Match Preview & Thread: Portland Thorns at Racing Louisville

After two consecutive losses, the Thorns hit the road to take on Racing at 5pm PST

Photo Credit: Kelsey Baker

The matchup between Portland and Louisville is, in some ways, the crescendo of both teams’ seasons. Sitting at 6th and 7th, with 26 points each, these teams are both fighting for a spot in the playoffs and would greatly benefit from 3 points ahead of the weekend.

These teams have arrived at their spots in the standings from two different trajectories. The Thorns, despite multiple SEI’s early on, were showing some promise before faltering and losing their footing and momentum. Specifically, their last match against a last placed Utah Royals proved redundant, disconnected, and disappointing. The lack of intentional lineup changes, speed up top, and defensive structure has left Portland struggling to find an identity thus far in the season. If there is a time to turn their season around, it’s now.

Louisville, on the other hand, is looking to go further than they ever have in team history, having ended in 9th every season since their debut in the NWSL. Some Thorns fans will recall the last meeting of these two teams at Providence Park—a record breaking 41 foul game and a dramatic 3-3 finish. Louisville will play scrappy once again and look to best the Thorns on their home turf.

What to watch for

Rob Gale won’t be making a pitch-side appearance after yellow card accumulation, but his presence will be felt in the starting eleven.

There are some questions surrounding his choices as of late. Will Fleming be starting or will he once more leave one of his key players on the bench to start the match? Bella or Macca? Both keepers have shown their technical strength, but is there something to starting Bella that will give the team some fire they so desperately need? Bella Bixby has broken the team record for clean sheets and starting her would definitely play into the minds of the Racing squad.

Finally, who will Gale have leading the attack? Tordin and Turner have both proven to get in the box, bring speed to the attacking lines, and both clearly have a nose for goal. If Gale can make some critical changes to the lineup and if the players can find their way into the box to create chances, then they will have a shot at coming away with 3 points.

Louisville is not a team to be dismissed—their squad is strong and unified in their objectives. Emma Sears, Janine Sonis, and Ary Borges are just a few of the players to watch during this matchup. These players have each found the back of the net in one of their last 5 games and won’t let up now. The Thorns’ back line will need to step up and figure out how to not leave players unmarked in the box, a certain threat of their opponents. Against Utah, Portland was caught with a flat, high defensive line which got beat more than once. Some adjustment to the center-backs will be crucial against a physical team.

Tune in to Prime Video at 5pm PST to watch how this match plays out.