> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Seattle Soccer Update: Reign, Dickey Get Back on Track While Ailing Sounders Prepare for Portland - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-soccer-update-reign-claudia-dickey-ailing-sounders/ - Published: 2026-07-30T00:11:40.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:14:03.000Z - Author: Qasim Ali - Tags: News, Analysis, Features, Reign, Sounders, Claudia Dickey, Brian Schmetzer \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="5616"\] ![ Seattle Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey shouts during a Wednesday, March 25, 2026 match against the Kansas City Current at ONE Spokane Stadium in Spokane, Wash. (Ted Warren / Reign FC Communications) ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/credit-seattle-reign-fc-ted-warren_4-jpg-format-original.jpg) Seattle Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey shouts during a Wednesday, March 25, 2026 match against the Kansas City Current at ONE Spokane Stadium in Spokane, Wash. (Ted Warren / Reign FC Communications) \[/caption\] Claudia Dickey isn't exactly easy on herself. As the Seattle Reign tumbled down the NWSL standings ahead of the June CBA break, winning one of their last six games, the starting goalkeeper took the blame for nine goals the team gave up in that stretch. A struggling Seattle offense went scoreless in five straight games, leaving itself vulnerable to attacks the other way and goals Dickey couldn't have prevented, but the 26-year-old knows the standard she's set for herself. "I'm tough on myself," Dickey told The Spectrum over the phone on Wednesday. This past year, Dickey has made four starts for the U.S. Women's National Team, becoming a regular call-up in the lead-up to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. Alongside another NWSL star in Utah's Mandy McGlynn, Dickey has been in a battle as the rights to start for the most high-profile women's soccer team in the world are on the line. But in all the excitement of last year's June national team camp in Brazil, Dickey suffered what she thought was a muscle injury around her foot on day one of camp. She missed the U.S.'s opening loss to Brazil before returning days later to tab a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over the hosts. When she got back to Seattle, however, she got a further scan of the injured region and found out it was a bone bruise on the top of her foot, The Spectrum learned Wednesday. She would be sidelined for Seattle's first three games back from the break, watching the Reign go 1-2-0 as reserve Cassie Miller made some spectacular saves in a 2-0 win over Portland. Dickey, who didn't miss a single game in 2025 after becoming the definitive starter a few seasons after being drafted in the second round by Seattle in 2022, took on the challenge of her reserve shining. "Being challenged every day in training, like the goalkeeper group we had… we're pushing each other to be the best," Dickey said. She proved why she's under consideration for a starting spot with the USWNT this past Sunday, making her return to the field to the tune of a career-high eight saves vs. the San Diego Wave in a statement 2-0 win. Diving stops, reflex saves and a trot far beyond the 18-yard box to stop a Wave attack characterized what's come to be known as a typical Dickey performance. Seattle (6-7-2, 10th in NWSL) sits just two points out of a playoff spot with other veterans like Jess Fishlock, Madison Curry and Sofia Huerta also getting healthy in time for the start of a busy second half of the season. "I was a little rusty with certain things, but my teammates believed in me and the coaching staff and Cassie, obviously, helped me," Dickey said of her return. "As we go forward now, it's just about building off that confidence." For Dickey in particular, these next 11 months will feel like big game after big game. Forget that Seattle is looking to recover to make a playoff push, but the watchful eyes of USWNT coach Emma Hayes will inevitably weigh on the keeper. Every goal kick, every decision on whether to come off her line, every diving effort will be broken down by a nation looking to put the disappointment of the 2023 World Cup behind it. With her innate self-critique already weighing on the North Carolina product, Dickey's battle over this next year appears as if it will be more mental than anything. The former basketball player is looking to retrace the roots of why she loves playing team sports at all. "In order to play my best, I have to have fun and I have to enjoy it," Dickey said. "Putting the extra stress and pressure on doesn't really help me, even though I still do it." To Dickey's credit, the Reign weren't in their best defensive shape at points this season. Poor