Match Forecast: Reign FC Travels to Portland for Next Test Against the Thorns
After a gritty win in Orlando to open the season, Reign FC hits the road once again, traveling down I-5 to Portland, Oregon to take on their biggest rivals – Portland Thorns FC. The match on Friday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. offers the Reign just five days to prepare for this edition of the Cascadia rivalry.
KEY INFO
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. PT at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon
WHERE TO WATCH: Fans can tune in to the match on Prime Video
2026 NWSL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): Seattle Reign FC: 1-0-0 (3 points, 5th place), Portland Thorns FC: 1-0-0 (3 points, 6th place)
WHAT TO KNOW AHEAD OF THE MATCH
LAST MEETING
The last Cascadia rivalry match took place in August 2025, under the scorching sun at Providence Park in Portland and featured a series-high six goals as the Reign fell 4-2. The Reign opened the scoring early, as the club’s 2025 leading goalscorers, Emeri Adames and Jess Fishlock combined. However, Portland netted three consecutive goals to take hold of the match. Fishlock added a goal to her assist in the 64th minute of the match, but it wasn’t enough to come back and win the match, as Portland notched one more goal before the game ended.
All-time, the Reign have 16 wins, 17 losses and 10 draws against the Thorns and have scored 43 goals. To no surprise, veteran midfielder Jess Fishlock has the most goals and assists of any active Reign player in the series, with six goals and four assists.
SCOUTING PORTLAND
Portland played in the first match of the NWSL’s opening weekend, taking on the Washington Spirit at Audi Field in Washington, D.C on Friday, March 13. Despite being the visitors in the sold-out match, Portland came out on top, narrowly taking down the Spirit 1-0.
It was a back-and-forth match that more often than not saw the Spirit on the front foot, but the Thorns made it difficult for the home side to break through and find the opening goal of the season. The match went into halftime scoreless, but it was Portland who came out strong following the break. The 52nd minute proved decisive as defender Isabella Obaze connected with forward Pietra Tordin to find midfielder Olivia Moultrie. The United States Women’s National Team regular dribbled the ball into the box and deftly put it into the back of the net.
Notably, the Thorns enter the 2026 campaign without former captain Sam Coffey, who now plays for Manchester City in the WSL. However, star forward Sophia Wilson made her return to play after missing an extended period of time on maternity leave.
TRADEMARK TENACITY
Reign FC’s trademark tenacity was on full display over the weekend as the team played its opening match of 2026. A turbulent travel day en route to Orlando, trading snow for blazing heat and in-game weather delays weren’t enough to shake a strong Seattle side, whose eyes are set on the championship this season.
The team is backed not only by key veteran leaders, like Jess Fishlock, Sofia Huerta and new addition Brittany Ratcliffe, but now boasts more experience than ever, as a group of extremely talented young players spent last season traversing the NWSL landscape and gaining invaluable knowledge only obtained through firsthand experience. The quick turnaround from playing in Orlando on Sunday, Portland this Friday and Spokane the following Wednesday is going to put the Reign’s strength and depth to the test as the entire squad will be called on to step up in big moments.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
The Reign’s offensive efforts against Orlando on Sunday stood out in the match, highlighted by the chances created by the front line. Nerilia Mondesir, an obvious player to watch, recorded both assists for the Reign against Orlando and displayed a heightened sense of poise and precision on the ball. She’ll be looking for a repeat performance on Friday against the Thorns.
Defender Phoebe McClernon also played a large role in the Reign’s success against the Pride, holding the team to just one goal on the night. McClernon was repeatedly tasked with shutting down Orlando’s Barbra Banda, which is no easy feat. She led the team in clearances and was locked in on accuracy, taking the most touches and connecting the most passes of any player on the field.
For Portland, their lone goalscorer of the season, Olivia Moultrie, was causing problems for Washington all game long. Though she may provide youthful energy on the field, her soccer IQ continues to rise and it’s obvious in the way she plays. She is strong on the ball, and her technical ability is something to keep an eye on.
Similar to McClernon for the Reign, Reyna Reyes had a lot of work to do in Portland’s backline as she was tasked with defending Trinity Rodman. She was part of the Thorns backline that held Washington scoreless and limited them to just one shot on target through the entire match.
