Seattle Reign FC opens a two-match homestand on Sunday, August 9, hosting Angel City FC at Lumen Field. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. PT, and the match airs nationally on ESPN with a live radio broadcast on 950 KJR AM.
The Reign enter on a high after a 3-2 win at Bay FC last weekend. Mia Fishel and Maddie Dahlien scored inside the first 10 minutes before Bay scored twice, only for Jess Fishlock to net the winner in the 85th. Angel City, meanwhile, settled for a 1-1 draw at Kansas City on the same day, with Taylor Suarez opening the scoring before the Current leveled 12 minutes later.
The two clubs enter the game tied on points, with Angel City in 8th and Seattle in 9th on goal differential. It will be a tough matchup for the Reign, which head coach Laura Harvey is looking forward to.
"They're a good team. They've got a lot of threats. I think they've had a few injuries of late, so it'll be interesting to see who's available for them and not. They're always good games between the two teams. We're excited for the opportunity."
While Fishlock's hamstring injury wasn't as bad as expected, and she's already returned to training, Sunday's match will be too soon for her return to play. Meanwhile, Angel City has several key players who picked up injuries in recent weeks.
Head-to-Head
- Reign leads the all-time series 9-3-1, and are 5-1-1 at home against Angel City.
- Seattle has scored 23 goals across the series; Angel City has scored 12.
- The last meeting came on August 1, 2025 at Lumen Field, a 2-0 Reign win.
2026 record
Seattle Reign FC: 7-7-2 (23 points, 9th place)
Angel City FC: 7-7-2 (23 points, 8th place)
Key stats
- The Reign are 3-3-1 at home, while Angel City has a 3-2-2 road record.
- Angel City has scored more goals overall (24) than Seattle (20) and conceded just 17 compared to the Reign's 21 allowed goals.
- Angel City has scored 7 set-piece goals, while the Reign have scored 4.
- Angel City averages the second-most fouls per game (12.7); the Reign are fourth with 11 fouls per game.
- Maddie Mercado leads Seattle with five goals; Maiara Niehues and Sveindís Jónsdóttir are tied for Angel City's team lead with six apiece.
- Ainsley McCammon leads the Reign with four assists; Angel City's Evelyn Shores has three.
Who to watch
Ally Sentnor
Angel City brought in Ally Sentnor from Kansas City in June in exchange for $850,000, and the move has raised the ceiling on their attack. Sentnor has been trying to settle into the squad as the starting attacking midfielder. She doesn't have a goal or assist yet for her new team, but that doesn't mean she isn't a threat. A relentless dribbler, Sentnor is comfortable carrying the ball at defenders and creating something from nothing, and she isn't shy about pulling the trigger from distance rather than working it into the box. The Reign would do well to remember what happened last week when they didn't close down on Hannah Bebar, who scored from range in the first half. If the Reign back line sits off her even a step too far, Sentnor has shown the range to make them pay.
Gisele Thompson
Thompson has started every match at right back for Angel City this season. She's already scored three goals and assisted one from that position. Thompson is as comfortable pushing forward as she is recovering to limit opposition counters. She'll be the likely matchup for Maddie Dahlien, who has been the Reign's most dangerous option in behind over the last month. Thompson might be the first opponent that can meet Dahlien's pace, but there is still room there to counter when Thompson pushes high. This should be a fun battle!
Gisele Thompson wow oh wow ‼️ Gisele puts Angel City on the board early 🤩
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 7:21 PM · May 20, 2026
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Maiara Niehues
Niehues missed Angel City's draw at Kansas City with an injury after scoring in five straight matches. Keep a lookout for her name when the injury report comes out. She makes well-timed runs into the box and is a threat in the air. Harvey flagged this dynamic in her pre-match press conference, noting that Angel City having "Niehues and Sentnor roaming in between the lines is a challenge for opponents to deal with," alongside the central threat posed by Svendis Jónsdóttir, who is likely not going to be available after coming off last match with a painful ankle injury.
Maira Niehues risks it all to put Angel City in front! #NWSLRivalries | @ally
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 6:12 PM · Jul 11, 2026
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What to watch
A chance to establish home-field dominance
Sunday will be just the fifth time Seattle has played at Lumen Field this season, and the first match on the returned turf surface. The Reign's first three home games were played at ONE Spokane Stadium, and the club is still searching for a rhythm on its true home field in Seattle. This match kicks off a stretch of two home games in a row, a rarity in a season that has seen the Reign bounce between road trips, including three that were disrupted by canceled flights.
"Coming back home to Lumen is huge for us," defender Phoebe McClernon told reporters. "We've missed our fans a lot. We've missed being home, generally speaking. Our travel this year has been crazy, so to not even have to think about that is huge, and just be able to put all of our energy and attention into this next match is really important."
The Reign's last match at Lumen Field was a dominant 2-0 rivalry win. Can the Reign find some home-field momentum? Harvey also noted in her pre-match presser how much simpler the week has been without travel.
“This week's been really nice just being able to sleep in our own beds and not have to think about going to an airport. We've definitely concentrated on some of the things we want to be good at, but layering in what the opponent's threats are is always the way that we try and prepare for games.”
Two teams trending up out of the break
Both clubs have been in solid form recently. Seattle is 3-2-0 in its last five, outscoring opponents 7-6 across that stretch, while Angel City is 3-1-1 over the same span. Angel City's run has come after parting ways with head coach Alex Straus and appointing head assistant coach Leif Gunnar Smerud as the interim head coach. Can they see that new coach bump continue?
"Angel City's obviously a really strong side coming in with a similar profile in terms of what they're trying to prove," McClernon said. "These are the games that tend to matter the most. To be able to play this one at home with our fans backing us, I think it's really exciting for us. We're super happy, super pumped."
Please dominate in the second half
While the Reign have been dominant in the first half of matches since the summer break, they've struggled to close out games. Fishlock's 85th-minute goal was the Reign's first goal in the second half since May 22. McClernon spoke to the mentality Seattle has tried to build in these moments, which is one about keeping the pressure on instead of holding a lead.
"It's never what the other team is doing to us in that moment. When you score a couple goals, it's not, 'Oh, now we have to hold the lead.' No, let's put this team away, let's finish the game as early as possible and keep scoring on these guys, because we clearly are doing the things right and we're creating the opportunities."
Kit matchup
Injury / Availability Report
Seattle Reign
Pending league report
Angel City FC
Pending league report
How to watch
Seattle Reign kicks off against Angel City FC at 6:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, August 9. The match airs nationally on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. There is also a live radio broadcast on 950 KJR AM.
