Key Transactions
Portland had an active offseason, highlighted by the acquisition of U.S. WNT defender Crystal Dunn from the North Carolina Courage. The 2015 NWSL Most Valuable Player, Dunn spent two seasons in North Carolina from 2018-19 and was a member of the 2019 FIFA World Cup Champion U.S. Women’s National Team side. Portland also inked defender Emily Menges and forward Simone Charley to new contracts, while adding former Florida State defender Natalia Kuikka to bolster its backline.
Recent Form
After taking the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup title, the Thorns have split their two fixtures to start the regular season, first taking a 5-0 shutout victory over the Chicago Red Stars at Providence Park in their opening fixture. The Thorns then fell on Sunday night at home in the Cascadia rivalry, dropping a 2-1 result to OL Reign.
Who’s Hot
Christine Sinclair has found the back of the net four times in as many matches for the Thorns to start the year, dating back to the Challenge Cup, currently sitting tied with Pride forward Alex Morgan and teammate Sophia Smith for the league-lead with two finishes in regular-season play. Morgan Weaver leads the league in assists, with two to her credit.
Head-to-Head
Wednesday’s fixture will mark the first between the two clubs since July 14, 2019, a match that resulted in a 4-3 thriller at Providence Park in favor of the Thorns. Marta found the back of the net in that match and forced an own goal by Thorns’ defender Emily Menges, with Erin Greening scoring a tying goal heading into stoppage time to put the sides level at 3-3. The scoring on the day was not yet finished however, as Tyler Lussi scored what served as the deciding goal in the 94th minute.
Rasmussen College Fun Fact
The midweek matchup between the Pride and Thorns will feature a total of seven players from the 2019 U.S. WNT FIFA World Cup roster, good for nearly one-third of the squad that lifted the fourth World Cup title for the United States. Pride captain Ashlyn Harris, defender Ali Krieger and forward Alex Morgan were all members of that squad, along with Portland goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, defender Becky Sauerbrunn, and midfielders Crystal Dunn and Lindsey Horan.
