Reign's Wild Spokane Road Trip Just Got Real: Lumen Field Ready for World Cup Takeover
Here's something you don't see every day in professional soccer: the Seattle Reign are packing up and heading east of the mountains for their home opener. And yeah, that's as weird as it sounds. The team's hitting ONE Spokane Stadium for three straight matches while Lumen Field gets prepped to host six FIFA men's World Cup matches starting in June. The Reign should be able to squeeze back home between games two and three, but for now, Spokane is home. It's a trip that comes right after the squad split their opening road swing with a 2-1 win over Orlando and a tough 2-0 loss in Portland last week.
Wednesday's Match: Reign Take on Kansas City
The Reign are hosting Kansas City at 6 p.m. at ONE Spokane Stadium, and this is no cupcake opponent. The Current won the NWSL Shield last season and they've only gotten stronger. Kansas City added midfielder Croix Bethune, the 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year who put up seven goals and 12 assists over two seasons with the Washington Spirit. Yeah, that's a problem for Seattle's defense. The good news? Kansas City's two biggest threats are banged up right now. Temwa Chawinga, the 2025 MVP and Golden Boot winner with 15 goals, is out with injury. Same goes for veteran Lo'eau LaBonta. Still, Kansas City just lost 2-1 to Chicago on Sunday, so they'll be hungry. The all-time series between these two is dead even at 6-6-1 since 2021. This one matters.
Not Your First Rodeo in Weird Venues
Look, the Spokane stretch is unexpected, but it's not like the Reign haven't done this before. Since becoming a charter NWSL team in 2013, Seattle's bounced around: Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center, Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, and finally Lumen in Sodo starting in 2022. ONE Spokane Stadium is the new kid on the block, a 5,000-seat soccer specific facility that opened in 2023 and serves as home for both the Gainbridge Super League's Zephyr FC and USL League One's Velocity FC. It's actually pretty cool infrastructure for the inland empire.
General manager Lesle Gallimore summed it up perfectly: "I'm excited for our players. Many of them on our roster don't know how to pronounce 'Spokane.' I've had to have little lessons with them, let alone know where it is on the map or how long it takes to get here...it's really cool." That's the kind of chaos that makes a season memorable.
🐦 What fans are saying on X
See the latest reactions and highlights from Seattle fans about Lumen Field.
View X conversation →🔮 Trade Seattle Sports on Kalshi
Did you know you can trade on Seattle sports outcomes on Kalshi, the only federally regulated prediction market in the US? Kalshi is available in Washington state. Bet on Seahawks games, Mariners season outcomes, Kraken playoff runs, and more. No sportsbook account needed.
💰 Limited offer: Get a FREE $10 when you sign up!
👉 Sign up at Kalshi.com and use promo code SEATTLEONTAP to claim your free $10.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.