Portland Thorns 1, Kansas City Current 4: Recap & Highlights
The Portland Thorns were facing the undefeated Kansas City Current in a game with major table implications. After the opening day disaster, the home side was out to exact revenge.
After the opening day disaster in Kansas City, the Portland Thorns were looking to return the favor. The undefeated Current have yet to drop a game and Portland needed this game to climb the table.
Welcome back Soph Smith and MIDFIELD Kling! Nicole Payne was inserted in at right back too. Izzy D’Aquila would earn her second consecutive start — her coaches and teammates have raved about her in training.
Sam Coffey would be available off the bench, but the team opted to rest her.
Early on this was really chippy. Both teams came out physical and wanting to send a message. Kansas City Current were unfortunate to not be ahead with unmarked chances from both Bia and Michelle Cooper. The backline of Portland of were not taking care of their marking early and nearly cost them.
Rob Gales’ game plan defensively to help out the backline included Hina Sugita and Janine Beckie dropping back and Izzy D’Aquila as a third center back on set pieces.
In the 30th minute, the resistance would be broken. Temwa Chawinga got on a header and got it to Lo’eau LaBonta to give the visitors the lead.
Unfortunately the Portland Thorns are 0-4-1 when conceding first. If there was time to break the curse, this would be it.
The opening day nightmare would come back to roost. In a span of three minutes, KCC would score twice to triple their lead to 3-0. In the 38th minute, Pedersen would finish off a rebound on a set piece. In the 40th minute, Lo LaBonta struck one of the best goals you’ll ever see this season.
This was a horrible match for the Thorns with the countless number of bad passes and turnovers being fed to Kansas City (most of them in own half). After the initial minutes where they couldn’t take advantage, they brought the rain to Portland. In one of the worst halves of football, the Thorns were down three goals at the half.
For the first time since 2019, Portland gave up three goals in a half at home.
In the second half, it could not have started any worse. Chawinga outmuscled (in a play that looked like a foul) Payne and calmly finished past Hogan to put KCC ahead by four.
Soph Smith would end the goal scoring drought at 175 minutes with a signature goal, where she weaved through the entire right side of the defense.
The 1-4 loss at home would be the worse loss they’ve suffered this season — and in recent memory as well. They looked unrecognizable out there.
The only positive of the match was Sam Coffey’s return and the boosted play in the latter stages because of that.
In the great words of the Ted Lasso: “Be a goldfish.” It’s time to forget this and move on.
Highlights:
3’ Soph receives the ball from Janine Beckie and fires, AD Franch is barely able to parry away.
4’ Bia crosses into the box to an unmarked Cooper and they nearly open the scoring.
9’ Cooper returns the favor this time to an unmarked Bia, luckily right at Shelby Hogan.
19’ Debinha rises up over Payne but steers her header just wide
22’ Good passage of play from the Thorns for a Soph shot, but saved.
25’ MM wins a set piece outside of the box.
27’ Fleming tries to bend it far post and just misses
30’ 0-1 KCC Chawinga heads a ball and directs it to Lo LaBonta who finishes it for the goal.
37’ Last ditch defending by Hina and Shelby keeps the score the same
38’ 0-2 KCC After a goal line clearance from MM, the ensuing rebound goes to Stine Pedersen for the goal.
40’ 0-3 KCC Golazo LaBonta. That could not have been hit any better.
45’ Janine Beckie shoots from the free kick. Result: wide left.
45’ Izzy fires from the top of the box, but goes wide.
46’ Jessie Fleming and Janine Beckie off for Marissa Sheva and Payton Linnehan.
48’ 0-4 KCC Chawinga outmuscles Payne and scores.
62’ Yellow card - Kelli Hubly
68’ Sam Coffey makes her return from injury and subs on Kling and Sincy is on for D’Aquila.
74’ 1-4 KCC Soph Smith weaves through the entire right side of the defense and blasts one past Franch.
77’ Reyna Reyes on for Nicole Payne
90’ Game Ends
Scoring:
Portland Thorns
74’ Soph Smith
Kansas City Current
30', 40' L. LaBonta
38' S. Ballisager
47’ T. Chawinga
The Thorns' years-long incompetence with set pieces/balls in the air is becoming tragicomedy; Yesterday, KC scored when one unmarked player in front of goal received the cross, and headed the ball to another unmarked player directly in front of Hogan for the flick-on goal. Whatever marking scheme they're being coached to use should be investigated and banned by FIFA.
Out of town all weekend and missed the game. Think the DVR'd version is getting deleted!
This roster with this coach is a slightly above league average 4th-6th place team, and I'd guess that's where they end up. The biggest thing I've learned through half the season is that the NWSL has leveled up its top half pretty much across the board, and "a few stars and a great home atmosphere" ain't gonna cut it anymore.
It's a good thing that the teams that took things seriously (KC, Gotham, Washington, and Orlando to an extent) are a cut above --and laying smackdowns on teams-- because it's showing the rest of the league that there's a new standard now and average ain't good enough. Not putting the kibosh on this season by any means because anything (good or bad) can happen, but this offseason is really going to show us how the Bhathals plan to operate and I'm nervous/excited to see what happens!
(And, of course, thank goodness Soph signed that damn contract)