The Seattle Reign are playing their final regular-season match this Sunday afternoon, and everything is on the line. It’s Decision Day against the Orlando Pride at Lumen Field, kicking off at 2 p.m. PT, and every single game in the league is happening at the same time. This isn’t just any match, though: it’s Jess Fishlock’s final regular-season game as a Reign player. The 14-year veteran, the last remaining “OG” on the squad, is retiring at the end of the season, and you know her teammates are absolutely fired up to keep her career going as long as humanly possible, ideally deep into the playoffs and all the way to a championship.
Win and You’re In, No Matter What
This is it, folks. For the Reign to secure a playoff spot, it’s plain and simple: they have to win this match. A victory against Orlando books their ticket, no questions asked. If they end up drawing or, heaven forbid, losing, things get a little more complicated, depending on what happens in the Denver Summit vs. North Carolina Courage game. But here’s a lifeline: if that other game ends in a draw, the Reign are safe, no matter what their result is against Orlando. If the Reign draw, they’d then need either a draw in the Denver/NC match or a Denver win to snag that playoff spot. So yeah, everything is on the line for the Emerald City today.
Crunching the Numbers for Decision Day
Let’s talk history and stats, because they tell a story. The Reign hold an 8-6-8 all-time record against the Pride, and they’ve been solid at home with a 5-2-3 record. The only two home losses to Orlando have come in the last two seasons, so let’s hope we break that trend today. Seattle has netted 33 goals across the series compared to Orlando’s 25. The last time these two squared off was the season opener, with the Reign grabbing a 2-1 road win thanks to goals from none other than Jess Fishlock herself and Brittany Ratcliffe.
Looking at the current season, the Reign are sitting at 13-11-5 with 44 points, good for 8th place, while Orlando is 11-15-3 with 36 points in 11th. At home, Seattle is a strong 8-4-2, compared to Orlando’s 5-7-2 road record. The Reign have scored 36 goals and conceded 33, while Orlando has pumped in 39 but given up 46. Our girls are tied for second in the league with 11 clean sheets, while Orlando only has 7. On the attack, the Reign lead the league in accurate crosses (5.6 per game) and long balls (24.2 per game). Orlando, on the other hand, leads in interceptions (12.2) and tackles (19.6) per game. This is going to be a battle in the midfield, no doubt. Keep an eye on Haley McCutcheon, who’s earned the nickname “McClutcheon” for coming up huge in big games. She’s been a workhorse, playing both fullback and midfield, and has six goals and two assists. Her late runs and set-piece danger are crucial. For Orlando, we all know Marta. The 40-year-old legend might only have two goals, but she can still flip a match in an instant. Good news for us, though: Barbra Banda, who leads Orlando with 17 goals and 4 assists, is stuck in quarantine and won’t be available. That’s a huge break for our defense!
This is it, Seattle. The final regular-season whistle for Jess Fishlock is coming. Let’s make sure it’s not the end of her season, but just the beginning of a playoff run. Get loud at Lumen, cheer on the Reign, and let’s push our team to victory and into the playoffs!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Sounder at Heart.
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