The Portland Thorns got out to an early lead, but couldn’t hold onto it and settled for a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dash. Crystal Dunn would have the Thorns goal, while María Sánchez would net one for Houston.
The Thorns didn’t take long to get on the board, when in just the ninth minute, Sophie Smith would make a run down the left side, and crossed to a wide-open Crystal Dunn, who one-timed a shot that was off the crossbar but in, and the Thorns had a 1-0 lead.
But in the 24th minute, after a Thorns defender missed a play on a pass, Houston’s María Sánchez would find her way into the box, and slipped a nice slow shot inside the far post past goalkeeper Bella Bixby, and the score was tied at 1-1.
In the 32nd minute, the Thorns would have a great chance to re-take the lead when Smith made another great run down the left side, but though her shot beat Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell, the shot would ring off the crossbar. Nine minutes later the Thorns once again were attacking down the left side, as they would for much of the night, with Morgan Weaver having a great opportunity this time, but her shot was just high. The score was 1-1 at the break.
In the 65th minute it was Weaver again attacking down the left side, with her shot slipping just wide left into the side netting.
Both teams would have good chances to steal the winning goal, with Portland’s Rocky Rodríguez and Weaver having several late great chances, the best being off a Meghan Klingenberg corner kick in the 89th minute when Weaver had a chance at a mostly-open net, but her opportunity was challenged well by the Dash defense and would slip just wide.
