SEATTLE, Wash. – Christine Sinclair scored an equalizing goal in the 28th minute and Portland Thorns FC opened NWSL Challenge Cup play with a 1-1 draw against the OL Reign Friday night at Lumen Field.
- MATCHCENTER: Stats
Match Moments
5' - CHANCE (POR) - Pouncing on a loose ball near the edge of the Reign 18-yard box, midfielder Hina Sugita hit a skipping shot that was saved by OL goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
19 - GOAL (OLR) - The Reign went up 1-0 in the first half as they worked the ball down the left side before Angelina laid a ball off to Sofia Huerta to score from just outside the box.
28' - GOAL (POR) - Christine Sinclair equalized for Portland in the 28th minute. Midfielder Natalia Kuikka sent a beautiful one-touch pass into the box to spring free Sophia Smith. The Portland forward fired a hard shot on frame that Tullis-Joyce sprawled to make a save but leaving a big rebound. Sinclair swooped in and hit the ball into the lower right corner to make the score 1-1.
69' - CHANCE (POR) - Smith, looking for goal, hit a shot that went just wide of goal.
78' - CHANCE (POR) - Smith raced down the right channel as Tullis-Joyce came way off her line and tried to tackle the Portland striker on the edge of the area. Smith managed to dribble around the goalkeeper but hit her shot wide of the goal.
83' - SAVE (POR) - OL's Lauren Barnes free kick found the head of Tziarra King who snapped her attempt down towards goal but Bella Bixby alertly gathered the shot for Portland.
-----------
Thorns FC will stay on the road in tournament play when they travel to take on San Diego Wave FC in the second match of the NWSL Challenge Cup on Saturday, Mar. 26 (7pm PT, Paramount+).
Portland Thorns FC (0-0-1, 1pt) vs. OL Reign (0-0-1, 1pt)
(NWSL Challenge Cup)
March 18, 2022 – Lumen Field (Seattle, Wash.)
Scoring Summary:
OLR: Huerta (Angelina), 19
POR: Sinclair, 28
Misconduct Summary:
OLR: Cook (caution), 15
POR: Kuikka (caution), 25
OLR: Barnes (caution), 66
OLR: Lavelle (caution), 83
OLR: Watt (caution), 89
POR: Sugita (caution), 90+1
Lineups:
POR: GK Bixby, D Hubly, D Menges, D Nally, M Kuikka, M Coffey, M Klingenberg, M Ryan (Moultrie, 65), M Sugita, F S. Smith (Everett, 87), F Sinclair © (Weaver, 73)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Hogan, GK A. Smith, D Provenzano, M Beckman, M Porter, F Betfort
TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (Smith, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Three players tied, 1); FOULS: 9 (Klingenberg, Sugita, 2); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 1; SAVES: 2
OLR: GK Tullis-Joyce, D Huerta, D Cook, D Hiatt, D Barnes ©, M Quinn, M Angelia (Lavelle, 75), M Fishlock, F Latsko, F Balcer, F King (Watt, 63)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Ivory, D McClernon, D Miramontez, D Lopez, M Stanton, M Van Der Jagt, M Athens
TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (Huerta, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Huerta, 2); FOULS: 11 (Four players tied, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 2
Referee: Kevin Broadley
Assistant Referees: Jennifer Garner, Katarzyna Wasiak
4th Official: Adorae Monroy
Attendance: 7,343
Weather: Partly cloudy, 56 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
Notes:
- Christine Sinclair scored her third career Challenge Cup goal for Portland. Her three goals are the most in the Challenge Cup for Portland.
- Sinclair has scored in three consecutive Challenge Cup games, dating back to the 2021 tournament. She scored in the final group stage match against Houston on May 2 and in the Challenge Cup final against NJ/NY Gotham FC on May 8.
- Portland is unbeaten in its last six Challenge Cup matches (3-0-3).
- Thorns FC and OL Reign have squared off three times in the Challenge Cup. Portland is unbeaten in those meetings posting a record of 1-0-2.
- Sam Coffey made her professional and Thorns FC debut in the match, starting and logging 90 minutes. It was also her Challenge Cup debut.
- Olivia Moultrie, Yazmeen Ryan and Hina Sugita made their Challenge Cup debuts in the match.
- Sugita made her Thorns FC debut, logging 90 minutes in a starting role.
- Meaghan Nally earned her first start in NWSL competition, playing all 90 minutes.
- The match featured all three of Portland’s 2020 NWSL Draft picks: Sophia Smith, Morgan Weaver and Nally.
- Six of the players in Thorns FC’s starting lineup where players selected by the club in the NWSL Draft. Two players in 2020 (Smith, Nally), two players in 2021 (Coffey, Ryan), one in 2014 (Menges) and one in 2018 (Bixby).
- Meghan Klingenberg appeared in her 12th Challenge Cup game with Portland. She is the only player to start and play in every match of the Challenge Cup for the club since the tournament began in 2020.
- Weaver appeared in her 12th Challenge Cup game with Thorns FC. She joins Klingenberg as the only other player to appear in all of Portland’s Challenge Cup matches.
