dpWith just three matches remaining in the NWSL season after this weekend, Seattle Reign are in a critical push for the playoffs. The team sits in 8th place, the final playoff spot, heading into the match. On Friday, October 2, they will host the North Carolina Courage, who are just one point behind the Reign. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. PT and will stream on NWSL+.
The Reign traveled to Cary to take on the Courage in their first match after the summer break. While the Reign played well and stayed on the front foot for the first 60 minutes, they lost that momentum in the final 30 minutes and fell 3-1 to North Carolina. Coach Laura Harvey said the team has grown a lot since then.
Last weekend, the Reign earned a 2-0 home win, while the Courage fell 2-1 to the Utah Royals on the road. The Reign have been dominant at home since the summer break, going undefeated and posting five straight clean sheets at home. Meanwhile, despite struggling to get results in recent weeks, the Courage have scored in 12 straight games.
Match preview: Seattle Reign vs. NC Courage
The Friday night match is a critical battle with lots of playoff implications
Keys to the game
- Watch for overloads on the left side
- Give a full 90-minute performance
- Score early, especially for Jess Fishlock
- With the exception of Lynn Biyendolo, everyone on the Reign roster is fit and healthy for the second week in a row.
- Sam Meza is on a yellow-card accumulation warning. If she picks up one more caution, she will be suspended for the next game.
- Tonight is The Queen’s Match, and the Reign will recognize Jess Fishlock ahead of the game. The first 5,000 fans in attendance will get an exclusive Jess Fishlock collectible pin. Five random fans will receive a golden pin and will have an opportunity to go on the pitch post-match to meet Fishlock.
Injuries, absences, suspensions
Seattle Reign: OUT: Lynn Biyendolo (Maternity Leave)
NC Courage: OUT: Maycee Bell (SEI – Shoulder), Payton Crawford (SEI – Knee), Ally Schlegel (Foot), Sydney Schmidt (SEI – Knee), Lauryn Thompson (Ankle); QUESTIONABLE: Natalie Jacobs (Head)
Reign: WWLLW (12-10-4, +2 GD; 8th place)
Courage: LWLLL (12-11-3, +10 GD; 9th place)
Officials
REF: Mark Verso; AR1: Matt Rodman; AR2: Fernando Fierro; 4TH: Drew Klemp; VAR: Joshua Encarnacion; AVAR: Jay Norris
How to Watch
Match date/kickoff time: Friday, October 2nd, 7 PM PT
Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle
Broadcast: NWSL+ (Josh Eastern and McCall Zerboni)
Is this game available to stream for free in the US? Yes!
Lineups
Our squad kicking things off against North Carolina tonight 🔥
Lineup Notes ➡️ rgnfc.com/3VJU4Re
— Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc.com) 6:01 PM · Oct 2, 2026
Starting with this XI❕
— North Carolina Courage (@nccourage.com) 6:03 PM · Oct 2, 2026
Highlights
Highlights will be posted as the match progresses.
Join the discussion in our Discord gamethread (Supporter tier and above), or in the comments below.
This is Seattle Reign vs. NC Courage; watch with us
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