Match Recap: Reign FC Falls 2-0 in Portland
Seattle Reign FC fell 2-0 on the road against the Portland Thorns on Friday night behind goals from Pietra Tordin and Reilyn Turner in the first half.
The Reign started brightly, with Maddie Dahlien bursting into the box in the 3rd minute and firing off a shot that just missed the target.
Six minutes later, Seattle went up a player as Cassandra Bogere earned back-to-back yellow cards in a two-minute span.
In the 12th minute, Dahlien once again looked lively as she beat her marker to the inside and fired a shot at the near post that was deflected out for a corner.
Portland started wrestle control in the match in the 21st minute when Moultrie nearly got a clean look inside the box, but Sofia Huerta broke up the play with a last-ditch slide tackle. Sam Hiatt drew a save out of Claudia Dickey from the ensuing corner as Seattle attempted to weather the pressure.
The Thorns took the lead in the 28th minute when a Moultrie corner found the near post run of Tordin, whose glancing header sent the ball into the back of the net.
The hosts then doubled their lead in the 37th minute from a sweeping counter attack. Moultrie split three players with an incisive pass into Tordin, who turned and played a through-ball into the path of Turner. The Portland striker dribble into the box and the clipped a shot inside the far post to make it 2-0.
Reign FC looked to battle back from the opening whistle of the second half.
In the 46th minute, Madison Curry won possession high up the field and smashed a goal-bound shot that was blocked out by a Portland defender. Two minutes later, Dahlien raced behind the Thorn’s backline but her quick-release shot was saved by Morgan Messner.
Seattle then took a two-player advantage in the 57th minute when Reyna Reyes was shown a straight red card for violent conduct following Video Review.
Dahlien nearly scored again in the 62nd minute as her first-time shot from inside the box appeared destined for the back of the net, but it crashed back off the near post.
In the 70th minute, Curry pushed forward into the box and curled a ball toward the far post that nearly sailed into the goal, but Messner plucked it out of the top corner.
For the next 20 minutes, the Reigned pumped crosses into the box and generated a host of half chances but were unable to convert any.
Seattle’s best look of the night came in the 94th minute when Brittany Ratcliffe’s cross skipped through the box to Curry, whose first-time effort arrowed toward the bottom corner but was blocked by a Thorns defender.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
REIGN DEBUTS: New signings Holly Ward and Sofia Cedeño both made their club and NWSL debuts on Friday night as second half substitutes. Both young players showed flashes of the grit and skill they possess as they attempted to shift the tide of the match.
RIVALRY RESUMED: The Seattle-Portland rivalry has been defined by the enmity between both clubs, filled with crunching tackles and fiery play on the pitch. There had never been a red card during one of these derby matches, until two players were sent off in tonight’s match.
QUICK REGROUP: The Reign will have to shake off the disappointment in short order as they resume NWSL play on Wednesday night with a match against the Current (6:00 p.m. PT | TICKETS). The fixture against Kansas City marks the first of three consecutive games being played at ONE Spokane Stadium in Spokane, Wash., while Lumen Field undergoes renovations ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.