After the final international break of the season, the Portland Thorns (7-3-7, 28 points) embark upon their final five games of the NWSL regular season. In their first of two straight away games, the Thorns square off against the Orlando Pride (5-6-6, 21 points) in Florida.

Storylines So Far

Portland went into the international break on a bit of a skid. After rattling off an eleven game unbeaten run, Portland suffered two straight losses. The first a loss on the road at the hands of North Carolina Courage, and the second a bruising home defeat to San Diego Wave FC. The losses pulled Portland back to the pack a bit, and the Thorns currently stand in fourth place— just three points above the playoff line.

The Pride have been experiencing somewhat the opposite of the Thorns, as they are on a bit of a resurgence. Since their 6-0 defeat to the Thorns in June, Orlando rattled off seven straight games without a loss, picking up three key victories along the way. They dropped their last game before the break, but are a team that has been revitalized with newfound hope for the playoffs.

Pregame Reading

Melina reviewed Portland’s last outing— the 2-0 loss to San Diego.

Melina also put together a preview for today’s proceedings.

How to Watch

Location: Exploria Stadium | Orlando, FL

Time: 4:00 PM PT

Watch: Paramount+ & Twitch (international)

Lineups

Portland Thorns

Orlando Pride