After two straight games on the road, the Portland Thorns return home to face the Orlando Pride at Providence Park this afternoon.

The Thorns (3-1-4. 13 points) have rebounded in recent weeks and sit third in the table, with a game in hand over most teams around them. Orlando (2-4-2, 8 points) are second bottom in the table, having struggled to get their season off the ground.

Storylines So Far

The Orlando Pride haven’t won a game in just about a month, when they beat North Carolina on May 18. Since that game, the Pride have conceded 12 goals in four games, which included a brutal 4-0 loss to the Houston Dash and a wild 4-2 loss to the Chicago Red Stars. Orlando’s had a rough go of things so far in 2022, but their two wins have come on the road, so they know how to get a victory at a hostile opponent.

The Thorns have also enjoyed some positive road results as of late. A disappointing but hard earned draw at San Diego Wave FC was followed up with a romping 4-0 win over the Houston Dash, which saw Olivia Moultrie enter the history books as the youngest goal scorer in NWSL history. Portland will be looking to build on that positive momentum and notch a win at home today, which would be just third home win of the season.

In search of doing so, the Thorns will be slightly shorthanded. Christine Sinclair is still unavailable due to the injury she suffered minutes before kickoff at Houston, and Morgan Weaver is also unavailable due to injury. Emily Menges is still on the mend as well, and isn’t available for selection.

How to watch

Location: Providence Park | Portland, OR

Time: 12:00 PM PST

Watch: Paramount+, Twitch (international)

Pregame reading

• Melina put together a match preview for this afternoon’s game, with quotes from head coach Rhian Wilkinson and winger Janine Beckie.

Lineups

Portland Thorns FC

Orlando Pride