BOYDS, Md. – Portland Thorns FC received a second-half goal from Caitlin Foord but were unable to rally from a two-goal deficit, falling 3-1 to the Washington Spirit at the Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturday evening. Foord recorded her third goal in five games this season for Portland.
Recent form
The 3-1 loss against the Spirit marked Thorns FC’s (2-1-2, 8pts) first loss in NWSL regular-season play since Aug. 5, 2018, snapping a nine-game unbeaten streak – the second-longest unbeaten streak in team history. Additionally, it ended the club’s road unbeaten streak of six games, dating back to the 2018 season.
Menges 100
Defender Emily Menges made her second straight start in the match against Washington, recording her 100th career appearance for Portland. She is one of three players in club history to appear in 100 matches for Thorns FC and the eighth player in league history to play 100 games all with the same club. Overall, she is the 24th player in NWSL history to play 100 career games.
Key plays
Washington secured a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute. Ashley Hatch received a pass from Amy Harrison near the edge of the box on the left side, dribbled toward the goal and slotted a low, hard shot into the bottom right corner.
Searching for an equalizer, Andressinha pounced on a loose ball and fired a strike on target from close range that was blocked by Tori Huster in the box in the 22nd minute.
Ellie Carpenter made a surging run down the right side of the field and unleashed a powerful shot from the far right wing in the 24th minute that went just over the crossbar.
Thorns FC goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom made a key play in the 45th minute. Picking up a deflected pass just outside Portland’s box, Andi Sullivan was one-on-one with Eckerstrom inside the box, but Eckerstrom came off her line quickly to smother the shot attempt.
The Spirit doubled their lead off a corner kick in the 48th minute. Jordan Di Biasi served the ball to the back post, and it bounced off a Spirit player then off a Thorns player into the back of the net for an own goal.
Eckerstrom made another save in the 58th minute, diving to her right at full stretch to push a dipping long-range strike by Meggie Dougherty Howard wide of the right post.
Tyler Lussi created a scoring chance in the 64th minute. Foord dribbled to the right end line and played a cross into the box. Ana Crnogorcevic headed the ball back across the center of the box to Lussi, who fired a shot on target, forcing a save by Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe.
Foord recorded her third goal of the season in the 67th minute to make it a 2-1 game. Crnogorcevic received a pass near the right post and Bledsoe made the save on her shot attempt, but Crnogorcevic stayed with the play, serving the ball into the center of the box for Foord, who re-directed the ball into the back of the goal.
The Spirit took a 3-1 lead in the 71st minute on a corner kick as Di Biasi curled her corner-kick attempt directly into the back of the net.
Next match
Playing their final match of a stretch of six consecutive road games to begin 2019, Thorns FC square off against Sky Blue FC on Saturday, May 25, at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, N.J. Beginning at 3 p.m. (Pacific), the match will be broadcast on Yahoo! Sports.
Notes:
- Emily Menges became the third player to appear in 100 career matches for Thorns FC. She is the eighth player in NWSL history to play 100 games all with the same club.
- Menges is the 24th player in league history to play in 100 NWSL games and the fourth player on Portland’s current roster to reach this milestone.
- Caitlin Foord scored her third goal of the season. Foord has scored three goals in five matches this season.
- Ana Crnogorcevic tallied her first assist of the 2019 campaign. She is the sixth different player to register an assist for Thorns FC this season.
- Angela Salem made her first appearance of the 2019 season for Portland, logging 37 minutes as a substitute.
2019 NWSL Regular Season
Portland Thorns FC (2-1-2, 8pts) vs. Washington Spirit (3-1-1, 10pts)
May 18, 2019 – Maryland SoccerPlex (Boyds, Md.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Portland Thorns FC 0 1 1
Washington Spirit 1 2 3
Scoring Summary:
WSH: Hatch (Harrison), 16
WSH: Own goal (Brynjarsdottir), 47
POR: Foord (Crnogorcevic), 67
WSH: Di Biasi, 71
Misconduct Summary:
WSH: Dougherty Howard (caution), 25
WSH: Staab (caution), 87
WSH: Logarzo (caution), 90+3
Lineups:
POR: GK Eckerstrom, D Carpenter, D Reynolds, D Menges ©, D Seiler (Lussi, 54), D Klingenberg, M Boureille (Salem, 54), M Brynjarsdottir, M Andressinha, F Foord, F Crnogorcevic
Substitutes Not Used: GK Bixby, D Ball, D Hubly, M Purce, F Raso
TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (Foord, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Foord, 2); FOULS: 3 (Three players tied, 1), OFFSIDES: 5; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 5
WSH: GK Bledsoe, D Huster, D Nielsen, D Staab, D Harrison (Bailey, 70), M Sullivan ©, M Dougherty Howard (Berryhill, 74), M Logarzo, F Hatch, F Di Biasi, F Matthews (Farquharson, 83)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Prudhomme, D Crosson, M Feist, F Ship
TOTAL SHOTS: 16 (Matthews, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Seven players tied, 1); FOULS: 12 (Five players tied, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 3
Referee: Danielle Chesky
Assistant Referees: Meghan Mullen, Ben Pilgrim
4th Official: Nickrod Fateh
Attendance: 3,049
Weather: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
