Portland Thorns FC square off with rival OL Reign for the first time this season on Saturday at Lumen Field; kickoff is 5 p.m. (Pacific).
In the first Cascadia battle of the 2023 NWSL regular season, second-place and defending champions Portland Thorns FC (4-1-4, 16pts) visit Lumen Field to go head-to-head with third-place OL Reign (5-3-1, 16pts) on Saturday, June 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. (Pacific).
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It's a match-up between two of the top clubs in the table. OL Reign has played well at home, with a 4-1-0 record and a +6 goal differential. The Thorns have been able to pick up results on the road this season, scoring nine goals in four matches away from home during the regular season.
Two bitter rivals. It's the reigning NWSL Shield winners against the defending NWSL champions. Here are four stats to know heading into the first Cascadia match-up of 2023.
35
The Reign and Thorns are meeting for the 35th time across all NWSL competitions, breaking a tie with Washington vs. Gotham for the most matches between two clubs in NWSL history.
Top 4 & Top 2
Its an evenly matched battle between the two Pacific Northwest clubs. Equal on points in the standings and only separated by the Thorns' superior goal differential, Saturday provides a look at two of the best defenses and two of the best offenses in the NWSL this season. Both clubs are currently tied among league leaders with just 1.2 goals conceded per game. Offensively, the Thorns pace the league with 23 goals through nine regular-season matches, while OL Reign is second with 17.
16
Portland scored in the 90th minute at San Diego on May 26 to earn a 1-1 draw, and as a result, has scored in 16 straight regular-season matches on the road, one game shy of tying for the longest such streak in NWSL history, held by Orlando (17 straight from June 2019 to August 2021).
6
While winless in their last six regular-season matches against the Reign, the Thorns have been able to earn results in three of the last four match-ups. Portland has earned points in each of its last two trips to Lumen Field across all competitions.
