The Portland Thorns earned a victory against the North Carolina Courage Sunday night by a score of 2-1. This was the first Thorns home game since July 21. With the win, the Thorns now have an overall record of 8-4-4. Portland now has sole possession of 1st place in the NWSL by 2 points. The Thorns also are atop the league in Goal Differential with a total of +14.
The first half at Providence Park was action-packed. Portland generated two point-blank chances in the first six minutes of action. However, one of the first turning points of the match was at 13:30. Kelli Hubley would turn the ball over after struggling to control a pass. Hubley would then be shoulder to shoulder with North Carolina’s Victoria Pickett, as Pickett looked to score the game’s first goal. Before Pickett could attempt a shot, Hubley would make a slide tackle, that would cause Pickett to fall inside the penalty arch. After a review, Hubley would be Red Carded, meaning the Thorns would be shorthanded for the rest of the game.
The North Carolina Courage would earn a free kick from the spot of the foul. Tyler Lussi would take the kick for the Courage. Her shot would soar over the wall of Thorns defenders, ring off the crossbar, hit the ground and bounce back to the Courage for a header attempt. The ball would then float over the net, and the play would go to video review. After VAR, the referee awarded the Courage a goal, as Lussi’s shot hit the ground beyond the goal line.
The Thorns would be able to answer the goal late in the first half. Olivia Moultrie would chip a pass over the last defender to Hannah Betfort at the top of the box. Betfort, off one touch, would take a right footed shot towards the far post. Her shot would stay well out of reach of the goalkeeper, and at 40:31, the Thorns and Courage would be tied.
In the second half, both teams would have a handful of great chances to score. However, the only goal of the second half came early in the 69th minute. A three-on-three rush would develop for the Thorns just as the clock struck 68:00. A pass from Sophia Smith would connect with Morgan Weaver inside the box. Weaver, with an outside angle, would move closer to the net. After drawing in her defender, Weaver would pass the ball around her blocker, centering the ball across the goal area. Smith saw the line for the pass and tapped in the ball at the far side of the net, giving the Thorns a 2-1 lead.
North Carolina would have one last push to attempt to tie the game, late in regulation. At 87:25, the Courage would lead a pass from a wide angle outside the box. The ball would reach the goal area line, where goalkeeper Bella Bixby would reach for the ball. However, Bixby saw two attackers from the Courage barreling down towards her. Bixby, with her arms outstretched, would be able to deflect the ball away, past one attacker, and behind the second. The Thorns would hold on until the final whistle, giving Portland the 2-1 victory.
The Thorns are on the road for their next match. They’ll play at Audi Stadium on August 27 against the Washington Spirit with kickoff set for 2 p.m.
Northwest Sports Desk 