The Portland Thorns had a wild opening match for the 2024 NWSL season, falling behind early, before nearly pulling off a late rally, but fell a goal short in a 5-4 loss to the Kansas City Current. Vanessa DiBernardo scored twice for the hosts, while Beatriz Zaneratto João, Kristen Hamilton, and Alex Pfieffer also scored. Sophia Smith scored twice for the Thorns, as did Janine Beckie.
Kansas City opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, when Débora Cristiane de Oliveira intercepted a bad pass from Thorns goalkeeper Shelby Hogan, and passed across the goalmouth to a charging Vanessa DiBernardo, who scored easily to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Just a few minutes later, a failed headed clearance attempt by Marie Müller fell to a wide open DiBernardo near the penalty spot, and she buried a hard shot past Hogan, and the score was now 2-0.
In the 34th minute, the hosts added another goal to their lead when a nice pass by Hailie Mace was into the run of Beatriz Zaneratto João who beat Hogan with a nice shot under the crossbar, and the score was 3-0.
In the 43rd minute, the Thorns were finally on the board when Sophie Smith‘s shot from outside the Current box slipped just inside the right post past goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, and the score was 3-1 Kansas City, which would be the score at the break.
But in the 64th minute, the hosts added to their lead when Temwa Chawinga managed to free a loose ball from the Thorns keeper, and Kristen Hamilton jumped on the loose ball and scored into the open net to make it 4-1 Current. In the 68th minute it was Chawinga setting up a score again, this time by chesting down a cross that fell to Alex Pfieffer at the top of the box, whose low shot was just inside the right post, and the score was now 5-1 to the hosts.
But the Thorns weren’t done despite the four-goal deficit. In the 71st minute, a corner kick was headed across the goalmouth, and fell to Janine Beckie, who blasted in a shot past Franch at the post, and the score was now 5-2. Just three minute later, Smith made a few nice moves at the top of the Current box, and put a low shot to the far post perfectly past the Current keeper, and the score was 5-3.
A stoppage time began, Beckie pulled the Thorns within a goal with a shot out of nowhere, as her perfect shot from 25 yards out curled just inside the left post, and the score was now 5-4.
But the Thorns could never get the equalizer, and would fall by a goal to open the 2024 season.
