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

Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (11-15-3, 36 points) end the season against Seattle Reign FC (13-11-5, 44 points) in the Pacific Northwest (5 p.m., ESPN). This is the second and — since the Pride won’t qualify for the postseason — final time these teams will meet this season.

Here’s everything you need to know about today’s game.

History

The Pride and Reign have met 21 times in the regular season since Orlando joined the NWSL in 2016. The Pride hold a 5-8-8 record in those meetings, with an all-time record of 2-5-3 in Seattle. Orlando is 6-8-8 against the Reign in all competitions, having added a home playoff win over Seattle in the 2025 postseason.

The most recent meeting of the teams took place in the 2026 season opener on March 15 in Orlando. Jess Fishlock broke up the celebration by giving the visitors the lead in the first half. However, the Pride kept the deficit at one and — after a lengthy halftime weather delay — Barbra Banda equalized shortly after halftime. Both teams were looking for a winner, but it was a late Brittany Ratcliffe conversion that saw the Reign walk away with the 2-1 win.

The first time the teams met in 2025 happened on April 12 in Seattle. Banda was the hero of that game, netting the game’s only goal in a 1-0 Orlando win just before halftime. It extended the team’s season-opening winning streak to four games. They ended the regular season against each other on Nov. 2 in Orlando. The two clubs were playing for the right to host a quarterfinal game and the Pride were the better team in the first 45 minutes. Substitute Carson Pickett gave the Pride the lead just eight minutes after coming on, but Jordyn Bugg equalized three minutes later. The 1-1 draw was enough for the Pride to finish fourth, pushing Seattle down to fifth and setting up a rematch five days later.

It was back-to-back meetings between the teams as they met in the NWSL quarterfinals on Nov. 7. Haley McCutcheon gave the hosts the lead early, a lead the Pride held until Marta made a magnificent run in stoppage time, drawing a foul in the Seattle box. Despite being the primary penalty taker, Marta handed the ball to her Brazilian teammate Luana. The midfielder converted her first Pride goal in an emotional moment after her return from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma treatment, sending the Pride to the semifinals for the second consecutive season with a 2-0 win.

The first meeting of 2024 occurred on May 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle. Emily Sams opened the scoring early and Banda doubled the advantage minutes later. However, the Reign scored on either side of halftime through Angharad James-Turner and Bethany Balcer before Banda netted the deciding goal, lifting her team to a 3-2 win.

On Nov. 2, 2024 in Orlando, Ally Watt gave the Pride the lead early, but Jordyn Huitema equalized a minute later. Kerry Abello gave the Pride the lead before halftime, and Marta made it 3-1 in the second half. Maddie Mercado got one back late, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride came away with a 3-2 win. The win capped off a historic regular season.

The first game between the teams in 2023 occurred on July 7 at Exploria Stadium and featured one of the best performances of the year for the Pride. Julie Doyle beat her defenders and found Messiah Bright, who scored the game’s lone goal early in the match as the Pride won 1-0 for their second all-time win over the Reign. On Sept. 3 in Seattle, the Pride got off to a terrible start when goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was sent off in the third minute. Carly Nelson came in and did well in relief, but Huitema scored early in the second half as the Reign won 1-0. 

The teams played for the first time in 2022 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 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 took place Oct. 1, 2022 at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Pride had already been eliminated from playoff contention and it looked like it, as the team then known as OL Reign dominated the game. Rapinoe opened the scoring early, Huitema doubled the hosts’ lead soon after, and Balcer made it 3-0 just past the half-hour mark. 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 took place July 24 in Orlando. The Reign scored a goal in each half, with Fishlock scoring early and Tziarra King doubling the lead just after the break in a 2-0 win. On Sept. 26 in Tacoma, WA, Balcer opened the scoring early 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 was played in Orlando on April 28. Allie Long gave the Reign a first-half lead, but Marta equalized for a 1-1 draw. On June 3, the teams met in Seattle but neither team could find the back of the net as the game ended in a scoreless draw. The final meeting that year took place July 21 in Orlando. Toni Pressley gave the Pride a first-half lead but Taylor equalized late and the teams drew for the third time that year.

The 2017 season saw the Pride and Reign play to a pair of 1-1 draws — first in Seattle on May 21 and later in Orlando on Sept. 7. The teams split their two games in 2016, with the Pride winning 2-0 in Orlando May 8 and Seattle winning 5-2 at home on July 23.

