both of which will be against the Pride tonight.
The Pride have been the better team in their first two games following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup break. They beat the Chicago Red Stars 5-0 and had the better chances against the Wave. Rafaelle and Emily Madril have made a comfortable center back pairing and the team has been creating chances for multiple players going forward.
A large portion of the success can be attributed to the play on Doyle on the left. The Pride have gone to her frequently in the last two games and she’s done well to beat defenders and get crosses off. Three points tonight will depend on whether Bright can reach those passes like she did in the previous meeting between these two teams.
The Reign have had a tough return to the NWSL regular season. They lost 1-0 to the Kansas City Current and 2-1 to Angel City, both away from home. Tonight, they’ll return to Lumen Field for the first time since the restart of league play, looking to maintain their playoff spot.
The Reign are tied for the third-most goals scored this year with 24. Balcer leads the team with five, followed closely by Huitema and Veronica Latsko with four. As expected, Rapinoe has been the primary playmaker for the team, recording four assists in 10 games.
The Seattle-based club has conceded the sixth-fewest goals this season with 21. That success is largely because of the center back pairing of Sam Hiatt and Alana Cook, who have started together in 14 of the team’s 17 games this season.
“Obviously, we were disappointed after the last game. I felt we did enough to win the game,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said. “San Diego capitalized on two set pieces, and we have identified that we need to stay concentrated in those moments. We are all in good spirits and we still have the objective to win the games ahead of us and hopefully that starts on Sunday against Seattle.”
Carrie Lawrence (knee) remains out with a season-ending injury and is joined by Thais Reiss (thigh) on the injury list. But the most significant absence is Brazilian midfielder Adriana (thigh), who has a team-leading four goals and three assists this year. Meanwhile, OL Reign is in the unusual position of having everyone available for tonight’s game.
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Madril, Haley McCutcheon.
Defensive Midfielders: Jordyn Listro, Mikayla Cluff.
Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Marta, Julie Doyle.
Forward: Messiah Bright.
Bench: Carly Nelson, Celia, Brianna Martinez, Megan Montefusco, Viviana Villacorta, Summer Yates, Erika Tymrak, Mariana Larroquette, Ally Watt.
OL Reign (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Claudia Dickey.
Defenders: Lauren Barnes, Phoebe McClernon, Alana Cook, Sofia Huerta.
Midfielders: Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Quinn, Jessica Fishlock.
Forwards: Megan Rapinoe, Bethany Balcer.
Bench: Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Sam Hiatt, Nikki Stanton, Angelina, Olivia Van der Jagt, Elyse Bennett, Tziarra King, Veronica Latsko, Jordyn Huitema.
Referees
REF: Ricardo Fierro.
AR1: Noah Kenyawani.
AR2: Baboucarr Jallow.
4TH: Christopher Calderon.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Benjamin Wooten.
How to Watch
Match Time: 6 p.m.
Venue: Lumen Field — Seattle, WA.
TV: Fox 35 Plus.
Streaming: Paramount+ (U.S.), NWSLsoccer.com (International).
Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).
Enjoy the match. Go Pride!