Allie Long Named NWSL Player of the Month

Portland Thorns midfielder Allie Long has been named the NWSL Player of the Month for September, the Thorns and NWSL announced Thursday.

Long becomes the third member of the NWSL Shield-winning Thorns to be named Player of the Month in 2016, following Tobin Heath in April and Christine Sinclair in June.

Finishing the season with a 2 goal performance against Sky Blue FC that secured the Thorns the best record for 2016 and the #1 overall playoff seed, Long scored 5 goals in 4 matches in September, helping the Thorns to a 4-0-0 record for September.  For the 2016 season Long scored 6 goals and two assists in 15 starts, finishing tied for 9th in goals scored.

Long was also named the NWSL Player of the Week for Week 19, and was nominated for Most Valuable Player for the 2016 season, along with Heath.  Fan voting closes at 9:00pm tonight, and can be reached athttp://nwsl.us/2cJbfup.

Portland Thorns Press Release:

THORNS FC MIDFIELDER ALLIE LONG NAMED NWSL PLAYER OF THE MONTH

PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC midfielder Allie Long was named the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Player of the Month for September, it was announced today.

Long, 29, helped Thorns FC post an undefeated record of 4-0-0 during the month of September, tallying five goals and one assist in four matches, and was instrumental in helping Portland win its first NWSL Shield after finishing with the best regular-season record (12-3-5, 41pts). The U.S. Women’s National Team midfielder finished the 2016 regular season with six goals, bringing her career regular-season total to 28, which ranks in the top three all-time in the NWSL. 

Playing at home against the Boston Breakers on Sept. 4, Long notched a goal and her second assist of the season in a 5-1 win. Continuing her strong run of form, Long scored two goals in a 3-0 win over the Houston Dash at Providence Park on Sept. 7. On the final day of the 2016 regular season, Long scored her second brace of the season – her fifth two-goal performance of her career – in a 3-1 win over Sky Blue FC at Yurcak Field on Sept. 25. 

It marks the first time Long has been named Player of the Month, and her second award this week after claiming NWSL Player of the Week honors for Week 19. In addition, Long is the third Thorns FC player to be recognized as the Player of the Month this season, joining midfielder Tobin Heath, who was Player of the Month for April, and forward Christine Sinclair, who was Player of the Month for June. 

The NWSL Player of the Month is selected each month of the regular season by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of media that cover the league on a consistent basis. For more information on the NWSL Media Association, follow them on Twitter.

With the regular season complete, Portland will play host to the Western New York Flash in the Thorns FC 2016 Playoffs presented by Tillamook Ice Cream on Sunday, Oct. 2, at Providence Park. Set to kickoff at 2 p.m. (Pacific), the semifinal match will be broadcast live on FS1. Tickets are available for purchase online via ThornsFC.com, by phone at (888) 736-6849, or at the Providence Park box office.