Match preview: Seattle Reign vs. NC Courage

Seattle Reign FC will host the North Carolina Courage on Sunday evening, September 28. The match kicks off at 5 p.m. PT and will air on FOX 13+ as well as NWSL+ and Paramount+.

Every point matters, as the Reign have just four matches remaining in the regular season after Sunday's game. Amidst a tight NWSL table, they absolutely need to get results at home. A win could propel the Reign into fourth place, while a loss could put them right on the bubble for the playoffs.

"When you look at the table, this is one of the more interesting games just because they are right below us and it really is an important game," Reign defender Sofia Huerta told reporters ahead of the match. "I think both teams are going to want to get three points. Both teams are probably really going to go for it. It's going to be a battle."

The Reign have a bit of good news heading into the match. The ankle injury that Mia Fishel picked up in last week's match wasn't as bad as expected, and she's been training this week and should be available. Lynn Biyendolo is also back in training, but won't be ready to play this weekend.

Head-to-Head

• The Reign are 5-11-3 against the Courage; that includes a 3-2-3 record at home.
• The Reign won in their last visit to North Carolina, a 2-1 win early in the season, thanks to goals from Jess Fishlock and Jordyn Bugg.

2025 results

• The Reign and Courage are two points apart, with the Reign at 30 points (8-7-6) and North Carolina at 28 (7-7-7).
• The Reign have scored 26 goals and conceded 25.
• North Carolina has scored 27 and conceded 30.
• Last week, the Reign lost 2-0 to the league-leading Kansas City Current on the road. The Courage earned a 1-0 win against the Orlando Pride and are unbeaten in three straight games.
• The Reign are 3-3-3 at home, while the Courage are 3-5-3 away from home.

Offseason and midseason moves

• The Courage didn't have a lot of turnover from their 2024 season.
• They lost 2023 NWSL MVP Kerolin in free agency, as the Brazilian forward made a move to Manchester City.
• They also parted ways with forwards Haley Hopkins and Bianca St-Georges, along with Narumi Miura, who was a key part of the Courage midfield but signed with the Spirit in free agency.
• The Courage added four players: U.S. Women's National Team forward Jaedyn Shaw, 20-year-old Japanese midfielder Shinomi Koyama, forward Hannah Betfort, and USC defender Brooklyn Courtnall. The team couldn't quite figure out how to utilize Shaw, and she was recently traded to Gotham. Courtnall was also loanded to Bay FC last month.
• The Courage recently traded defender Malia Berkely for Houston Dash veteran centerback Natalie Jacobs.

Courage players to watch

Manaka Matsukubo: The 21-year-old forward, who can also play as a central attacking midfielder, has six goals and four assists this year. She's a dynamic attacker – always moving into dangerous spaces and calm and composed on the ball. Her goals have come in a variety of ways, whether that's getting into the box and running onto a pass from a teammate, cutting around her defender and shooting, or finishing with a cheeky chip over a goalkeeper.

Ryan Williams: The right back has been one of the most underrated and consistent defenders the last couple of years. She has a non-stop engine and will be pushing into the attack on the right side and whipping in crosses. She leads the Courage with 25 chances created this season. The Reign will need to make sure they limit her crosses while also taking advantage of the space behind when she pushes into the attack.

Riley Jackson: 19-year-old midfielder Jackson has had a fantastic season and is a key part of North Carolina's possession-focused style of play. She's second on the team in passes per match and tackles. Jackson is someone the Reign will want to pressure, and look for the Reign's front line to try to cut off passes to her.

What to watch

Possession battle: The Courage historically have led the league in possession and passes per match. They aren't at the top any longer – San Diego now holds that claim – but they still average 52.3% possesion compared to the Reign's 45.8%, which is second lowest in the league. North Carolina should certainly have more possession against the Reign on Sunday, but the Reign will be looking to be more dominant on both sides of the ball – regardless of where they fall in the possession battle. It's about how they defend to limit North Carolina from doing much with their possession.

For the Reign, head coach Laura Harvey said it will be imortant to get their pressing balance right. It's something the Reign are taking away from their match against Kansasy City – knowing when and how to sit and defend deep, but still get chances in the attack, and then also knowing when to put pressure higher on their opponent and keeping the ball in their half.

"No matter what formation we're playing, or what our strategy and tactic is for the game, we want to be on the front foot, and that can be a front foot high press, that can be on the front foot from a midblock or a low block. And I think that's something that we showed out in Kansas that we couldn't do. Defensive structure changed in the second half there and it meant that there was more space for them, but because we were on the front foot, we nullified a lot of their threats. In the first half we defended in a lower block, but because we weren't on the front foot enough, even when they got in dangerous areas, we couldn't stop their service into the box, which became threats. And I think that's something that we've spoken about this week – that no matter what, whether we're high up the field or low in our own own half, being on the front foot defensively is a big part of our game."

Fluid North Carolina attack: Since Nathan Thackeray became interim head coach when the Courage fired Sean Nahas, the Courage attack has evolved ever so slightly. They are more fluid in their attack — going direct and long when needed and allowing players to move freely into space to pull defenders out of position and create space.

"I've noticed when I watched them play this season, especially more recently, they're very fluid, very interchangeable," Huerta said. "It doesn't really matter who's where, as long as there's bodies in certain positions, but their fullbacks will invert. Sometimes they'll be high and wide. Their center midfielders will stay inside. But then sometimes there'll be false outside backs. They really move and change a lot, which is extremely difficult and unpredictable. You can't really look at a game and name all these tendencies that they have because they have so many. I think the hardest teams to play against are the ones that are unpredictable, and that's North Carolina. And North Carolina has always been that way."

"I think they've just mixed their game up a little bit," Harvey added. "They've become a little bit more direct at times and have a threat on the line to stretch your back line and make it challenging in the space behind you. So if you don't get that pressure right, they can cause you a problem in behind. But I still think that they want the ball and they want to possess as much as they can."

Starting strong: The Reign have been more dominant in the second half in recent matches, outshooting the Current last weekend and scoring the game winner late against Racing Louisville the game before. Their substitutes have made a big difference – along with the Reign's formation shift last week in Kansas City (to a four-back, which forced the team to be more aggressive). While it's great to have impact subs who can change the game, the Reign would be in a much better position if they could dominate and find chances early. Can they do that at home against the Courage?

Injury / Availability Report

Seattle Reign

OUT: Lynn Biyendolo (knee), Ryanne Brown (leg), Veronica Latsko (SEI – lower leg), Cassie Miller (D45 – leg)

North Carolina Courage

OUT: Denise O’Sullivan (lower body), Brianna Pinto (lower body), Feli Rauch (lower body), Olivia Wingate (SEI – lower body)
QUESTIONABLE: Ashley Sanchez (lower body)

How to watch

The Reign will host the North Carolina Courage at 5 p.m. PT Sunday, September 28. The match will air on NWSL+ and Paramount+, as well as on Fox 13+ in the Seattle area.