passing in a 3-0 loss to Utah in April doomed Seattle more than any mistakes Dickey made, for example. Being away from the game for a bit may have been the best thing for the keeper. "The break was very needed for us to kind of reset," Dickey said. "I think we've grown a lot from the beginning, middle of the season." After all that's happened, from a 3-1-1 start to a five-game scoreless streak, to this recent resurgence with wins over top sides in Portland and San Diego, Dickey still remains fifth in the NWSL with her 76.4% save percentage, marking a slight improvement from 75% in 2025. Dickey will look to keep the Reign on the right trajectory as they take on Bay FC on the road on Saturday night. ### Sounders Prepare to Take on Portland on 5-Game Losing Streak The Seattle Sounders are sitting at 7-6-2 and eighth in the Western Conference after a 6-1-1 start to the season. The culprit? A five-game losing streak, the worst under coach Brian Schmetzer. The worst loss in this saga was undoubtedly the series-worst 5-1 defeat Seattle suffered at home against their vaunted rival Portland Timbers on July 16, as fans filed out of Lumen Field by the dozens at the 60th minute. The Sounders can't take back any of the losses, nor can they erase the image of Portland celebrating a statement win on their home turf mere weeks ago - but the Rave Green can exact a measure of revenge when they take on the Timbers at Providence Park on Saturday night. The Timbers (6-8-3, 10th in West), led by new coach Martí Cifuentes, took down an upstart Real Salt Lake team this past week as Felipe Mora played his last game for the club and bagged a decisive brace. The game before, Portland scored an unlikely stoppage-time equalizer to draw with FC Dallas, bringing them to 2-0-1 after the World Cup break. Seattle's offense, meanwhile, has managed just two goals in this five-game slide, missing striker Jordan Morris, midfielder Cristian Roldan and defenders Alex Roldan and Yeimar as they all deal with injuries sustained this season. Seattle designated player and star winger Pedro de la Vega, yet to make his season debut after a freak knee injury at the end of 2025, is back to full training per head coach Brian Schmetzer. Jordan Morris (quad) and Cristian Roldan (calf) are still a ways away, while Yeimar and Alex Roldan are also in full training per Schmetzer. As for patching up the offense, Schmetzer's crew is working on being more hands-on. The team had a long film session on Tuesday, according to Schmetzer, but looked at just four clips to try and get to the bottom of their issues as Seattle's passing in the final third has been abysmal in this run. "This group right now, we feel needs a little bit more guidance, a little bit more structure," Schmetzer said. He went on to say, against the critiques of many fans, that the build-up from Seattle has been "really good." Seattle is averaging a shade over three shots on target in this losing streak compared to the over five per 30 minutes it has compiled over the entire season. On the defensive side, Seattle has missed Cristian Roldan's ability to bottleneck opposing transition offense, as the Timbers turned the previous meeting into a track meet. The double-pivot pairing of Snyder Brunell and Hassani Dotson has been under a microscope from fans, while Schmetzer says he isn't done evaluating the pair after three games together. At any rate, Seattle will likely be rolling out a center back pairing of two Tacoma Defiance signees in Stuart Hawkins and Antino Lopez on Saturday, as the unproven tandem is thrust into action after an untimely red card got usual starter and All-Star Jackson Ragen suspended for this game last week. ### How Can Seattle Pull this One Off? Unless they have some kind of magical epiphany on the offensive end, Seattle will need to keep Portland's young and hungry attack out of transition chances in this one and survive on solid fundamental defense. While it's hard to expect Seattle to look as flat as it did in the last meeting, the Timbers made the Sounders pay dearly for turning the ball over in bad spots on July 16\. Reinvigorated by new leadership and by the inevitably raucous atmosphere of Providence Park, Portland will be looking for any chance to run on Saturday night. On the offensive end, Seattle will take a goal however it can get it. Paul Rothrock has been a positive in this bleak stretch, showing up to put rebounds in constantly. Starting 10 Albert Rusnak has looked removed from these games, and will need to call his own number as fans continue to grow weary of the play of one of their DPs. Regardless of who's healthy and who's not, Seattle will need to show some real fight from the opening whistle to avoid being smothered by a Timbers team that believes it can beat anybody right now.