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The girls in red are in Texas today for a midweek matchup against the Houston Dash. The Thorns roster continues to be plagued by injuries at key positions: AD Franch just underwent surgery for a meniscus injury, while Emily Menges is still listed as out with a tibia stress reaction. Portland will want a win against a poor Houston side, whose first and only win this weekend came at the expense of an even poorer Sky Blue.
Preview
“Beyond the lack of cohesion, Houston’s bigger problem is that their roster simply isn’t very good. A game plan is of little use if all your players are outmatched by all your opponents’ players. That’s not to say there are no bright spots—Nichelle Prince made some big plays in both games, Kealia Ohai is much the same player she was before her ACL injury, and both young South Africans, Thembi Kgatlana and Linda Motlhalo, have shown promise. But overall, and especially when it comes to their defense (such as it is), any lineup Houston can put forward matches up poorly against the starting eleven of pretty much every other team.
In short: if there’s any team Portland has to be able to get a result against, it’s Houston.”
Match Information
Watch it on: go90.com, NWSLsoccer.com internationally
When: Wednesday, May 9 at 5 pm PT
Where: BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, TX
Portland Thorns: 2-2-2, fourth in the league, lost vs Seattle Reign
Houston Dash: 1-3-2, eighth in the league, won at Sky Blue FC