The Portland Thorns have qualified for their third NWSL Championship appearance after a 2-1 win over the Seattle Reign in front of 14,179 at Portland’s Providence Park. Tobin Heath and Lindsey Horan scored for the Thorns while Jasmyne Spencer had the lone goal for the visitors.
Like last week’s season-ending victory over Seattle that secured the home playoff match, the first half saw the visitors with the bulk of the good chances, though the Thorns did have a good run of play in the 17th minute with three good chances in a short span, with Lydia Williams making two good saves, and with the last shot by Tobin Heath being deflected then tipped off the crossbar by the Seattle goalkeeper.
The visitors took the lead in the 29th minute when a free kick from just outside the box by Meghan Rapinoe was off the crossbar, but the rebound was nicely one-timed into the net by Jasmyne Spencer. Portland goalkeeper Adrianna Franch kept the game close with two nice saves on Jodie Taylor‘s shots in the 33rd and 37th minutes, and then another nice kick save on a Rapinoe shot from close-in two minutes later.
But the Thorns would tie the match in the 43rd minute when Lindsey Horan played a nice pass to Heath, whose low shot beat Williams to level the score.
In the 69th minute the Thorns appeared to have taken the lead when a Christine Sincair cross was knocked home by Heath, but the goal was called back for offside, though replays appeared to show the goal should have stood.
But in the 76th minute the Thorns would take the lead on a Sinclair cross that found the head of Horan, whose headed shot clanged off the left post before settling into the net, giving the Thorns a 2-1 lead. Seattle had one good chance to level the score in the 81st minute when Beverly Yanez had a good look from just inside the Thorns 18 yard box, but slipped while attempting to take the shot.
Adrianna Franch had four saves in the win while Lydia Williams had three saves for Seattle.
With the win the Thorns host the NWSL Championship game next Saturday, against either the North Carolina Courage or Chicago Red Stars who play at Providence Park on Tuesday to determine the other spot in the Championship. That match was moved from North Carolina due to Hurricane Florence.
