Seattle Reign vs. OrlandoPride

The 2026 Seattle Reign season is lastly right here! On Sunday, March 15, the Reign journey to Florida to tackle the Orlando Pride, the workforce that knocked them out of the playoffs final yr. The match kicks off at 1 pm PT and can air on Victory+a brand new free streaming accomplice of the NWSL. It will even be out there on Fox 13+ and the FoxNative app within the Seattle space.

Both groups made restricted strikes this offseason, betting as an alternative that their younger gamers can develop and thrive alongside their veterans, so the groups have a bit extra familiarity with one another than may in any other case be the case for such an early season sport.

“We know they like to play,” Laura Harvey advised reporters in her pregame remarks. “I think out of all the teams you could play first game of the season, playing the team that you played at the end of the season is always interesting. But more importantly than that, the fact that they’ve the same coach, a lot of the same players means that it’s not like a brand new team where you’re just not quite sure what you’re going to get. I think we know what to expect from Orlando, which will be a really tough game. They’re very good on both sides of the ball. We’ve been able to prepare maybe a little bit more than we maybe could have done if it was a team that had a lot of change.”

Seattle faced some challenges traveling to this game, with lengthy delays at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport due to snow on Thursday delaying their flight for over four hours.

Head-to-Head

The Reign are 7-6-8 all-time towards Orlando; that features a 2-4-5 file on the street towards the Pride.

Key departures

The Pride noticed Carson Pickett and Ally Brazier (previously Watt) head to growth membership Denver Summit. USWNT defender Emily Sams, who was the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year, transferred to Angel City, whereas NWSL veteran Morgan Gautrat departed to play in England. Kylie Nadaner can be out on maternity depart.

Key additions

In the offseason, the Pride added 2025 NWSL Shield winner Hailie Mace from the Kansas City Current together with buying Chicago Stars defender Hannah Anderson by way of commerce. Orlando additionally added TCU ahead Seven Castain, Georgetown goalkeeper Cara Martin, Thorns defender Nicole Payne, and Florida State ahead Solai Washington.

What to observe

The Reign press: Orlando has been one of many hardest defensive groups the final two years however shall be rotating via a number of new and untested gamers on the backline. This may give the Reign an opportunity to press excessive and stress Orlando’s protection onto errors. The Reign have indicated they need to be a workforce that places opponents underneath stress this yr, a departure from their low block on 2025. Can the Reign set a brand new tone from the start?

Crosses: Last yr, the Pride tried essentially the most crosses within the league and averaged the second most nook kicks. They preferred to push their fullbacks excessive to overlap with wing gamers, or ship balls excessive to their speedy wingers (the Pride led the league in accomplished lengthy balls). The Reign might want to put stress on the ball greater up the sector to stop these lengthy balls, and on the wings to restrict uncontested crosses into the field. On the opposite finish, can the Reign get in additional harmful positions to cross this sport?

Creating possibilities: The Reign have stated they need to construct on final yr by persevering with to be exhausting to interrupt down whereas additionally creating extra possibilities within the assault. The Reign created the fewest anticipated targets within the league in 2025, however did a superb job changing the restricted possibilities that they had. Can the Reign preserve the ball of their attacking half towards Orlando and create extra pictures in harmful positions? And who steps as much as present that service?

Who to observe

Barbra Banda: One of the explanations the Pride struggled at instances final yr was as a result of they misplaced Banda to harm for the second half of the yr. When wholesome, she’s one of many hardest forwards to cease. She’s sturdy, exhausting to get off the ball, an ideal dribbler, and a deadly shooter. She is aware of the right way to sneak into harmful spots on nook kicks, too.

Jacquie Ovalle: Before the summer time window closed, the Pride added Mexican ahead/midfielder Jacquie Ovalle, paying a world-record switch charge for girls’s soccer at $1.5 million. Ovalle is unpredictable and artful on the ball, she loves stress, and as she demonstrated within the ultimate common season sport towards the Reign, she will be able to whip in a harmful cross.

Injury/Availability Report

Seattle Reign

OUT: Lynn Biiendolo (Maternity depart), Jordyn Bugg (Leg), Shae Holmes (Lower Leg), Sally Menti (Knee), Cassie Miller (Leg – SEI), Holly Ward (not as a consequence of harm)

OrlandoPride

OUT: Kerry Abello (Hip), Zara Chavoshi (Lower Leg), Marta (Excused Absence), Cosette Morche (Ankle – D45), Kylie Nadaner (Maternity Leave), Nicole Payne (Knee – SEI), Viviana Villacorta (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE: Angelina (Thigh)

How to observe

Seattle Reign kicks off towards the Orlando Pride on Sunday, March 15. The sport begins at 1 pm PT and can air on Victory+ nationally, and on Fox 13+ within the Seattle space.