Match Recap: Reign FC Falls 1-0 to Orlando Pride
Back home at Lumen Field for the first time since March 15, the Reign fell 1-0 to first-place Orlando Pride. Forward Barbra Banda’s 41st-minute goal made all the difference as the Reign attempted to fight their way back from the deficit but were unable to equalize.
Seattle had their first chance of the match in the 11th minute when forward Jordyn Huitema, in her 50th regular season appearance for the club, caught Orlando goalkeeper Anna Morehouse off her line. Huitema directed the ball toward the goal, but an Orlando defender was able to recover and keep the ball out of the net.
Just two minutes, midfielder Ainsley McCammon, making her first start of 2025, took a shot low and hard toward goal, but it went wide and play continued.
An end-to-end match, goalkeeper Claudia Dickey was called on to produce several stunning saves throughout the first half.
Midfielder Summer Yates took a 14th minute shot from close range, but Dickey dove quickly to her right to deny the effort. A few minutes later, Dickey denied Orlando once again with a point-blank save before midfielder Sam Meza pounced on the rebound to clear the danger.
Dahlien sent another warning to the Pride as she gained possession of the ball in the attacking half of the field and drove into space. She unleashed a shot on a target Moorhouse managed to make a comfortable save.
The visitors opened the scoring of the match in the 41st minute, when Yates dribbled to the endline and crossed a ball to Banda to finish inside the six-yard box.
Just before halftime, Dickey made one more save, contorting her body mid-air to push midfielder Angelina’s powerful shot over the crossbar.
To start the second half, the Reign made just one change to the lineup, bringing on forward Lynn Biyendolo for her Reign FC debut. Starting the half on the front foot, the Reign created the first chance of the half in the 49th minute.
The sequence began with a big switch from defender Jordyn Bugg before the team combined to get the ball to the feet of Dahlien, who took her space in the middle of the field and fired off a powerful shot toward Moorhouse. Moorhouse spilled the ball back into the middle of the box and forward Nérilia Mondésir followed it up but was unable to put the ball on frame.
The half was mostly one-way traffic, with the Reign taking eight shots compared to Orlando’s one. In one of the best chances of the match, Biyendolo threaded a ball in behind to Dahlien for a breakaway, but Moorhouse produced an acrobatic one-on-one save to preserve Orlando’s lead.
As the match approached the end of regulation, forward Emeri Adames served a quality corner kick into the box, perfectly reaching a cluster of players in front of the net. The ball was deflected toward goal, but it narrowly missed the frame.
Despite controlling the majority of the second half and creating a host of quality chances, the Reign fell to Orlando 1-0 at the final whistle.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
BIYENDOLO DEBUT: Forward Lynn Biyendolo made her long-awaited Reign FC debut when she subbed onto the field after the halftime break. She finished the match with three chances created.
HUITEMA 50: Forward Jordyn Huitema returned to the field to make her 50th NWSL appearance after missing the Reign’s last two matches with injury. All 50 appearances have been with the Reign. She took one shot in the match.
YOUTH: The Reign fielded their fourth longest lineup in club history. Six players in the Starting XI were age 23 or younger and forward Emeri Adames, 19, also subbed onto the field.
UP NEXT: The Reign are back home on Friday, April 18 to take on Portland Thorns FC. Get tickets to attend the match in person HERE.