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After a strong defensive performance that yielded a 0-0 tie against the Utah Royals, the Portland Thorns (4-1-4) hope to generate more on the attack in Texas. The Houston Dash (3-2-4) have been all over the board this season, scraping out a scoreless draw against the first place Washington Spirit last weekend and putting up a 2-2 scoreline against the then last place Orlando Pride the week before.
The Thorns have a favorable history against Houston; the overall record between the two sides stands at 8-2-3 in Portland’s favor. Last season, Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic scored all three times the sides met up. Crnogorcevic has been relatively quiet so far, with her only goal coming in a 4-4 draw against the Chicago Red Stars. Will she be able to find her second against the Dash?
Previews
Storylines:
“Thorns are starting to filter back in from France after Brazil, Australia and Canada all got dropped from the World Cup in the first knockout round. Andressinha is the only one confirmed to be back in training at the moment, and as the player with the fewest minutes logged of any Thorn at the World Cup, she seems likely to hit the field the quickest. Her coming back into the team could significantly help a team that looked a little short of creativity in midfield.
Emily Menges has been cleared from the injury report after missing two games and could see a starting place, though the team might choose to play it slow with bigger games on the horizon.”
How to Watch
How to watch: Yahoo Sports; NWSLSoccer.com for international viewers
Where: BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas
When: Saturday, June 29, 5:30 p.m. (Pacific)
Portland Thorns: 4-1-4, 4th place in the NWSL, drew 0-0 vs Utah Royals FC
Houston Dash: 3-2-4, 6th place in the NWSL, drew 0-0 at Washington Spirit