Match Recap: Portland Thorns v Angel City
Match Recap: Portland Thorns v Angel City
The final home match for Christine Sinclair was absolute cinema.
The Portland Thorns defeated Angel City 3-0 on a soaked Friday night at Providence Park, in Christine Sinclair’s final game in Portland before her imminent retirement. The woman of the hour Sinclair got the party started, and then Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver added goals in the first half rout. The win clinched the Thorns a spot in the 2024 NWSL Playoffs — their eighth straight postseason appearance.
The lineup for the final match in Providence Park looked a little different. Hina Sugita made her return and returned to the starting lineup. Weaver and Smith round off the front line with captain Sinclair.
First Half
Early on it was Angel City with the bulk of the possession. Gisele Thompson created a ton of chaos on Nicole Payne’s side of the pitch. The first chance came for Christen Press, but the final product was not there. The Portland Thorns continued to apply the press. In the eighth minute, they almost went ahead on a Soph Smith shot, but DiDi Haračić made a kick save on the attempt.
Like a fairytale, Christine Sinclair would not be denied. In the 16th minute, she buried a rebound with her trademark calmness to put the Portland Thorns up 1-0. Sinclair took multiple touches in front of goal and delivered with deftly precision. Minutes later, it looked like Portland would go up 2-0, but Smith’s goal was ruled offside.
In the 26th minute, Sam Coffey stole the ball in an advanced position and dribbled deep into Angel City territory. She played Soph in on goal, who proceeded to put the moves on Sarah Gorden and Jasmyne Spencer. Smith would blast it through them into the net to make it 2-0.
In first half stoppage time, Morgan Weaver completed the trio of goals from the front three when she headed home an outrageous chip towards the back post from Hina Sugita. The goal made it 3-0 as the halftime whistle blew, and the party was on at Providence Park.
Although Portland didn’t have the ball for much of the half (34%), but they were the better side. The Thorns outshot ACFC 7-2 and xG. 1.34 - 0.13.
Second Half
This half started off fairly slow from both sides, LA found a majority of the chances in the first 15 minutes but none of them were a challenge to Hogan (if they even made it to her — many went wide of frame).
The Thorns started ramping it up after the 60th minute with players like Hina and Payton Linnehan getting close to scoring.
In the 72nd minute, both Alexa Spaanstra and Olivia Moultrie came on for Weaver and Hina. Those two players had a great impact on the match.
23,212 people were in the crowd for the match, it was a lovely turnout for the GOAT Sinclair’s last home match.
The moment finally came for Sinc to leave the match in the 83rd minute. The crowd erupted in cheers and Sinclair took the time to hug her teammates as she made her way off the field for the final time in Portland.
The half didn’t have any goals to add to the scoreline, but the team still held onto the lead and the shutout. It was a very fitting match to end a legendary career.
The story just writes itself sometimes. Christine Sinclair scoring the opening goal was destiny. Soph Smith and Morgan Weaver adding their own tallies just made too much sense. The Portland Thorns used everything they had to make the night even more magical. For one final time at the park, it was a night that no one will never ever forget. Soccer City, USA showed up and their sendoff of the greatest of all time was absolute cinema.
Highlights
3’ Gisele Thompson dissects the Portland defense and plays a ball to an unmarked Christen Press at the top right of the box. Luckily, no damage there.
8’ Soph Smith, Morgan Weaver, and Christine Sinclair forced a turnover high up the pitch. Great combination play led to a kick save by DiDi Haračić.
16’ 1-0 POR Christine Sinclair buries the rebound!
19’ Soph rushes past the right side of Angel City’s defense, but the initial ball was ruled offside. That goal would have made it 2-0.
26’ 2-0 POR She will not be denied! Sam Coffey steals the ball from an advanced position and dribbles deep into ACFC territory. She plays it to Soph who beats Gorden and Spencer to score.
32’ ACFC fails to clear it. Sinclair finds herself on the end of a header but steers it just wide.
45’ 5 minutes of stoppage time.
45’ +4 3-0 POR Hina provides the cross and Weavs the headed finish! It’s a party at Providence Park.
Linnehan replaced Smith at half
54’ Hogan denied Leroux’s chance in front of the net.
55’ Payne is taken out earning a free kick for the Thorns in the attacking third, Coffey sent it in looking for Sinc but Haracic collected the ball in the air.
57’ Press had the closest chance for LA at this point in the game with a driving shot that went just over the crossbar.
58’ Weaver found space outside the 18 and fired off a shot that went just wide.
61’ Hina got close to the fourth Portland goal but the LA defense got their bodies in the way.
64’ Peyton Linnehan got close but her shot pinged off the near post before being cleared away.
66’ The Thorns had a chippy moment in the box but were able to keep LA from scoring, Hogan denied a shot with her foot to maintain the shutout.
72’ SUB POR- Moultrie and Spaanstra replaced Hina and Weaver, both those players had wonderful minutes this match.
83’ SUB POR- Sinc made her way off the pitch for the final time in Providence Park, she was replaced by Kling. As she left the pitch her teammates all gave her hugs and the stadium erupted.
90’ Coffey got taken out earning a free kick for Portland, Hogan took it as it was deep in the Thorns’ half.
The ref added four minutes to the half.
93’ POR SUB- Hirst replaced Coffey
The match ended POR 3-0 LA.
I'll have everybody know that I quite literally almost ran into Hina Sugita at the PSU farmer's market this morning and was incredibly awkward bc I have no idea how much english she understands, but I told her congrats on the award and gl in playoffs! But she was just as smiley and sweet as you'd expect!
Do we think that, at this point, a lack of any sort of word from Kling and Sauerbrunn indicates that they both plan to return next year? Sinc may be THE goat, but Kling and Sauerbrunn are also even-toed ungulates who deserve a proper fan send-off.