MATCH INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016
Kickoff: 2 p.m. (Pacific)
Location: Memorial Stadium (Seattle, Wash.)
Forecast: Partly cloudy, 77 degrees
Referee: Rosendo Martinez
Assistant Referees: Alicia Messer, Francisco Bermudez Fourth Official: Levi Rippy
Webstream: www.thornsfc.com
MATCH PREVIEW
Following a 25-day league-wide break, Portland Thorns FC return to action, visiting Seattle Reign FC for the fourth and final match between the two teams this season.
With five games remaining on the schedule, Portland currently sits in second place in the NWSL standings. Thorns FC are three points out of first place and hold a three-point edge over third place Western New York and are four points ahead of the Chicago Red Stars.
Saturday’s match is the second consecutive meeting between the two clubs. Thorns FC have claimed at least one point in the three previous meetings against Reign FC, while posting a pair of shutouts.
LAST MATCH RECAP
Portland headed into the break winning five of its last seven matches, registering a 1-0 win against Seattle Reign on July 30 at Providence Park. The match was the second of two meetings between the two clubs at Providence Park during the regular season and the third of four meetings between the two clubs this season. Forward Nadia Nadim scored the lone goal in the match as she got on the end of a ball served into the box by midfielder Mana Shim. Nadim leaped up between two defenders and delivered a well-placed header inside the right post for the game-winning goal in the 74th minute.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday’s match marks the fourth and final regular-season meeting between Portland and Seattle this season, and the second game between the two clubs at Memorial Stadium. The two teams squared off early in the season, playing to a 1-1 draw on May 14 with Nadim tallying a goal for Thorns FC in the match. Nadim has scored in two of the last three meetings against Seattle and four times in five career matches against Reign FC. Portland leads the all-time with a record of 6-4-2 as the two teams are set to meet for the 13th time on Saturday.
SCOUTING REIGN FC
Seattle (5-5-5, 20pts) comes into Saturday’s game having lost just twice in its last nine matches. At home this season, Reign FC have lost just two games. In addition, Seattle has claimed at least one point in its last four home matches, posting a record of 3-0-1 and scoring nine goals. Individually, midfielder Kim Little leads the team with four goals this season, while forwards Manon Melis and Naho Kawasumi have each tallied three goals. With the conclusion of the 2016 Rio Olympics, forward/midfielder Megan Rapinoe is set to return after playing her first game for either club or country during the Olympics with the U.S. Women’s National Team. Defensively, Seattle has conceded the third fewest goals (14) this season and is tied for fourth in goals scored (18). A total of 10 players have tallied at least one goal for Reign FC this season, while three players have scored multiple goals.
