Sky Blue Captain, Carli Lloyd sends the ball down the field (phoe by Diego Diaz).
Caitlin Foord had her first start of the season as the thorns faced Sky Blue under a smoky sky. Within the first ninety seconds of the game, the Thorns had their first real chance, when a nice through ball from Sinclair found Raso’s feet, and it was barely pushed wide.
Sky Blue’s first look came when a ball bounced dangerous close to the feet of one of their player in the Thorn’s box, but Menges cleared. In the twelfth minute, Horan was hit hard by Skroski, just inside the box, and a penalty was awarded. Sinclair easily slotted it into the corner, and the Thorns were up one.
The first hydration break came in the 16th minute- though water can do little to nothing for air quality deemed unhealthy by the kind of people who knows those sort of things. Franch had a ball delivered directly into her arms by number 21, McCaskill, in the 21st, and the Thorn’s sheet was kept clean.
Foord had her first chance in the 27th, but she spun herself too much and ended up on the ground, the ball harmless slowly rolling towards Sheridan. Less than a minute later, after a Sky Blue foul resulting in a free kick, Katie Johnson would find herself a recipient of an aggressively hard ball to the gut. Sonnett would stop the ball until it was confirmed she was okay, then the free kick would be retaken. It found its way to Foord’s head, but she would tip it just wide.
There was then another hydration break- by this time, the temperature had dropped to a cool 73. The air quality was still above 150, but as previously stated, water does nothing to combat unhealthy air conditions.
A Heath free kick from a handball in the 38th would find Horan, but she’d not get enough power on it.
After the third or four time of Tiernan fouling Raso hard enough to ground her, she would be carded- a yellow in the 41st minute. Heath would take the resulting free kick, and it would be cleared. Less than a minute later, Sonnett would feel Sheridan’s gloves in her face as she went for the header, and the game would pause whilst concussion protocol was run. She would return to the game.
During injury time, Carli Lloyd would shoulder barge Horan outside the box, awarding the Thorns another free kick. Nothing would come of it, and the players would take a well earned break to top up on some oxygen, which was likely necessary due to the poor quality of the air.
Haley Raso attempts to clear the ball (Photo by Diego Diaz/Icon Sportswire).
Christine Sinclair started off the second half. She also had the next good chance for the Thorns, but found herself on the ground instead. Tiernan took out Raso again in the 53rd, and a scuffle might have developed, had the referee not stepped in; though nobody was carded. Tiernan might consider herself lucky that she avoided a second yellow; she conceded seven fouls, five of them on Raso. The resulting Heath free kick, however, would find itself in the corner of goal; or possibly, the hair of Horan redirected it.
The third hydration break of the game saw a constellation of cellphone lights spread out across the stadium- the meaning not quite clear. It would later come to light that somebody was sending a friend flashlight messages across the stadium- and people around joined in until many folks had their flashlights up and out.
In the 67th minute, McCaskill decided that falling on Heath would be a valid defense tactic, and received a yellow card as a result. The resulting Horan free kick would find itself safely cradled in Sheridan’s arms. Rodriguez would get a good chance a minute later in the 69th, but Franch would gather. Raso would go down in the 74th minute, shortly before a sky blue corner, and that would end her game, Purce taking the field in her stead.
Heath would go down on light contact from Katie Johnson in the 76th, and the last water break
of the game would be called.
Sky Blue would get a goal back in the 85th when Sarah Killion would find herself alone and with enough space to get it past Franch. Jennifer Hoy was issued a yellow in the 88th when she pulled Klingenberg down after the ball was past them, and out of bounds. Purce would break through in the second minute of injury time, but her shot was gathered by Sheridan. In the fourth, the ball would find Sinclair’s head, and again Sheridan would snatch it from the sky.
After eight excruciating minutes of injury time, the Thorns would walk away with the victory,leaving Sky Blue winless on the season. Parsons was considerably happier with this performance, when compared to Saturday’s. He felt that they came out stronger. Parsons deferred to the experts, stating that the pre-game practice yesterday was cut in half on their say-so. He also thanked the staff for ensuring both teams were as safe as possible.
Portland Thorns
