No. 2 Portland set to host NWSL playoff semifinal match at Providence Park on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. (Pacific). Tickets go on sale Tuesday Oct. 17.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC dropped a 5-1 result to Angel City FC on Sunday afternoon at BMO stadium, with Portland’s lone goal coming from Hina Sugita. Securing the No. 2 seed in the 2023 NWSL Playoffs, Thorns FC earned a quarterfinal bye and will play host to a semifinal match on Sunday, Nov. 5; kickoff is set for 4 p.m. (Pacific) at Providence Park. Portland will play the winner of the quarterfinal match between the No. 3 seed North Carolina Courage and No. 6 NJ/NY Gotham FC on Oct. 22.
Golden Boot
Sophia Smith recorded her second consecutive double-digit goal scoring season, tallying 11 goals. She is the first player in club history to register 10 or more goals in consecutive seasons. The Thorns FC forward secured her first career NWSL Golden Boot, making her the first Portland player to achieve this accolade.
Regular Season Rundown
Thorns FC finished the campaign with 42 goals, marking the fourth time in the last five seasons Portland has scored at least 40 goals. Thorns FC recorded double-digit wins for a seven straight season, and the ninth time in 10 NWSL regular seasons. As a team, 13 different players scored at least one goal, while nine players finished with at least one assist. Sam Coffey led the NWSL with eight assists – the second-most assists in a single season in club history. She is the second Thorns FC player to lead the league in assists. Tobin Heath recorded 10 assists to lead the NWSL during the 2016 season.
Goal-Scoring Plays
ACFC – M.A. Vignola (Sydney Leroux), 36th minute: Sydney Leroux opened the play toward the right side of the field, finding M.A. Vignola, who dribbled into the left side of the box before firing a left-footed shot into the right corner of the goal.
ACFC – Scarlett Camberos (Claire Emslie), 38th minute: Claire Emslie positioned herself on the left side of the 18-yard box, receiving the ball and sending it across the six-yard box. Scarlett Camberos finished with a header near the right post.
ACFC – Savannah McCaskill (M.A. Vignola), 47th minute: Vignola dribbled down the right side of the 18-yard box and sent a low cross into the six-yard box to find Savannah McCaskill, who finished the play by sliding the ball into the left corner of the goal.
ACFC – Sydney Leroux, 51st minute: Camberos played a cross into the box that forced a save by Thorns FC goalkeeper Bella Bixby. Off the rebound, Leroux scored with a bicycle kick.
POR – Hina Sugita, 79th minute: Sophia Smith crossed the ball into the box and Angel City FC goalkeeper Angelina Anderson came off her line to make a play on the ball. Off the rebound, Hina Sugita took a few touches and finished the play with a left-footed shot into the left corner of the goal.
ACFC – Jun Endo (Alyssa Thompson), 80th minute: Alyssa Thompson controlled the ball in the midfield and passed it to Jun Endo, who from the left side of the field dribbled inside the 18-yard box and sent a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Notes:
- Thorns FC secured the No. 2 spot of the 2023 NWSL Playoffs, earning a quarterfinal bye.
- Portland will next host a semifinal match on Nov. 5 at Providence Park.
- Thorns FC has qualified for the postseason in nine of 10 NWSL regular seasons.
- Sophia Smith won the 2023 Golden Boot and Sam Coffey led the NWSL in assists.
- It is the sixth time (2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021) the Golden Boot winner and the league assist leader have come from the same team.
- Smith recorded her second consecutive double-digit goal scoring season, tallying 11 goals, and becoming the first player in club history to register 10 or more goals in consecutive seasons.
- Smith secured her first career NWSL Golden Boot, making her the first Portland player to achieve this accolade.
- Coffey led the NWSL with eight assists – the second-most assists in a single season in club history.
- Coffey is the second Thorns FC player to lead the league in assists (Tobin Heath, 10 assists, 2016 season).
- Hina Sugita tallied her sixth goal of the season today, and third goal in the last four games for Portland.
- Sugita became the third player to tally at least six goals for Thorns FC this season. Portland’s three players with six or more goals are the most of any team in the NWSL.
- Thorns FC finished the campaign with 42 goals, marking the fourth time in the last five seasons Portland has scored at least 40 goals.
- Thorns FC recorded double-digit wins for a seven straight season, and the ninth time in 10 NWSL regular seasons.
- As a team, 13 different players scored at least one goal, while nine players finished with at least one assist.
- Portland has scored in 20 of their 22 games this campaign.
- Coffey and Morgan Weaver are the only two players to start every match for Thorns FC this season.
Next Game
Thorns FC secured the No. 2 seed in the 2023 NWSL Playoffs and will have a quarterfinal bye. Portland will play host to a semifinal match on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m. (Pacific) at Providence Park. Opponent will be determined following the North Carolina Courage and NJ/NY Gotham FC quarterfinal match on Oct. 22. All quarterfinal and semifinal matches will feature a national television broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
Scoring Summary:
ACFC: Vignola (Leroux), 36
ACFC: Camberos (Emslie), 38
ACFC: McCaskill (Vignola), 47
ACFC: Leroux, 51
POR: Sugita, 79
ACFC: Endo (Thompson), 80
Misconduct Summary:
ACFC: Hammond (caution), 44
ACFC: Thompson (caution), 87
Lineup:
POR: GK Bixby, D Klingenberg (Reyes, 62), D Sauerbrunn (Hubly, 45), D Menges, D Kuikka, M Coffey, M Moultrie (RodrÃguez, 45), M Sugita, F Weaver (Betfort, 62), F Sinclair ©, F Dunn (Smith, 61)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Hogan, D Nally, M Porter, F Vasconcelos
TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (three players tied, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Dunn, Sugita, 2); FOULS: 10 (Coffey, 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 4
ACFC: GK Anderson, D Riley (Spencer, 72), D Nielsen, D Gorden, D Vignola, M Hammond (Weatherholt, 64), M Henry, M Emslie (Thompson, 64), F McCaskill, F Camberos (Endo, 72), F Leroux (Le Bihan, 82)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Haracic, M Nabet, M Reid, F Johnson
TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Leroux, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Leroux, 2); FOULS: 7 (Camberos, 2); OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 5
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
Assistant Referees: Chris Canales, Bennett Savage
Fourth Official: Osvaldo Delgado-Landeros
Weather: Sunny, 88 degrees
Attendance: 22,000
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
