Last weekend, Seattle Reign faced the defending NWSL champions and put in a strong performance but were unable to walk away with any points. Back at home a week later, the Reign had a chance for redemption against their longtime rivals, the Portland Thorns.
An early Maddie Dahlien goal gave the Reign a 1-0 Cascadia victory on Friday night, moving the Reign to 2-2-1 after five matches. Lynn Biyendolo earned the assist, tying her with Sofia Huerta and Jess McDonald for the all-time NWSL assist record.
The Reign head on the road next weekend for a match against Bay FC. That game kicks off Saturday, April 26, at 7 p.m. PT and will air on ION.
Alli Haynie
Highlights
Stats
SCORING SUMMARY
4’ - Maddie Dahlien (Assisted by Lynn Biyendolo) - SEA
LINEUPS
Our starting XI for tonight's Cascadia Rivalry 🥀
— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc.bsky.social) 2025-04-19T01:22:31.015Z
65' - Ji So-yun for Nerilia Mondesir
80’ - Emeri Adames for Lynn Biyendolo
86’ - Ana-Maria Crnogorčević for Jordyn Huitema; Shae Holmes for Lauren Barnes
got a rivalry XI for yaaaa 🌹
— Portland Thorns FC (@thornsfc.com) 2025-04-19T01:05:01.378Z
46’ - Mallie McKenzie for Kaitlyn Torpey
65' - Caiya Hanks for Payton Linnehan; Deyna Castellanos for Hina Sugita
78’ - Mimi Alidou for Olivia Moultrie
83’ - Pietra Tordin for Reyna Reyes
POSSESSION
Reign: 45.5%
Thorns: 54.5%
EXPECTED GOALS
Reign: 0.92
Thorns: 1.08
TOTAL SHOTS
Reign: 9
Thorns: 13
SHOTS ON TARGET
Reign: 5
Thorns: 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET
Reign: 3
Thorns: 6
SHOTS BLOCKED
Reign: 1
Thorns: 3
SHOTS FROM INSIDE THE BOX
Reign: 7
Thorns: 6
TOUCHES INSIDE THE OPP. BOX
Reign: 17
Thorns: 17
PASSES
Reign: 370
Thorns: 436
PASSING ACCURACY
Reign: 68.4%
Thorns: 74.8%
PASSES IN FINAL THIRD
Reign: 87
Thorns: 107
PASSING ACCURACY IN FINAL THIRD
Reign: 49.4%
Thorns: 50.5%
CROSSES (EXCLUDING CORNERS)
Reign: 10
Thorns: 12
CORNERS WON
Reign: 0
Thorns: 7
OFFSIDES
Reign: 2
Thorns: 1
FOULS
Reign: 8
Thorns: 14
YELLOW CARDS
Reign: 0
Thorns: 3
RED CARDS
Reign: 0
Thorns: 0
Quotes
Laura Harvey
On her thoughts on the match:
I think goals change games. I think if we'd have got the second one in the first half – which we had chances to – or at any point, I think the game dies, the longer we didn't get that they started to get into the game more. And I think that's one of the things that we've got to grow as a team about. And maybe Portland's like a really unique situation of the rivalry, but I do think it's the same in the league, is I thought we played brilliantly against Orlando on both sides of the ball. And then I think tonight we tried to overplay in moments and that gave them opportunities to win the ball back off us and keep their momentum going, where with the personnel we have in those moments for me, we could be a little bit more pragmatic, put the ball in areas where they can't continue their attack or regain their attack.
And I think that's some of the growth that we've got to look at as a team. But, I thought we had some standout performances. I thought Claudia [Dickey] was excellent. I thought Sam Meza again was very good and Haz was great next to her. I thought of all the frontline, the ones that started, came in, worked so hard. Overall, really happy that we got a clean sheet, really happy that we were able to get the win. It always feels great winning at home.
