{"id":677990,"date":"2026-03-24T09:12:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T09:12:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/677990\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T09:12:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T09:12:20","slug":"portland-thorns-make-red-card-history-in-cascadia-rivalry-win-over-seattle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/677990\/","title":{"rendered":"Portland Thorns Make Red Card History in Cascadia Rivalry Win Over Seattle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Portland extended its perfect 2026 NWSL season start<\/a> on Friday, when the Thorns took down rival Seattle Reign 2-0<\/a> despite tallying two red cards to close out the game with just nine players.<\/p>\n

First, Portland midfielder Cassandra Bogere received two yellow cards in quick succession shortly into the first half, with forward Pietra Tordin’s header putting the shorthanded Thorns up 1-0 in the 28th minute.<\/p>\n

Fellow attacker Reilyn Turner doubled Portland’s lead<\/a> before halftime, with defender Reyna Reyes later earning a straight red in the 57th minute \u2014 the first two red cards shown in Cascadia Rivalry history.<\/p>\n

Coming off a tough travel week that required an emergency charter flight<\/a>, the Reign couldn’t catch a break despite their personnel advantages.<\/p>\n

“When you’re fatigued, the first thing that goes is your brain,” said Seattle head coach Laura Harvey.<\/p>\n

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Red cards abound in early NWSL season<\/p>\n

NWSL officials have been seeing red in abundance across the season’s the first two matchdays, with six players sent off in 2026 thus far.<\/p>\n

After expansion sides Boston and Denver opened their NWSL careers with a red card each in their inaugural contests<\/a>, veteran NWSL clubs added a full four of their own, with late send-offs from Bay FC and the Utah Royals joining Portland’s pair over the weekend.<\/p>\n

Whether in response to past criticism of league officiating<\/a> or the NWSL’s implementation of new technology like RefCam<\/a> in both matches and referee training, roster deductions are clearly on the rise: In just two weekends of play, the NWSL is already more than halfway to matching the league’s 2025 season total of 11 red cards<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Should the trend continue, match strategies could shift, as teams weigh tactics against an increased threat of losing numbers on the pitch.<\/p>\n

What’s next for the Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign<\/p>\n

Both Seattle and Portland are back in action on Wednesday, with the Reign hosting the Kansas City Current at 9 PM ET on NWSL+<\/a> before the Thorns visit the San Diego Wave at 10 PM ET, airing live on CBS Sports<\/a>.<\/p>\n