WATCH: Reign Control Tempo, Down Dash at Home
The Seattle Reign looked much more dominant than the 1-0 scoreline suggested in Sunday’s win over the Houston Dash at Lumen Field.
The Reign outshot Houston 17-4, winning the expected-goal battle 1.8-0.2, but managed just one goal in the 52nd minute as Maddie Dahlien scored off a rare missed clearance from Dash keeper Jane Campbell. In the game, Dahlien took five shots to generate 0.7 xG on her own (per FotMob), but was unable to capitalize on multiple breakaway chances to create what head coach Laura Harvey believes could’ve been a blowout win.
Seattle, now 9-8-4 and holding onto the eighth and final NWSL playoff spot, notched its fifth result in its last six fixtures. But after the game, Dahlien and coach Laura Harvey acknowledged the Reign’s final product hasn’t been at its post-World Cup levels — Seattle has gone three games without scoring multiple goals after doing so in five prior matches.
Defensively, the Reign returned star midfielder Sam Meza after she missed three games with injury and picked up their sixth clean sheet of the season. Center back Phoebe McClernon recovered to stop Houston counters early on, allowing for the Reign to press forward without worry for the remainder of the game. To preserve the win, Seattle was able to keep a Houston squad that is among the best at scoring late off the board entirely.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down Sunday’s result and what it means as the Reign get into their final stretch of 2026.
WATCH: Reign ‘Suffocate' Chicago, Grind Out 1-0 Win on Pride Night
SEATTLE, Wash. — The Seattle Reign managed their most dominant showing of the season on Friday night, compiling 3.3 expected goals thanks to a 24-5 shot disparity over the last-place Chicago Stars. But by full-time, Maddie Mercado’s 53rd-minute goal ended up being the decider in a 1-0 game that should have had every making of a blowout.
The result puts the Reign at 8-7-3, back into the playoff picture with 12 games left. Beyond helping their place in the table, it also marked a different kind of win for Seattle, which had scored multiple goals in its past five matches and had to defend leads by scoring more.
The younger Reign squad instead had to burn clock and keep possession on Friday night to ensure they earned a win on a night where they underperformed on the offensive end.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down how the Reign looked so dominant despite the close scoreline.
WATCH: Reign Split Points with Angel City in Thriller Battle For Last Playoff Spot
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down a 2-2 Sunday draw between the Seattle Reign (7-7-3, 9th in NWSL) and Angel City FC (7-7-3, 8th in NWSL).
Attacking midfielder Sally Menti and striker Mia Fishel each finished with a goal and assist as the Reign scored their two goals within two minutes of each other in the early second half. The result marks the second straight game Seattle has managed to change a result by scoring in the second half — something the Reign have struggled with in 2026. Fishel’s goal, a curling shot to the top-left corner in the 52nd minute, was a showstopper as the 24-year-old finds her footing with her third goal of the season.
Angel City substitute Prisca Chilufya scored a floating goal in the 72nd, however, to equalize before both teams missed out on late chances at a winner in stoppage.
Seattle remains out of the playoff picture with 13 games to play by virtue of Angel City having a better goal differential. The Reign will be back in action at Lumen Field at 7 p.m. on Friday against the Chicago Stars.
Reign Allow 3 Goals in 16 Minutes, Blow 2-0 Lead to Gotham
No one knew just how to evaluate what happened to the Seattle Reign on Saturday afternoon.
Facing defending NWSL champion and first-place team Gotham FC after a two-and-a-half hour lightning delay in a 5,000-person capacity stadium on account of the nearby World Cup final, Seattle led 2-0 heading into the 80th minute. Two first half goals from Mia Fishel and Maddie Mercado, respectively, had landed them in an advantageous spot late. The former scored her first goal with the team, marking cause for celebration.
But with Gotham FC bringing world-class offensive talents in the newly signed Sam Kerr and Esther Gonzalez for the second half, Reign coach Laura Harvey dropped her team into a backline of five to nurse the lead and keep the pair at bay.
