SEATTLE – Facing a quick turnaround and playing their third game in nine days, Portland Thorns FC squared off against Cascadia-rival Seattle Reign FC, conceding a late goal in 1-0 loss at Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening. Portland returns to Providence Park for their next match, playing host to Utah Royals FC on Saturday, July 6, at 8 p.m. (Pacific).
Purce returns, Raso starts
Midfielder Midge Purce returned to the field for the first time since May 30 against the North Carolina Courage, logging 17 minutes in a substitute role. Playing in her fourth game of the season, forward Hayley Raso made her first start of the 2018 campaign, logging a season-high 62 minutes.
On the road
Thorns FC have earned at least one point in six of their last seven road matches. Saturday’s match marked the first road loss for Portland since its opening match of the season on March 24 against North Carolina, snapping a six-game road unbeaten streak.
Key plays
Goalkeeper Adrianna Franch kept Seattle off the board with a save in the 17th minute. Reign FC forward Megan Rapinoe unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the box headed towards the top left corner of the goal, but Franch, at full extension, dove to her right to make the stop.
On the counter-attack, Portland came close to taking the lead in the 29th minute. Midfielder Andressinha led the break for Thorns FC and played a well-weighted pass to defender Meghan Klingenberg running down the right flank. Klingenberg picked out Raso making a run to the back post, but she sent her header just past the post.
Franch made another critical stop in the 39th minute. Seattle midfielder Beverly Yanez made a darting run into the box to get on the end of a cross from defender Theresa Nielsen with a diving header from point-blank range. Franch reacted, stopping the shot with her right leg and sending it out for a corner kick.
Portland looked to have taken the lead in the 44th minute on a free kick. Klingenberg delivered a curling ball into the box from the left wing. Forward Ana Crnogorcevic tracked the ball and sent a powerful header into the back of the net, but she was whistled offside.
Thorns FC created another quality chance less than a minute into the second half. Defender Ellie Carpenter provided a long throw in from the right sideline. Midfielder Lindsey Horan flicked the ball on for Raso, who was able to find space in front of goal but hit her shot over the crossbar.
Continuing to search for a goal, Portland again took advantage on a throw in. Horan settled a throw in from Carpenter and turned to beat her defender dribbling towards the right end line. Horan played a pinpoint cross into the box for Raso, who directed a header towards goal from close range that went just high of the crossbar in the 61st minute.
Crnogorcevic was able to find space in the box, creating a scoring chance in the 81st minute. Building from the back, forward Christine Sinclair passed the ball out wide on the left for Klingenberg. She served a ball into the box for Crnogorcevic, who sent a header just high of the target.
Franch again denied Rapinoe late in the match on a long-distance attempt in the 86th minute. Rapinoe dribbled towards the edge of the box and cut the ball back onto her right foot to create separation and space to shoot the ball. Rapinoe tried to bend the ball into the top right corner, but Franch extended backwards and pulled the ball out of the air to make the save.
Seattle tallied the game-winner in the 89th minute when Rapinoe slotted the ball low and hard across the box from the left edge of the box to Reign FC forward Jodie Taylor, who finished from close range in front of goal to give Reign FC the 1-0 win.
Notes:
- Forward Hayley Raso made her first start of the 2018 season in the match, playing a season-high 62 minutes.
- Midfielder Midge Purce played her first minutes in over a month since last appearing against North Carolina on May 30, logging 17 minutes.
- Goalkeeper Adrianna Franch recorded a season-high eight saves. Franch’s eight saves were a single-game high with Thorns FC.
- Defender Meghan Klingenberg appeared in her 50th career match for Thorns FC.
- Forward Christine Sinclair and defender Katherine Reynolds are the only two players to start and play every minute in all 15 matches this season.
Next Game
Thorns FC return to Providence Park to play host to Utah Royals FC on Friday, July 6. The July 6 match kicks off at 8 p.m. (Pacific) and features a live web stream available at www.go90.com and on the go90 app.
Portland Thorns FC (5-5-5, 20pts) at Seattle Reign FC (6-3-5, 23pts)
June 30, 2018 – Memorial Stadium (Seattle, Wash.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Seattle Reign FC 0 1 1
Portland Thorns FC 0 0 0
Scoring Summary:
SEA: Taylor (Rapinoe), 89
Misconduct Summary:
POR: Klingenberg (caution), 14
SEA: Barnes (caution), 35
Lineups:
POR: GK Franch, D Carpenter, D Sonnett, D Reynolds, D Klingenberg, M Boureille, M Horan, M Sinclair ©, M Andressinha (Purce, 73), F Raso (Weber, 62), F Crnogorcevic
Substitutes Not Used: GK Eckerstrom, D Hubly, F Onumonu, F Lussi, M Salem
TOTAL SHOTS: 10 (Crnogorcevic, Raso, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 0; FOULS: 6 (Horan, 2), OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 0; SAVES: 8
SEA: GK Williams, D Nielsen, D Oyster, D Barnes, D Catley, M Yanez, M Long, M Utsugi, F Addo (Spencer, 89), F Taylor (Kleiner, 90+2), F Rapinoe
Substitutes Not Used: GK Betos, D McNabb, M Andrews, F Kawasumi, F Leon
TOTAL SHOTS: 18 (Rapinoe, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Yanez, 3); FOULS: 12 (Nielsen, 3); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 0
Referee: Christina Unkel
Assistant Referees: Jeremy Weed, Diego Blas
4th Official: Cephas Quartson
Attendance: 4,781
Weather: Cloudy, 63 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
