UPDATE: Oct. 27
Thorns players closed out the international break yesterday with games happening across the globe.
Midfielder Lindsey Horan opened the scoring with a perfect assist from Portland teammate Sophia Smith as the U.S. Women's National Team defeated South Korea 6-0 in a friendly Tuesday night at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn.
Christine Sinclair started and Canada closed out their gold medal celebration tour with a 1-0 win over New Zealand in a friendly in Montréal. The win set a new Canada national team record of 12 straight undefeated matches since April 2021.
In Helsinki, Natalia Kuikka played the full 90 but Finland lost 2-1 to Ireland in their 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup UEFA qualifier. The Helmarit – Boreal Owls in Finnish – remain in second place in Group A with qualifiers set to continue in the April 2022.
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UPDATE: Oct. 25
Thorns FC's Christine Sinclair added to her internationally-leading goal total with a tally in the 41st minute to help lift Canada to a 5-1 win over New Zealand in a friendly in Ottawa on Saturday night.
Canada will play host to New Zealand again on Oct. 26 in Montréal, Quebec as part of the Women’s National Team Celebration Tour, honoring the team’s gold-medal winning performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Thorns midfielder Rocky Rodríguez played 90 minutes as a 10-woman side battled Jamaica to to a scoreless draw last night at DRV PNK Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale.
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UPDATE: Oct. 22
Thorns FC midfielder Lindsey Horan made her 100th career national team appearance last night as the U.S. Women's National Team drew 0-0 with South Korea. Horan was one of a number of Portland players in international action last night.
Wearing the captain's armband and recognized in a ceremony ahead of the match as the 41st American woman to achive the milestone, Horan played all 90 minutes of the game. Alongside her in the starting XI was Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn while Portland forward Sophia Smith came off the bench at halftime to play the final 45.
Following the match, USWNT legend Carli Lloyd, who earlier announced her retirement at the end of this NWSL season, handed the legendary No. 10 number over to Horan to wear going forward with the national team. Horan becomes just the fourth U.S. player to wear the No. 10 shirt joining Lloyd, Michelle Akers and Aly Wagner.
The U.S. will again play South Korea on Oct. 26 in St. Paul, Minn. (FS1, TUDN).
Thorns defender Natalia Kuikka did not feature in Finland's 3-0 win over Georgia in Tbilisi in FIFA Women's World Cup UEFA qualifier. The victory puts Finland in second place in Group A play. Finland next faces Ireland on Oct. 26 in Helsinki.
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