Seattle Reign midfielder Allie Long squares off against Portland Thorns midfielder Tobin Heath (photo by Dante’y Buitureida)
In a game where five goals were scored, unbelievably, it’s the missed chances which told the story, along with the 16,045 fans that attended the 17th Cascadia Clash who super charged the stadium. The players felt it too, regardless of which side they were on. The Reign had the perfect stage to rub salt in the wound of their unsuspecting victims; many of whom still had fond feelings lingering for at least one of the five ex-Thorns fielded.
The Thorns had the first chance of the game, when a shot was sent straight to Betos’ waiting arms by Horan. Less than a minute later, the ex-Thorn would gather a cross. The first real Reign attempt came in the 12th minute when Long, another former player, went down and won a free kick within range.
Weber pinged it off the cross bar in the 18th minute, and Betos would gather the following rebound. Another Portland foul would result in yet another attempt which was again gathered in the 22nd minute.
In the 25th minute, Long, the only Seattle player to foul anybody in the first half in the eyes of the referee Karen Abt, knocked Horan from her feet, her attempt sailed straight over the cross bar. Crnogorcevic would have an open chance when Betos came too far out and left an empty goals in the 28th minute, but she couldn’t curl it correctly and it sailed straight out of bounds. Long clattered into Boureille so hard in the 31st minute the latter lost a shin guard, which was enough for Abt to pull out a yellow card.
Players go head to head during the 17th clash between the Cascadian teams (photo by Diego G Diaz).
In the 34th minute, Long would have an attempt on target, but Eckerstrom was able to get her fingertips to it and push it safely out. This corner would result in an attempt on target from Fishlock in the 35th. It was Yanez, in the 36th minute, however, who first managed to convert, capitalizing on an instance of random mindlessness, which has become worryingly frequent from the Thorns defense. The Reign controlled the possession and won the majority of their duels in the first half, but Parsons felt that his side could have easily been up three nil at the half, if not for a bit of bad luck.
Heath was subbed for Weber, and Andressinha for Boureille, and the second half started. Heath’s first real show in the game was a missed shot in the 51st minute which entirely missed the goal, but perfectly found the Timbers tunnel. Four or so minutes later, in the 55th, Horan would hit it off the crosswork, only for Crnogorcevic to follow up with a shot on target which Betos managed to punch away. The next attempt went out, but there was only so much pressure the Reign could put up with, and they buckled in the form of an Emily Sonnett goal in the 61st minute.
Sinclair attempted to play the ball through Long, and flattened her in the meanwhile in the 62nd; this would not be called. A considerably lighter touch from Crnogorcevic on Fishlock in the box, however, would warrant a penalty. Ex-thorn Jodie Taylor would convert that in the 64th minute. Horan evened up the score in the 70th minute, less than fifteen seconds after her first attempted missed.
In the 74th minute, Taylor would have an excellent opportunity of her own when she managed to break away, and though she faced Eckerstrom alone, she miss calculated and ended up sending the ball straight into the keeper’s hand. Less than a minute, however, Utsugi would make up for it, scoring what would end up being the final goal of the game, though not for lack of trying on the thorns part.
In the final 10 minutes of the game, the stadium would bear witness to four phenomenal Betos’ saves, and another four blocked shots; and that was the game, with the exception of a another yellow in the 87th minute for former Thorn Alyssa Kleiner.
This win brings the all-time head to head even; with the Thorns and Reign each winning seven games a piece, and three left being ties. It also further cemented certain attitudes and views. Whilst Long made it clear that she felt the club and organization never valued and viewed her with the level of importance she deserved, one could possibly deduce from Parsons’ statements about the Thorns only accepting players who are looking to grow, change, and improve that he no longer felt she fit the bill.
For the match photo gallery click here.
Seattle Reign keeper Michelle Betos in one of many acrobatic saves of the night (photo by Jeff Wong).
Portland Thorns
