Tobin Heath celebrates her goal against Seattle (photo by Diego Diaz).
The weather was mild but the fire of the Cascadia rivalry burnt hot as ever. With a home playoff game at stake, both teams crackled with electricity, occasionally boiling over as tempers flared, with the biggest rivalry in the NWSL lived up to its name in front of a sold out crowd.
Thorns were the first to make it into the box, but nothing came of it or the first corner of the game.
However, the Reign would draw first blood, four minutes in. Fishlock, ever the eager villain, would strike it into a top corner, out of the reach of Franch.
The Thorn’s first real attempt came in the 17th, but Foord would be taken out by a clean tackle, allowing Williams to easily gather the ball. The Reign were only just saved from an own goal when Williams stopped her teammate’s errant pass on the line. The Australian goalkeeper caught a shot from a distance not two minutes later.
In the 24th minute, Carpenter broke away and hared down the right side, her shot just bouncing off the wrong side of the cross bar.
Horan got one back – with her foot, not her head, in the 30th minute. Williams, who was pulled slightly from prime position by an attempt from Sinclair not seconds earlier, could do little.
Thorns had another chance in the 37th, but took too long to settle and lost their teeth.
Adrianna Franch fights through the melee to clear the ball for the Thorns (photo by Dante’y Buitureida).
The Reign had a promising corner where Franch was caught up in a maelstrom of bodies, but quick thinking from her defenders found it harmlessly pushed out to midfield before the whistle blew.
Two minutes into the second half, Sinclair had the chance which Williams gathered into her arms. Three minute after that, Heath would not be denied, and, in the very same corner where Fishlock drew first blood, Heath sent it home.
Sonnett drew first yellow in the 60th when she felled Westerphal; Addo would join her two minutes later when she chose to square up against Horan.
A close miss from a header from Sonnett would come between two corners in the 64th. Nothing would come of either.
Seattle tightened up their defense in the 69th minute by pulling Westerphal, who had been a relative weak link for them, and planting Nielsen in her place. This would make no difference when in the 82th, off a corner, Horan headed it home.
In the 87th, Catley was given a caution card for a somewhat reckless challenge on Purce.
There was more back and forth in the final minutes, but ultimately nothing would come of it for either side and the Thorns, victorious, would lock in their home semi-final.
Whilst the Thorns were wholly dominant after the first ten, they have to be careful to remain on their guard for the repeat of this match at the semi-final. Whilst they’ve locked down a home game this Saturday, September 15th at noon, there’s still a lot to consider. The possible return of Allie Long and Megan Rapinoe to the Reign’s starting lineup for one. In short, they’ve won the battle, but not the war.
The sold out crowd celebrate a victory over their Cascadian rivals (photo by Jeff Wong).
Portland Thorns
