Fresh off a club record-breaking night, the Portland Thorns FC take their five-game win streak to the Lone Star State for a battle with the Houston Dash at Shell Energy Stadium on Friday night. Kickoff is schedule for 5pm PT and fans can watch the match live on FOX 12 Plus or NWSL+ and.
Portland (4th, 5-3-1, 16pts) and Houston (10th, 2-4-3, 9pts) square-off for the final time this regular season. The Dash will be looking for revenge following a 4-1 thumping at Providence Park back on April 20 – a win that was Portland's first of the season and sparked their current five-game win streak.
Head coach Francisco Alonso and his squad are 1-1-2 since visiting the Rose City in April, with their lone win coming on Mother's Day at Angel City. It's hard to tell if their last-minute 1-0 victory in SoCal means a change in their overall fortunes, as they have yet to record a win at home. Through four matches at Shell Energy Stadium, Houston has a record of 0-2-2.
Forward Diana Ordonez continues to carry the offensive workload with three goals this season and Amanda West has made her presence known with a goal and an assist since playing the Thorns. Despite their efforts, the Dash have failed to score more than a goal in eight of their nine games played, meaning they'll need more than Ordonez and West to get involved if they're to make a climb up the standings.
The Thorns win streak has brought an offensive onslaught with 15 goals scored in those five games. Only allowing four goals, Portland's +11 goal differential is the best in the league over that span.
Thorns No. 20 – defender Kelli Hubly – put in quite the shift against Seattle over the weekend. She completed 88% of her passes (42/48), made three defensive recoveries, and was credited with five clearances. The most important clearance coming in the dying minutes of the first half with this clutch goal-line clearance.
Sophia Smith isn't only leading the NWSL Golden Boot race with eight goals, she has also registered six assists to lead the NWSL assists standings. With a combined 14 goals and assists, that's six more goal contributions than the nearest competitor.
Thorns goalkeeper Shelby Hogan has been enjoying some of her best football inbetween the sticks during Portland's winning streak. Not only has she recorded two shutouts, but she is averaging 3.2 saves per match during this period, playing a key role in each of those five victories.
Fresh off a club record-breaking night, the Portland Thorns FC take their five-game win streak to the Lone Star State for a battle with the Houston Dash at Shell Energy Stadium on Friday night. Kickoff is schedule for 5pm PT and fans can watch the match live on FOX 12 Plus or NWSL+ and.
Portland (4th, 5-3-1, 16pts) and Houston (10th, 2-4-3, 9pts) square-off for the final time this regular season. The Dash will be looking for revenge following a 4-1 thumping at Providence Park back on April 20 – a win that was Portland's first of the season and sparked their current five-game win streak.
Head coach Francisco Alonso and his squad are 1-1-2 since visiting the Rose City in April, with their lone win coming on Mother's Day at Angel City. It's hard to tell if their last-minute 1-0 victory in SoCal means a change in their overall fortunes, as they have yet to record a win at home. Through four matches at Shell Energy Stadium, Houston has a record of 0-2-2.
Forward Diana Ordonez continues to carry the offensive workload with three goals this season and Amanda West has made her presence known with a goal and an assist since playing the Thorns. Despite their efforts, the Dash have failed to score more than a goal in eight of their nine games played, meaning they'll need more than Ordonez and West to get involved if they're to make a climb up the standings.
The Thorns win streak has brought an offensive onslaught with 15 goals scored in those five games. Only allowing four goals, Portland's +11 goal differential is the best in the league over that span.
Thorns No. 20 – defender Kelli Hubly – put in quite the shift against Seattle over the weekend. She completed 88% of her passes (42/48), made three defensive recoveries, and was credited with five clearances. The most important clearance coming in the dying minutes of the first half with this clutch goal-line clearance.
Sophia Smith isn't only leading the NWSL Golden Boot race with eight goals, she has also registered six assists to lead the NWSL assists standings. With a combined 14 goals and assists, that's six more goal contributions than the nearest competitor.
Thorns goalkeeper Shelby Hogan has been enjoying some of her best football inbetween the sticks during Portland's winning streak. Not only has she recorded two shutouts, but she is averaging 3.2 saves per match during this period, playing a key role in each of those five victories.
