The Portland Thorns FC wrapped up a busy month of August with a 2-0 defeat at home
The Portland Thorns FC wrapped up a busy month of August with a 2-0 defeat at home against the San Diego Wave FC on Saturday night.
Playing its second game in four days Portland generated its fair share of opportunities and forced 41 clearances, but never truly tested Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan as Alex Morgan and Kristen McNabb got on the scoresheet for the visitors. With the loss, the Thorns remain on 28 points and now sit in third place in the NWSL. Only five points separate the first place Wave and sixth place Kansas City Current in a tightly competitive playoff field.
Although a difficult result, the Thorns finally have time to reset with about two weeks until their next game: a September 9 road game against the Orlando Pride (4 p.m. PT, Paramount+).
Final Stretch
With five games left in the 2022 campaign, Thorns FC (7-3-7, 28 pts) sit third in the NWSL table and just three points behind first-place San Diego with a game in hand. Portland will play its next two matches on the road against the Orlando Pride (Sept. 9) and Kansas City Current (Sept. 18), before returning home to play host to Racing Louisville FC (Sept. 21) and the Chicago Red Stars (Sept. 25) at Providence Park. Thorns FC will play its final match of the season on Oct. 1 on the road against NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Goal-Scoring Plays
SD – Kristen McNabb (Alex Morgan), 17th minute: Alex Morgan picked up a loose ball in the box and laid it off for Kristen McNabb who fired a one-touch shot, taking a deflection and into the upper-left corner of the goal.
SD – Alex Morgan (Taylor Kornieck), 42nd minute: With her back to goal, Taylor Kornieck received a long ball in the middle of the field and flicked it behind her with her head. Morgan ran onto it, taking a touch into the box and slipping a left-footed shot into the bottom right netting.
Notes:
- Tonight’s match marked Portland’s fourth game in an 11-day span and its seventh in the past
- month.
- Thorns FC (7-3-7, 28 pts) sit third in the NWSL table and just three points behind first-place San
- Diego with a game in hand.
- Portland was shutout for the first time since May 21st and for just the third time this season,
- snapping a 12-game scoring streak.
- Thorns FC still have the most goals scored in the league (37) and highest goal differential (17).
- Kelli Hubly is the only Portland player to start every match this season, playing every minute.
- Hubly and Hina Sugita are the only two players to appear in every match for Thorns FC in 2022.
- Becky Sauerbrunn made her 150th NWSL appearance in the match, making her the 14th player in
- league history to reach that milestone.
