The Portland Thorns got off to a slow start, but after a late first half goal, and a miracle save off their own goal line, the Thorns found their form in a 4-0 win over the Seattle Reign. Olivia Moultrie, Sophia Smith, Hina Sugita and Payton Linnehan all scored for the Thorns, with Smith assisting on all three goals she didn’t score herself.
After Seattle had controlled play for much of the first half, though neither team had seriously threatened to score, the Thorns took the lead in the 42nd minute when Sophia Smith had a nice run into the Reign box and dropped a pass that was met at the top of the box by Olivia Moultrie, whose one touch shot curled perfectly over goalkeeper Laurel Ivory and inside the left post, and the Thorns had the 1-0 lead.
In first half stoppage time, the visitors came very close to tying the score when a free kick was headed towards goal and saved by Shelby Hogan, and the rebound was headed towards an apparently now-empty net by Seattle’s Bethany Balcer, but Portland defender Kelly Hubly had a miracle kick-save to keep the ball out of the Thorns net. And the score at the break would be 1-0 Thorns.
After controlling play for much of the second half, but not yet finding the goal, the Thorns caught a break in the 75th minute when a shot by Payton Linnehan appeared to go off the arm of defender Sofia Huerta. A VAR review followed and the Thorns were awarded a penalty kick, though the call was questionable since it appeared to go off Huerta’s foot first. Smith took the penalty attempt and scored easily inside the right post, and the Thorns lead was now 2-0.
In the 89th minute Seattle had another good chance with a header off a corner kick, but this time it was headed off the line by defender Marie Müller.
Thirteen minutes of stoppage time were announced, and the Thorns would take advantage of the extra time. In the 93rd minute, Smith made a run into the box as she slipped behind the Reign defense, and dropped a soft pass to the top of the box which was met by a low strike by Hina Sugita, with the shot not being incredibly powerful but very well placed just inside the left post, and the Thorns lead was now 3-0.
And the Thorns were not done yet. In the 98th minute, Smith made another nice run, this time down the right side, and once again dropped a perfect soft pass, this time into the run of Linnehan, who finished with a low shot just inside the left post and into the net, and the Thorns lead had increased to 4-0, which would be the final score.
