MATCH INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, May 14, 2016
Kickoff: 7 p.m. (Pacific)
Location: Memorial Stadium (Seattle, Wash.)
Forecast: Scattered showers, 74 degrees
Referee: Matthew Kreitzer
Assistant Referees: Alicia Messer, TJ Zablocki Fourth Official: JJ Blodgett
Webstream: www.thornsfc.com
MATCH PREVIEW
Thorns FC conclude their four-game road stretch with a match against Cascadia-rival Seattle Reign FC on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Seattle; kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (Pacific).
Saturday’s match is the first of four meetings this season between Portland and Seattle. In addition, Thorns FC and Reign FC will square off twice in the next 15 days as the two teams meet again on May 29 at Providence Park.
Both teams will be without key players in the match. Midfielder Tobin Heath is unavailable after receiving a red card in Portland’s last match, while midfielder Jessica Fishlock is out with an injury she suffered back in Week 2 against the Boston Breakers.
LAST MATCH RECAP
Playing the second game of back-to-back matches on the East Coast, Thorns FC and the Washington Spirit played to a scoreless draw on May 7 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md. Portland registered its second consecutive clean sheet, extending its unbeaten streak to start the season despite playing without midfielder Tobin Heath for the final eight minutes as she was sent off after she received a second yellow card. Goalkeeper Adrianna Franch made her second start, tallying a season-best six saves in the match. Franch made several key saves in both halves to preserve a clean sheet, tipping a lofted volley over the crossbar in the 26th and making a one-on-one save in the box to deny Cali Farquharson in the 40th minute.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday’s match marks the 10th meeting all-time between the two teams during the regular season. Portland holds a slight edge in the all-time series with a record of 5-4-0 and a mark of 2-2-0 in road matches. The two teams have combined to score 20 goals in the all-time series, tallying 14 of those 20 goals in the second half of matches. The previous games have been tightly contested as six of those nine contests have been decided by a single goal.
SCOUTING REIGN FC
Despite falling on the road 2-0 to the Orlando Pride on May 8, Seattle Reign FC return to Memorial Stadium where they have lost just one match since they began playing games their in 2014. Seattle’s only loss at Memorial Stadium came in their opening game of the 2016 season against Sky Blue FC on April 16. Head coach Laura Harvey’s side is led by two-time NWSL Best XI midfielder Kim Little. The Scottish international has tallied two goals and two assists for Seattle in their first four matches. The team boasts a striker partnership which includes Merritt Mathias and Manon Melis, both have tallied one goal for the club this season, while U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper Hope Solo minds the net for the two-time NWSL Shield winners.
