Match Forecast: Seattle Reign FC Prepared for Season Opener Against Orlando Pride
This Sunday, March 15, Seattle Reign FC opens their 2026 NWSL campaign on the road against the Orlando Pride. The long-awaited match at Inter&Co Stadium kicks off at 1:00 p.m. PT on Victory+.
Led by the NWSL’s longest tenured Head Coach Laura Harvey, Seattle will be looking to start the season off strong against the Pride after a solid preseason showing on the west coast.
KEY INFO
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. PT at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida
WHERE TO WATCH: Fans can tune in to the match on Victory+ for free, FOX 13+ in the Seattle area, SWX NonStop Local Sports in the Spokane area or on various channels outside of the U.S.
2026 NWSL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): Seattle Reign FC: 0-0-0, Orlando Pride: 0-0-0
2025 NWSL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): Seattle Reign FC: 10-7-9 (39 points, 5th place), Orlando Pride: 11-8-7 (40 points, 4th place)
WHAT TO KNOW AHEAD OF THE MATCH
LAST MEETING
This Sunday’s match marks the third consecutive meeting between Reign FC and the Orlando Pride in all NWSL competitions. The two sides went head-to-head on Decision Day in 2025 before being paired in the NWSL quarterfinals the following week.
The final regular-season match of 2025 saw the teams draw 1-1 in a very evenly matched fixture on the road in Orlando. The match was scoreless until the 76th minute, when Carson Pickett, who now plays for Denver Summit FC, finished a cross from Lizbeth Ovalle. It only took three minutes for the Reign to respond, as Madison Curry, who played over 2,000 minutes for Seattle in 2025, found the feet of NWSL Defender of the Year Finalist Jordyn Bugg, who tucked the ball soundly into the back of the net. In a quick turnaround, the two teams met the following week in an NWSL quarterfinal match, where Orlando got the better of the Reign, winning 2-0.
DECISION DAY HIGHLIGHTS | QUARTERFINAL HIGHLIGHTS
All-time, the Reign have amassed seven wins, six losses and eight draws in all NWSL competitions against Orlando, scoring 31 goals compared to the Pride’s 24. Jess Fishlock – one of two players league-wide to see the field in every year of NWSL play – leads the Reign’s roster in goals scored against Orlando with three.
SCOUTING ORLANDO PRIDE
Orlando ended their 2025 season in the NWSL semifinal round, falling 1-0 to NJ/NY Gotham FC. After 90 minutes of back-and-forth play, the result of the match was decided in stoppage time, when Jaedyn Shaw scored an all-important goal for Gotham FC to advance to the final. Despite the bitter ending to the season, the Pride finished their 2025 campaign with the second-most wins in club history.
Ahead of the 2026 season, the Pride made several offseason roster changes, including the addition of Hailie Mace, who was a free agent after spending several seasons in Kansas City, Hannah Anderson from Chicago Stars FC, Nicole Payne from Paris Saint-Germain and three players out of college – Seven Castain, Cara Martin and Solai Washington. Seb Hines, the league’s second-longest-tentured head coach, is at the helm for Orlando in his fifth consecutive season, including his time as the club’s Interim Head Coach in 2022.
SURGING INTO THE SEASON
After a productive preseason, Reign FC is ready to take the 2026 campaign head-on, boasting elite talent and depth across the roster. A unique combination of veteran leaders, like newly announced captains Jess Fishlock and Sofia Huerta, and rising stars eager to make their mark on the field in the form of Emeri Adames, Maddie Dahlien and Ainsley McCammon, Seattle’s squad is ready to fight for their spot as the best team in the league in 2025.
With little roster turnover from 2025, the Reign enter the season backed by stability, intention and momentum. New additions to the roster include Sofia Cedeño, Ruby Hladek, Evan O’Steen and Brittany Ratcliffe.
FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY
The start of the NWSL season comes off the back of an international window, where 112 players across the league were called up to represent their countries across the globe. For both Seattle and Orlando, many key players were away gaining valuable experience ahead of their season openers.
The Reign had Adames (U.S. U-20), Cedeño (U.S. U-20), Dahlien (USWNT), Claudia Dickey (USWNT), Angharad James-Turner (Wales), McCammon (U.S. U-20), O’Steen (U.S. U-19) and Neeku Purcell (U.S. U-23) out on international duty. Orlando also sent many players to camp, including Luana, who made her return for Brazil, Ally Lemos (U.S. U-23), Anna Moorhouse (England) and Ovalle (Mexico) and Washington (Jamaica).