Preview: Portland Thorns vs Seattle Reign

It’s here. It’s rivalry weekend.

Photo: Thorns FC / Craig Mitchelldyer

With both teams trying to recover from their worst start of a season, the Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign will meet each other for the first time this year at Providence Park on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT.

One of Seattle’s finest, Megan Rapinoe, won’t feature in this Cascadia Rivalry following her retirement, and the rivalry will surely miss her. Just like Christine Sinclair said last September when both faced each other for the last time at a club level, “The rivalry will miss her, our fans will miss booing her.”

Her absence on the field will surely be felt but Jess Fishlock and Lauren Barnes will do their utmost to silence Providence Park for sure. It is true that Seattle is not in its best form right now, having lost eight of its last 10 away matches, including the last four in a row. But it is also true that they have never lost five in a row while playing away. So if the pattern continues, we can expect either a draw or the first Portland loss under coach Rob Gale’s tenure.

What can we say about Portland? Well, the odds are not in their favor. According to history, the Thorns have never won five straight games in a single season. Time to beat the odds? It would be great if they could do so. They have it on them for sure and more so after the moral boost they have been brewing since Rob Gale took over.

Of course, the defense still remains a question mark (as well as goalkeeping) but Cascadia matches are always singled out, no matter how well or how bad these teams are performing. It’s about bragging rights and increasing the hate between players and fans what makes these encounters so special. Women’s sports needs more of these enmities to grow, and these Cascadia teams understand that very well. Also, it’s fun. A little bit more trash talk won’t hurt either.

It’s a must-watch, the most important rivalry in women’s sports and the most played fixture in league history with Saturday’s match being the 39th meeting between these two clubs, 21 of those meetings happening at Providence Park. Will this be Christine Sinclair’s last rivalry game at home? All signs seem to indicate that’s going to be the case. That is why us at Stumptown Footy encourage all the fans to attend in the stadium and witness this historical moment, for both the captain and club history.

It will surely be a bittersweet moment if Portland’s historic captain scores. She’s 40 years old but keeps breaking records and putting her name in the soccer history books. With her three goals tallied after turning 40 last June, she became the second player in the league to have scored a goal at that age. Also, she’s the only one who has registered a goal in all 11 NWSL seasons.

We want to spare a minute to talk about the fallen soldiers, a.k.a. Morgan Weaver. She has been placed on the 45-day injury list after being carried away from the field in the game against Washington Spirit. At least the worst didn’t happen but the team will miss her as well and more in the upcoming match against Seattle. If there’s a Thorn that understands the rivalry as well as Sinclair, it’s Weaver. Her celebration after scoring against Seattle last September will forever be remembered and embodies how a true Thorn feels in these kinds of games.

So, with her having to be away from the fields for some considerable time, who is coach Gale going to put in her place?

Expected starting XI

Shelby Hogan

Marie Müller - Isabella Obaze - Becky Sauerbrunn - Reyna Reyes

Hina Sugita - Olivia Moultrie - Sam Coffey

Janine Beckie - Christine Sinclair - Sophia Smith

Predictions

What is your ideal XI to face Seattle? Comment below!

Also, what is going to be the final score for this match? Also, comment below! If you want to share the goalscorers (Portland and Seattle), be my guest.