Gotham, even in the smoky conditions which required four hydration breaks by the game's end, put the pedal to the metal on Seattle for entire second half. They finished the game with over 70% possession as Gonzalez found the net in the 81st. Then in the fourth minute of a 10-minute second-half stoppage, Gonzalez scored again on a nifty pass from winger Jaedyn Shaw.
Then, former Seattle star Rose Lavelle put the finishing touches on the comeback with a transition banger of a strike, scoring past Reign reserve keeper Cassie Miller from just inside the box in the seventh minute of added time.
The stunning result was worsened by the fact that Maddie Dahlien, who had been so dynamic on the left wing for Seattle all afternoon, missed a penalty that would have made it 3-0 in the second half.
The result dropped Seattle to 5-7-2, good for 11th in the NWSL, while Gotham improved to 9-3-3 to take hold of first place in the league. The loss comes on the heels of a signature 2-0 win from the Reign over Portland.
"That game was on us," Fishel said postgame. "We did it to ourselves."
Reign Collapse Late, Drop First Game Back vs. Courage
If the Seattle Reign drew up their picture-perfect return to play after over a month away from playing, it certainly wouldn't have played out like Saturday night's 3-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage.
While the Reign (4-6-2, 11th in NWSL) got off to a solid start thanks to an impressive run from striker Mia Fishel leading to a Sally Menti goal, three questionable concessions left Seattle deflated by the end of the night.
North Carolina winger Ashley Sanchez continued her nine-goal campaign with a brace, scoring in the 22nd and 71st to bookend a feel-good home outing for the Courage (6-3-3, 7th). Riley Jackson buried a penalty kick in the 64th to give the Courage the lead in an opportunity conceded by a mishandled Madison Curry tackle.
On a blistering and humid 95-degree night in Cary, head coach Laura Harvey simply saw her team run out of the juice that had propelled it to scoring first — something her struggling offense has done rarely in 2026.
"We got a little bit tired and we got a little bit stretched and ended up chasing the game," Harvey said. “It wasn’t like they had loads and loads of chances… it was just those slight little moments.”
Reign Roundup: Harvey Inks Extension, Reign Send Five to USWNT, World Cup Sends Three Matches to Spokane
The Seattle Reign won't start NWSL play for another two months, but had a busy week as they extended longtime coach Laura Harvey, sent a quintet to the USWNT, and announced some World Cup-driven venue changes.
Young Reign Roster 24 Players After Personnel Decision Announcement
The Seattle Reign announced their post-2025 roster decisions on Tuesday morning as the franchise values youth moving forward.
Reign Leap to No. 4 Seed with Comeback Win Over North Carolina
The Seattle Reign (9-7-6, 33 points, fourth in NWSL) overcame a disallowed goal and a one-goal deficit to take down the North Carolina Courage in a crucial game for playoff seeding on Sunday night.
Reign Swept Away by Shield-Winning Current in Frustrating Loss
The Seattle Reign couldn't find a timely goal on Saturday night, dropping a road date with the league juggernaut Kansas City 2-0.
Trinity Rodman Re-Discovers Star Form at Reign's Expense in 2-0 Defeat to Washington
USWNT star Trinity Rodman scored both of the Washington Spirit's goals in a 2-0 win over the Seattle Reign on Sunday afternoon.
Reign Take on Fast-Paced and Trending Spirit Squad
Seattle Reign FC has drawn in three straight matches heading into a Sunday road date with the No. 2-seeded Washington Spirit.
Reign Battle to Scoreless Draw with San Diego
The Seattle Reign battled to a 0-0 result against the third-seeded San Diego Wave on Friday night, despite losing possession rather significantly. Despite the split points, it was a positive result for the young squad.
Reign Look to Get Back in Win Column Against a Tough San Diego Squad
Seattle hasn't won since August 1 heading into a home matchup with the No. 3 San Diego Wave on Friday. Can they right the ship as an underdog?
Explore our latest Seattle sports content by clicking on your favorite team(s) below!
