Key Transactions
Since the Pride’s last meeting with Portland three weeks ago, the Thorns have not made any changes to the roster. The Thorns did lose five players to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, four of which played for the U.S. WNT in Becky Sauerbunn, Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan and Adrianna Franch who returned stateside with bronze. Their fifth Olympian, Canadian legend Christine Sinclair, will come back as a first-time gold medalist.
Recent Form
Since the Pride met the Thorns back on July 18th, Portland has gone 3-0-0 and held all three opponents scoreless. The Thorns beat the Dash 1-0 via a Sophia Smith first-minute finish on July 24 before defeating Kansas City a week later by a score of 2-0 at Providence Park. Most recently, Portland took on the Washington Spirit this past Saturday, with Simone Charley scoring the lone goal in the match.
Who’s Hot
Sophia Smith currently leads Portland with four goals, tied for fourth in the league. Rocky Rodriguez has two goals and two assists on the season, making her the only Portland player with multiple goals and multiple assists. Olivia Moutrie recorded her first-ever NWSL assist in Portland’s latest win over the weekend against the Spirit.
Head-to-Head
Orlando has taken on the Thorns twice this season, splitting the series. In each game, the home team has won 2-1. When the Pride welcomed the Thorns in the third week of the 2021 season, both Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux found the back of the net to record the Club’s first-ever win over the Portland Thorns at Exploria Stadium. Portland’s Simone Charley netted the lone goal for the Thorns in that match.
Rasmussen Fun Fact
Portland goalkeeper Bella Bixby has recorded five clean sheets through the Thorns’ last six games. The only team to score against Bixby during this stretch was the Pride. Portland held Orlando scoreless through 94 minutes, but a finish from Marisa Viggiano late in second half stoppage erased the clean sheet. Additionally, the Pride are the only team to score against Portland in more than one game this season.