Overview

Today marks the end of possibly the most disappointing season in the Pride’s history. They won the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in 2024 and reached the semifinals as the fourth seed last year despite a season-ending injury to Banda, so there were high expectations heading into this season. But poor roster building and no consistency saw the team eliminated from playoff contention with two games remaining.

The lack of consistency that put the Pride in the position of playing meaningless games has been on display the last few weeks. They’ve alternated between wins and losses in each of the last five games, with wins over Bay FC and the Houston Dash and losses to the Portland Thorns, San Diego Wave, and NJ/NY Gotham FC.

The most recent of these games was a 2-1 defeat to league-leading Gotham FC Oct. 25. The Pride had more shots and shots on target, but Abello and Solai Washington failed to convert on golden opportunities. Already down 2-0, Washington pulled one back in the 65th minute, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride ended their home slate with another negative result.

It doesn’t help that the Pride have been without Banda, whose 17 goals place her second in the league and are the most for a Pride player in a single season. But her appearance with Zambia in Uganda caused a delay in her re-entry into the United States due to Center for Disease Control (CDC) regulations. Her absence has been apparent in the missed chances the team has had the last couple of weeks.

This game will likely serve as the send-off for some key players. Rafaelle announced her retirement on Oct. 24, effective following this game. Additionally, Marta’s two-year deal expires at the end of the year. Given her age and drop in level this season, it could be the last time we see the Pride’s best-ever player in the club’s colors.

Apart from the emotional send-offs, the Pride will look to end a sad season on a positive note. Yolanda Thomas has been in charge for the last eight games of the season following Seb Hines’ dismissal. This could be her last game as part of the club as well.

Standing in the way of the Pride’s celebratory ending is a team with much more to play for. The Reign sit in the eighth and final playoff spot, but their postseason appearance is far from secure. They’re just two points ahead of the North Carolina Courage and three points ahead of Denver Summit FC, two teams that play each other today. Both have a superior goal difference to the Reign, so a loss to the Pride and either team winning would see Seattle’s season come to a devastating end.

Similar to the Pride’s last opponent, the Reign are a defensive-minded team. Their 36 goals scored are 14th in the league, behind only Bay FC and Chicago Stars FC, two teams well behind them in the standings. Maddie Mercado leads the attack with 10 goals, followed by Ratcliffe and Fishlock with four each.

The defense has been another story. Seattle has only conceded 33 goals this year, fifth-fewest in the NWSL this season. That’s largely due to a consistent back line of Sofia Huerta, Bugg, Phoebe McClernon, and Ryanne Brown in front of goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. They’ve all played at least 20 games and all but Brown have started at least 20 games. That’s consistency the Pride have sorely missed on the defensive side of the field.

“Seattle’s a well-coached team and they can change on a dime what they do. So, we talked a lot of being kind of being ready for different pictures,” Thomas said about today’s game. “So, how are they setting up defesnively? How are they attacking? Who’s moving where? It will be really important that we read that in the run of play, because they’ve done it a few different ways.”

The Pride will take the field today without Banda (excused absence), Sanne Lekven (ankle), Zoe Matthews (hip), and Nicole Payne (lower leg). The Reign are without Lynn Biyendolo (maternity leave) and Maddie Dahlien (knee).

Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Cosette Morche.

Defenders: Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Ally Lemos.

Attacking Midfileders: Kerry Abello, Haley McCutcheon, Solai Washington.

Forward: Marta.

Seattle Reign FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Claudia Dickey.

Defenders: Sofia Huerta, Jordyn Bugg, Phoebe McClernon, Ryanne Brown.

Defensive Midfileders: Samantha Meza, Ansley McCammon.

Attacking Midfielders: Jess Fishlock, Nerila Mondesir, Emeri Adames.

Forward: Maddie Mercado.

Referees

REF: Calin Radosav.
AR1: Alicia Messer.
AR2: Ethan Buege.
4TH: Adorae Monroy.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Tom Felice.

How to Watch

Match Time: 5 p.m.

Venue: Lumen Field — Seattle, WA.

TV: None.

Streaming: ESPN app.

Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, following @themaneland.bsky.social on Bluesky and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed.

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!