Match Forecast: All Eyes on First Cascadia Rivalry Match of 2024
Seattle Reign FC are on the road again, this time at Providence Park against Portland Thorns FC. The first Cascadia rivalry match of 2024 is set to kickoff at 7:00 p.m.
WHEN AND WHERE: Seattle Reign FC kicks off at 7:00 p.m. PT at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon.
WHERE TO WATCH: Fans can tune into the match on Ion and at Rough & Tumble Pub in Ballard locally.
2024 NWSL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): Seattle Reign FC: 2-5-1 (11th place), Portland Thorns FC: 4-3-1 (4th place)
Key Points Ahead of the Match:
1. LAST MEETING – Seattle Reign FC and Portland Thorns FC last went head-to-head in a regular season match on September 16, 2023. The Reign traveled down to Portland, where the team was downed by a pair of first half goals from Hina Sugita and Morgan Weaver. The upcoming match marks the 39th all-time meeting between the Reign and Thorns, but the first this season.
2. SCOUTING PORTLAND – Portland currently sits in 4th place in the NWSL standings. The Thorns most recently played last weekend, scheduled free of a midweek match up, against the Washington Spirit at Providence Park on Saturday. The team scored two first half goals, courtesy of Sam Coffey and Christine Sinclair, but went on to concede a goal in the 86th minute.
The Thorns have four players out with injury ahead of tonight’s match – Bella Bixby (maternity leave), Isabella Obaze (knee), Gabby Provenzano (SEI - achilles) and Morgan Weaver (D45 - knee)
"I think being pragmatic on the ball, make sure we keep it in the moments that we need to, defensively - not give them spaces. I think Sinc (Thorns forward Christine Sinclair) has been very good for them in the [No.] 9 and honestly sets the Soph's (Thorns forward Sophia Smith) of the world to find spaces because Sinc is going to come in spaces, as defenders, you don't really want to come into, so I think solving that early is going to be really important," said Seattle Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey.
3. HISTORY – It goes without saying that the rivalry between Seattle and Portland is unmatched in intensity and history. The longstanding history between two of the founding teams in the league is the starting point, but the rivalry continues to grow each and every year, game after game.
“You have to keep the history, it's the only way that these things continue - the history. Everyone talks about all the rivalries, like you said, in Europe and the rivalries are not just present day, they go back two or three decades and I think that's the beauty of this is, there has been so many times where Portland has been on top or Seattle has been on top and each team has been in a different kind of situation,” said Reign FC midfielder Jess Fishlock.
She continued, “I think it was two years ago, might have been three, where Portland was playing Gotham and they needed to win to win the Shield and they didn't and then we go and win and we win the Shield and even though it wasn't a direct situation, that rivalry was still present. Even from their post-match comments of that game, it was about us. So, that is what makes it so special is, that's the history of this game. So, we have to keep remembering that because, like I said, what makes a rivalry so special is, we talk about the present game itself, but it's the history that surrounds everything that makes it what it is."
MultiCare Availability Report:
OUT
Claudia Dickey (knee)
Jordyn Huitema (back)
Quinn (knee)
QUESTIONABLE
Alana Cook (illness)