The Portland Thorns have lost to FC Kansas City by a score of 3-0 in Kansas City at Swope Soccer Village. The Thorns were trying to prove themselves as one of the best teams in the NWSL with this game against the defending champions. The announced capacity for the game was 2,982. Portland had a total of five total shots in the game, but zero shots on goal. For Kansas City, they had 14 shots wtih four of those on goal. Both teams got three corner kicks in this ballgame.
The game was scoreless at the half, and was pretty even as both teams had good chances to open the scoring in the first half. KC would strike first though in the 60th minute, off the foot of Mandy Laddish. KC opened the flood gates after that one; three minutes later Amy Rodriguez put one past Michelle Betos to make it 2-0. 13 minutes later KC would add the always important security marker, when Erika Tymrak headed the ball past Betos for the last goal of the match. The play was set up by Heather O’Reilly who pushed off her defender and crossed the ball into the box, where it grazed off of Laddish’s head, and then Tymrak was able to chest it down and fire a great strike past Betos. This was FCKC goalie Nicole Barnhart’s sixth shutout of the season, which leads the NWSL.
The win by FCKC and the obvious loss by the Thorns change the NWSL standings. With the win FCKC moves to 3rd, three points behind the Chicago Red Stars, in second place. With the loss the Thorns fall to fifth place, three points behind the Washington Spirit for fourth place in the NWSL. FCKC were trying to get back on the right track after drawing with the Red Stars in their previous game. The Thorns were trying to stay on the right track after defeating the Red Stars 2-1 in their last game. Portland had some injury trouble in this game, as midfielder Sinead Farrelly took a ball off the side of the noggin. As a result, Kendall Johnson came in to replace her. The loss for Portland snaps their three game winning streak and it is their second consecutive loss to Kansas City, when visiting Swope Soccer Village. Weird moment happened in the second half; the NWSL YouTube of the game had some technical difficulties with freezing and poor picture quality.
After the match, Rodriguez said “I think we have the drive, every time we walk on the field, they say ‘reigning NWSL champions’ and that rings a bell in our ears because we want to hear that next year.”
In their next game FC Kansas City goes up against the Boston Breakers who are powered by World Cup champion and this week’s Player of the Week Alyssa Naeher trying to extend their three game winning streak. Portland has a lengthy break before going to New Jersey trying to get back on the right track against Kelly O’Hara and Sky Blue FC.
