Match Recap & Highlights: Portland Thorns 2-0 Orlando Pride

The expectations were high in Florida. Not only it was necessary to start the first game of September in the right way but also, the entire roster was available for the first time in the season. The Thorns wanted to go back to their winning ways but Orlando was not the same team since the last time the Thorns played against them.

The action

10’ Great service by Weaver from the left to Sophia, who can’t connect with the ball thanks to good defense work by the home team.

15’ Portland with the high pressure, has put Orlando against their box, touching the ball from right to left but can’t connect in the last pass.

17’ Sugita steals the ball and shoots but can’t beat the goalkeeper. She can’t contain the ball, though, but Weaver can’t get there in time to put it in the back of the net.

22’ Foul on Sophia and Montefusco is shown a yellow.

23’ Orlando lets Sophia receive the ball but right away she is marked by at least 3 players and can’t get a shot.

25’ Weaver shoots but can’t beat Moorhouse.

32’ GOAL! Great play made on the left side that finds Weaver who crosses to Yazmeen Ryan. She connects with the pass and scores a goal à la Karate Kid!

34’ Yazmeen receives a yellow card for a foul on Ström.

38’ Coffey keeps looking for her first goal in the league. Great sequence made by Olivia Moultrie in the box, she passes to Weaver, who notices Coffey in a better position to shoot. She does and misses by little.

Orlando tried to level the score before the halftime whistle, not letting Portland dominate the ball anymore, and got two decent chances. In one of them, a corner, Cluff got a header but it went wide. In another opportunity, Abello got past the Thorns’ defense but in the end, Hubly and Kuikka recovered well and stopped her.

55’ Orlando gets a free kick and somehow the ball passes through the defense and found Ally Watt in the six-yard box but a good block there stops the shot and the ball found Bixby’s gloves.

57’ Powerful cross by Kuikka that almost hits the back of the net, but Moorhouse gets a piece of it and sends it to the corner.

64’ Sugita goal! Another great build-up on the left, with Klingenberg initiating the play, passes the ball to Weaver, who lets Moultrie do her thing on the box and finds Sugita. She shoots and while everybody thought she was going to miss, the ball hits the post and it’s a goal, the fifth of the season for her. Two goals beyond!

70’ Sophia Smith shoots on frame but Moorhouse denies her with her foot.

72’ Becky gets fouled on the midfield and Reiss gets a yellow.

73’ Great pass by Klingenberg to a very open Sophia but she skies the ball.

74’ Tegan McGray and Marissa Everett enter the match for Olivia and Natu.

86’ CRYSTAL DUNN IS BACK. She enters the match for Sophia Smith.

87’ Weaver gets space to shoot but the ball goes directly to where the goalkeeper was standing.

90’ Weaver gets a yellow after a foul on Listro.

Orlando gets a free kick and corner after the foul and in both plays, Bella came out big to deny those goal opportunities.

90+5’ Klingenberg gets a yellow card for time-wasting.

90+6’ Michelle Vasconcelos enters the match for Ryan

The Portland Thorns are back to their winning ways, and with these three points they’re back at the top of the table. They will continue their road games on Sunday September 18 when they face Kansas City Current at 2 PM Pacific time.