SEATTLE – Behind a second-half brace from forward Hayley Raso, Portland Thorns FC registered a 2-1 win on the road against Seattle Reign FC, becoming the first club in NWSL history to reach 50 wins in front of 6,041 fans on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
The win was the first for Thorns FC (11-5-4, 37pts) on the road against Seattle since 2013 and the second win in the team’s last three road matches. Raso tallied her first career brace to become the eighth different player in club history to register a two-goal game, and is now tied for the team lead in goals (5) with forward Christine Sinclair.
Controlling the match from kickoff, Portland finished with 25-4 edge in shots, tying the club’s single-game record for both total shots and shots in a half (17). In addition, Thorns FC limited Seattle to just one shot on target and did not surrender a shot on goal until the 90th minute when midfielder Jessica Fishlock converted a penalty kick.
Scoreless after the first half, Thorns FC remained on the front foot and claimed a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute. Following a quick restart, Raso pounced on a pass by Seattle defender Kristen McNabb back to goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer and slotted her shot inside the right post.
Raso doubled Portland’s lead late in the second half, beating Seattle defender Lauren Barnes to a ball played over the top by Sinclair. Raso’s initial shot was saved at point-blank range by Kopmeyer, but Raso stayed with the play and finished from a tight angle at the right post in the 86th minute.
Portland created several additional goal-scoring opportunities in the first half. In the 24th minute, defender Emily Sonnett directed a corner kick served into the box by defender Meghan Klingenberg, sending a hard header towards the right post that was cleared off the goal line by a Reign FC defender. In the 33rd minute, Sinclair intercepted a pass near midfield, sending a pass into space for forward Nadia Nadim running towards the edge of the box. Nadim’s initial dribble bounced off Seattle defender Merritt Mathias right to Raso, who sent a side-footed half-volley attempt just wide of the right post.
Continuing to push for a goal near the end of the first half, Klingenberg chased down a loose ball just outside the box and sent a one-time chipped shot towards goal that went just over the bar in the 41st minute. Less than a minute later, Sinclair chipped a ball over the Seattle backline for Nadim making a run into the box. Nadim collected the pass and looked to chip Kopmeyer racing off her line, but Kopmeyer got a hand to the shot and the ball was cleared.
Portland remains in the second place in the NWSL standings with four games remaining on the schedule, holding a five-point advantage over the third-place Orlando Pride (32pts).
Up next, Thorns FC return to the Rose City to play host the Washington Spirit on Saturday, Sept. 2, at Providence Park in the NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime at 12:30 p.m. (Pacific).
Notes:
- Portland became the first NWSL club to reach 50 wins on Saturday.
- Thorns FC earned their first win on the road against Seattle since 2013.
- Defender Emily Menges made her 80th career appearance for the club in the match.
- Thorns FC tied a single-game record for shots in a half (17) and total shots (25).
- Forward Hayley Raso tallied her first career brace, becoming the eighth different Thorns FC player to register a brace.
- Raso is the third player (Lindsey Horan, Nadia Nadim) to record a brace for Portland this season.
- Portland registered its 11th win of the season, recording at least 11 wins for the third time in five seasons.
- Forward Savannah Jordan made her NWSL debut, entering the match in the 88th minute.
Portland Thorns FC (11-5-4, 37pts) at Seattle Reign FC (7-7-6, 27pts)
Aug. 26, 2017 – Memorial Stadium (Seattle, Wash.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Portland Thorns FC 0 2 2
Seattle Reign FC 0 1 1
Scoring Summary
POR: Raso, 49
POR: Raso, 86
SEA: Fishlock (penalty kick), 90
Misconduct Summary
SEA: McNabb (caution), 61
SEA: Barnes (caution), 68
POR: Brynjarsdottir (caution), 77
POR: Klingenberg (caution), 90
POR: Raso (caution), 90+2
Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Franch, D Reynolds, D Sonnett, D Menges, D Klingenberg, M Henry (Long, 57), M Horan, M Sinclair © (Jordan, 88), F Sykes, F Raso, F Nadim (Brynjarsdottir, 75)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Eckerstrom, D Johnson, D Boureille, F Weber
TOTAL SHOTS: 25 (Nadim, 7); SHOTS ON GOAL: (Raso, 4); FOULS: 10 (Raso, 3); OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 0
SEA: GK Kopmeyer, D Mathias, D Corsie, D McNabb, D Barnes ©, M Fishlock, M Nairn (Bauer, 62), M Utsugi, F Kawasumi (Crummer, 83), F Johnson, F Dallstream (Yanez, 58)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Schiffel, D Stott, D Pickett, M Elston
TOTAL SHOTS: 4 (Johnson, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 1 (Fishlock, 1); FOULS: 5 (Corsie, 2); OFFSIDES: 5; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 3
Referee: Farhad Dadkho
Assistant Referees: Alicia Messer, Maggie Short
4th Official: Kelsey Harms
Attendance: 6,041
Weather: Sunny, 71 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
