Turning Point?

(in which the Thorns pull off a huge win against long odds) The Thorns hosted the league-leading North Carolina Courage on Saturday in a rematch of last year’s semi-final playoff match. On the back of an outstanding defensive effort and a Hayley Raso headed goal, they won 1-0. The win moved the team back into […]

Golazo!

(in which the Thorns are fortunate to earn a point, but unhappy not to have three) The Houston Dash hosted the Thorns in a weather-delayed match and snatched a draw from the jaws of victory. A stoppage time golazo by Lindsey Horan saved the Thorns from an ignominious defeat. The final score of 1-1 reflects […]

Not Again!

(In which the Curse of Memorial Stadium continues) This is a short match report for this last of three games in eight days. The Thorns visited the Seattle Reign and once again came home with nothing, losing 2-0. All-time, Portland has taken one point from a possible fifteen there and been outscored 14-2 in the […]

Bouncing

(in which the Thorns bounce back and the house bounces with them) This is a short match report for this busy week of three games in eight days. FC Kansas City came to town in a matchup of the two best defenses in the league. The game was not the grinding affair everyone expected as […]

Where Did We Leave Our Keys?

(In which the Thorns cannot find the key, so Washington locks up three points) This is the first brief match report in this busy period of three games in eight days. For only the second time ever, the Washington Spirit defeated the Portland Thorns. The final score was 1-0 on a Francisca Ordega goal in […]

Tons of Pride

Providence Park was rocking all night! A crowd of 16,736 was on hand and it was Pride Night. The stands were filled with color. The early goal conceded did not dampen spirits as the fans sang and danced until the final whistle. Governor Kate Brown, wearing an old-school Thorns jersey, oversaw the coin toss. One […]

Sky Blue, International Break and Pride Night (Among Other Things)

On a beautiful blue sky day, the Sky Blue match drew 2,418 spectators. At least eight of them were Riveters as the few crowd shots from the broadcast revealed. A contingent of four members of the East Coast Platoon regional sub-group were also planning to attend. The broadcast did not pick up much noise from Cloud […]

Can We Play You Every Week?

Attendance was 18,367 which was the high for the season so far and 7th highest all-time. For comparison, this fixture last season occurred later in the year as the playoffs loomed; Portland won 5-1 in front of 17,152. The Riveters were in fine voice all night, obviously aided by the early lead. But the possible […]