Seattle Reign vs. Houston Dash: Gamethread

With two games remaining in the regular season, Seattle Reign are sadly out of the playoff hunt due to a season full of disappointing matches. Despite this, they want to finish their season with some joy and hopefully better results. They have their final chance to get a win in front of home fans tonight when they host the Houston Dash, a team level with the Reign on points but in last place due to goal differential. The game kicks off at 7 PM PT and will air on Prime Video for fans in the U.S. and NWSL+ for international viewers.

As Shae Holmes said in a pre-match press conference, the team knows that their last match at Lumen Field is a chance to show their appreciation for the fans who have stuck with them this year. It also happens to be fan appreciation night.

"We're excited to play for [our fans], and we're just excited for the whole city to be behind us. They have been all season, and I think just go out and give our best as we have been and just continue to grow and put our best foot forward for the rest of these last two games and heading into next year."

Recent results

The Reign lost to the Utah Royals on the road last week, marking their fourth loss in a row. The Houston Dash beat the San Diego Wave 2-0 on the road last week.

Head-to-Head

This is the second regular season matchup between the two teams in 2024.

• Houston beat the Reign 1-0 on the road a month ago.
• The Reign are 17-5-4 against Houston, scoring 47 goals and conceding 19.
• That includes a 9-1-2 record at home.

Quick Stats

• Houston (5-14-5, 20 points) has scored 23 goals and conceded 40.
• Seattle (5-15-5, 20 points) has scored 17 goals and conceded 37.
• The Reign are 3-5-4 at home this season. Houston is 3-8-1 on the road.
• Diana Ordonez leads the Dash with five goals.

What to Watch

Houston doesn't need possession

The Dash are comfortable sitting back, defending, and letting the other team have the ball. They also like to be disruptive, as Houston has the most blocks, the most dribblers tackled, the second-most fouls, and the most yellow cards in the league.

The Dash attempt the second-fewest passes and take the second-fewest shots in the league, both stats behind the Chicago Red Stars. Still, the Dash have made the most of their limited possession and limited chances in recent matches – including the two goals they scored against the Wave last week.

"I think they've done a good job in recent weeks of, they may not have a ton of the ball all the time, but they're a threat going forward. They build out of a very strong defensive structure and so I think that's what we'll see from them," head coach Laura Harvey said.

Heading into their road match against Houston, the Reign knew they needed to get on the front foot early and set the tone on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, while the Reign created several chances, they couldn't convert – and a banger from Yuki Nagasato is all Houston needed to get three points. Since that game, the team has really struggled to even create chances.

A new formation for Houston

Before the Reign faced them in September, the Dash played in a 3-4-3 formation. They switched to a four-person backline against the Reign and have stuck with that for their last four matches, where they've gone 2-2-0.

In a game like this, the midfield is a crucial spot on the field, and the Reign are really light on players to fill that role at the moment. Six midfielders are injured, suspended or on international duty.

Nikki Stanton seems to be a guaranteed starter, considering she's the only holding midfielder available on Friday. Olivia Athens is one of the only healthy box-to-box midfielders, and while Ji So-yun would be the likely attacking midfielder, she barely trained last week and saw limited minutes against Utah due to a knee injury. If she can't go, Maddie Mercado or Nérilia Mondésir could fill in that role – and Jordyn Huitema has even been rolled out as an attacking midfielder in the past.

Regardless of who lines up on Friday night, it will be a new midfield trio working together. Can they ensure the Reign keep meaningful possession and prevent transition opportunities?

Put in a good final performance at home

As Harvey mentioned in the Reign's pre-match press conference, this might be the last two games that some people ever play for the Reign. There are a large number of players who have contracts ending this year. Everyone wants to go out on a high – especially in front of their home fans.

"I think we have to take pride in making sure we go out and put a performance together that we feel we can get a result in. So I am very passionate about making sure that we do what's right for the team that is here right now. And then after that we can assess and decide what we need to do moving forward," Harvey said.

Shae Holmes, who just signed a contract extension with the club, said the players all feel the same way. They know the season hasn't gone as anyone hoped, but they see these last two games as a big opportunity to grow.

"It's just a moment where we get to be like, 'Hey, this is the cards we've been dealt, and we're not going to waste it.' We're going to take it as an opportunity to still continue to grow, still continue to show what this team can do."

Referees

Lineups

Highlights

22' - What a banger from Olivia Athens! The Reign go up 1-0.

25' - Lauren Barnes fouls Barbara Olivieri in the box, and she buries her penalty to equalize.

65' - Nerilia Mondesir becomes the first Haitian-born player to score in the NWSL, and puts the Reign up 2-1 with a nutmeg goal!

Injury / Availability Report

Seattle Reign

OUT: Ryanne Brown (SEI – knee), Jess Fishlock (leg), Jaelin Howell (suspension), Angharad James-Turner (suspension), Quinn (head), Olivia Van der Jagt (excused absence)
INTERNATIONAL DUTY: Ainsley McCammon (USA)

Houston Dash

OUT: Katie Lind (maternity leave), Havana Solaun (SEI - knee), Croix Soto (concussion), Kiki Van Zanten (SEI - foot), Andressa (lower leg), Elin Rubensson (illness), Ramona Bachman (excused absence)
QUESTIONABLE: Michelle Alozie (knee), Diana Ordonez (shoulder)

How to Watch

Date/Time: Friday, October 18, 7 PM PT

Location: Lumen Field, Seattle

Streaming: Prime Video (U.S.), NWSL+ (International)

Join the Discussion

This is your Seattle Reign vs. Houston Dash gamethread. Join the discussion in the comments or on Discord if you're a paid subscriber. Get real-time highlights from @RoValks on Twitter.