On Angharad James-Turner's (Haz) performance this season:
Yeah, honestly, I say this all the time. We've been blessed at this club to have some really good internationals who fit in immediately. Jess [Fishlock], Kim Little, the list goes on. For some internationals, it takes a minute. I think Ji's one of them, I think Haz is one of them. We're getting them used to the style of play, the pace of play, how intense the games are. It can take a minute and I think that has helped Haz, having some time. I think secondly, she's got big things to play for right now. Big things to show her national team coach that she's ready to do, to go and play in the biggest tournament of her life. So if you can go into that in form, you're setting yourself up for success. I literally haven't spoken to her about it, but I think that's a big driver for her. I'm sure it is. And we're the beneficiary of that, so great.
On the identity that the team is now building:
I've said it at the start of this, and I was speaking to the staff about it, I think we played much better last week, but we didn't win. So I think that's the conversation we've got to have. What do we want to be? Do we want to win games and then solve all the little bits and things that we need to get better at, or do we want to play a certain way and maybe lose? And I think with this team, with the potential that it has, I think playing to win is what we need to look at – and educating ourselves on that and how we do that's going to be important. Because if we do that, I think then we can play the style we want if we do all the little things, which we got away with a few tonight. So I think that's the next layer for us. How do we sort of marry the two – playing the style that we want whilst also recognizing that some games just aren't about that. And it wasn't that tonight, it wasn't that type of game and I think we sort of got away with a little bit of that as the game went on, but the best time to be able to really talk about that's when you win.
Lynn Biyendolo and Maddie Dahlien
On how it feels to score her first goal:
Dahlien: Yeah, it definitely feels good. I've been taking a lot of reps and to see one finally hit the back of the net was just kind of a monkey off my shoulder. And Lynn is so fun to play with and I know I'm always ready when she's on the ball and I think it just was really exciting. And overall a really good team win.
On how it feels to get a rivalry win:
Biyendolo: Yeah. I feel like I've had a personal vendetta against Portland since 2016, actually 2017 when we played and I was in North Carolina. We played them in the finals and it was more of a rugby match than it was a football game. And since then I have taken any time to play them personal. So to be able to win is good.
On scoring early:
Biyendolo: I think that anytime you can score early, I think you hear this all the time, but it just relieves a bit of pressure off of you. You're then on the front foot, they have to bring the game to you now they're chasing the game the entire time. Obviously, as the game goes on, especially in the second half, we want to have more control of the game. But to be a young team and like you said, kind of starved with goals right now to get one early, I think it's exactly how we want to start. And now we can talk about everything else after that, but we check that one off the list.
On tying the NWSL all-time assist record:
Biyendolo: I didn't start playing to set out goals of 'I want to be the assist leader'. I just love playing. Like I said before, I want to be able to contribute in any way. I think it also means I've been playing a long time, but I also think that it shows that I have teammates that are in great spaces and if they are occupying great spaces, give 'em the ball. We just talked about it. Maddie was hot, give her the ball. She's in a great space. I'm not going to try to overcomplicate things. I want to win more than anything. So if that means I need to pass it and make the right play, then that's what I'm going to do.
But I also think that there are times in our career where we should be able to celebrate ourselves and not just wait until the end of our career and be like, wow, I did all these really cool things. We should celebrate it in those moments because in this career it's always, 'what's the next thing?' This game is over, we're going to celebrate it tonight, and then we have to turn the page and go to the Bay. The amount of times that you just celebrate are short. So I'm sure I'll go home and tell my husband and he'll get excited for me and then I'll say, 'please give me some electrolytes because I'm going to cramp.' But no, it is exciting and it's something that I'm proud of, but at the end of the day, I'm more excited to beat the Thorns.
On what it is like to get complimented by someone she's looked up to:
Dahlien: Yeah, I think the main word that would describe it is just surreal. I mean, I've idolized Lynn, Jess, a lot of these players on this team. And especially from a player like Lynn, it's just amazing to soak in all of the information that she has because I can learn the most from her. And I think I'm in awe every day. And I think it's just a blessing to be on the field with her. She puts me in really good positions and she makes me look better. And I think that hopefully I can do the same for her and we can grow our connection. I mean, it's only our first really real game together, but I think it's just kind of a starting-off point. And the things she said about me were obviously amazing and I have all the most respect for her, but just, I don't really have the words to describe it honestly.
