Seattle Reign FC vs North Carolina Courage ended 2-1 on July 4, with Sally Menti giving Seattle a first-half lead before North Carolina answered twice. The result came as the NWSL returned from a month-long hiatus and after kickoff was pushed back one hour because temperatures were expected to reach near 100°F.
Sally Menti Opens the Scoring
Menti put Seattle ahead in the 19th minute, and that lead lasted only three minutes. Ashley Sanchez tied it at 1-1 in the 22nd minute, turning a road opener that had briefly tilted Seattle's way into a level match before halftime.
The Reign needed more after that first strike. They had arrived with a 4-5-2 record and sat in 10th place, while North Carolina came in at 5-3-3 and 7th, and the gap showed once the Courage settled into the second half.
Riley Jackson Delivers the Winner
Riley Jackson scored a penalty in the 64th minute to put North Carolina ahead for good. That goal completed the swing after Seattle had controlled the opening phase through Menti's finish, and it gave the Courage a result that extended their three-match winning streak.
Cristian Campo Hernandez worked the match as referee, with Michael Wottreng and Jill Loyden handling the broadcast commentary on NWSL+. The game was scheduled for 4:30 PM PT and available to stream free in the US, so the rescheduled kickoff kept the match in its intended window even as the weather forced the league to adjust.
Heat and Hiatus Shape July 4
The road setting also came with an explanation: the Reign were away because Lumen Field had one more World Cup game to host on Monday. That pushed Seattle into a tough opener after the break, and the scoreline left them with another 2-1 loss after the defeat to Washington before the pause.
For Seattle, the immediate takeaway is simple. A lead in the 19th minute was not enough to survive the restart, and the second-half penalty changed the match before the clock reached the final quarter-hour. How the heat and the one-hour delay affected the full 90 minutes is still the part that will shape the next evaluation of this return.
