The Portland Thorns (fifth place, 16 points, 4-4-4) take on the Houston Dash (seventh place, 14 points, 3-4-5) tonight at 5:30 at BBVA Compass Stadium. Emily Sonnett and AD Franch are both available for the Thorns, while Midge Purce is still out and Tobin Heath is listed as questionable. The Thorns are coming off a 1-1 draw in Chicago, a game that played out in what’s become a familiar pattern as Portland went down in the first half on a penalty, then came back to draw after a Lindsey Horan goal. Houston, meanwhile, is coming off an extra week of rest, as they had a bye week following the international break.
Storylines
“In any case, with the addition of Hayley Raso, Portland finally has a dedicated forward who scores once in a while. The Dash midfield—at least, earlier iterations of it—can be pressured off the ball by physical teams. It’s easy to see the Thorns squeezing them throughout the game, forcing a turnover, and sending a ball up and over to Carpenter or a fresh-off-the-bench Raso to beat Houston’s defense.”
Match Information
Watch it on: go90, NWSLsoccer.com internationally
When: Friday, June 22 at 5:30 pm PT
Where: BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, TX
Portland Thorns: 4-4-4, fifth in the league, drew 1-1 at Chicago Red Stars
Houston Dash: 3-4-5, seventh in the league, drew 1-1 vs North Carolina Courage