At America First Field in Sandy, Utah, the bright sun and cheers of onlookers on the edge of their seats created a thrilling backdrop to the intense game between Seattle Reign FC and Utah Royals this past Sunday. The Reign lost 3-0 against Utah—their first loss to Utah on the road—meaning that they were eliminated from playoff contention.
Fans have found the recent loss to Utah particularly discouraging. Not only does it mark the fifth game in a row the Reign have lost, but midfielder Angharad James-Turner received two yellow cards and an ejection 16 minutes in, leaving the Reign down to 10 players. Struggling with one less player, Seattle spent a lot of time on defense, with goalkeeper Claudia Dickey making five saves throughout the game.
Utah’s Cloé Lacasse scored first in the third minute of the match, and twice more in the first half of the game, referred to as a “hat-trick” when a player scores three goals in one game. This was the first hat-trick in Royal’s history.
Seattle Reign FC has held great significance among Seattle residents since its founding in 2012. Nicole Teola, a fourth-year cell and molecular biology major, has followed the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) throughout her life, but first saw the Reign play home games at Lumen Field when she moved to Seattle.
“I went to a couple Seattle Reign games, especially when they played against people I knew. Most of their games are on a Friday or Saturday, so I could make it,” Teola explained.
Brynja Severtson, a fourth-year biology major, has enjoyed the positive and energetic energy of Seattle Reign games she has attended.
“The people who were there were really committed to the game. They were really excited to see them play, like yelling out things when they thought their plays were going well. Really passionate specifically about Seattle Reign,” Severtson said.
The Seattle Reign is currently placed second-to-last in the NWSL standing, directly above the Houston Dash, while the Royals are placed 10th out of the 14 teams in the league. Seattle head coach Laura Harvey previously coached the Utah Royals from 2018-2019. Many have observed that the Reign has struggled since the retirement of its star player Megan Rapinoe’s retirement following the Reign’s 2023 season.
Peter Larson, lead athletic field specialist for Seattle University’s Grounds Department, appreciates how accessible home Reign games are for Seattle residents, particularly for Seattle U students, and encourages attending Reign games.
“The energy is the same as a Sounders game, but the tickets are cheaper. Take the light rail or streetcar and hop-bibbity-bump, you’re there!” Larson said.
While the Reign is valued among Seattle residents, their disappointing performance over the weekend leaves many wondering what the rest of the season will look like. As this game confirms the Reign will not be advancing to the postseason, Reign fans will be watching for more wins from the Seattle team in the following games.
The Reign will be hosting the Houston Dash at Lumen Field for a game this Friday evening Oct. 18 at 7 p.m.
