MATCH INFORMATION
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016
Kickoff: 7 p.m. (Pacific)
Location: Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Forecast: Clear, 67 degrees
Referee: Brandon Artis
Assistant Referees: Christopher Elliott, Ceciah Valero Fourth Official: Andrew Deuker
Webstream: www.thornsfc.com
MATCH PREVIEW
Playing the second of three straight home games, Portland Thorns FC play host the Houston Dash for the second and final match between the two teams this season.
With three games remaining on the schedule, Portland currently sits in second place in the NWSL standings. Thorns FC are four points out of first place and hold a three-point edge over third place Chicago Red Stars and are four points ahead of the Western New York.
Thorns FC will clinch their third playoff birth in four seasons with a win over the Dash or a Seattle Reign FC loss or draw on Wednesday.
LAST MATCH RECAP
Portland Thorns FC received a hat-trick from Nadia Nadim and goals from forward Christine Sinclair and midfielder Allie Long in a 5-1 win over the Boston Breakers on Sept. 4. Sinclair opened the scoring in the 14th minute when she finished home Nadim’s delivery from a corner kick. Nadim would double the lead in the 41st minute when she slotted in her penalty kick. Long made it 3-0 in the 48th minute after she curled a right-footed shot past the Boston keeper inside the box. In the 78th minute, Nadim scored her second goal after rounding the keeper calmly tapping in her finish and scored her third in stoppage-time when she jumped highest to a rebound inside the box and tapped in her header.
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday’s match marks the seventh meeting all-time between Portland and Houston, and the second and final meeting between the two clubs this season. In their last game on July 16, Houston defeated Portland 3-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium. Thorns FC lead the all-time series between the two clubs at 3-2-1 and have a 1-1-0 record at home against Houston, with a 1-0 loss to the Dash back on May 23, 2015 and a 1-0 victory on Aug. 3, 2014 in the first contest between the two teams at Providence Park.
SCOUTING THE DASH
The Dash (5-8-4, 19pts) visit Portland following a 4-2 win over the Orlando Pride on Sept. 3 at BBVA Compass Stadium that extended a three-match unbeaten run. Houston has a 2-5-2 record on the road this season and are 1-2-2 in its last five road matches dating back to June 23. Forward Kealia Ohai, who last scored in the 4-2 win over Orlando, leads the team and ranks first in the NWSL in goals scored (9). As a team, a total of nine different players have scored for the club, including forward Rachel Daly, who is second on the team with four goals and leads the club with four assists. Additionally, goalkeeper Lydia Williams ranks third in the NWSL with 47 saves.
NWSL STANDINGS
With just three games remaining for Portland in the regular season, the race for playoffs spots is tight. Thorns FC sit in second place on 32 points, four points behind Washington (36pts), while holding onto a three-point advantage over Chicago (29pts) and four points on Western New York (28 pts). In terms of tiebreakers - head-to-head - Portland holds that tiebreaker against both Chicago and Washington.
