PORTLAND, Ore. (July 14, 2019) - Orlando Pride (2-9-2, 8 points) erased a two-goal deficit, including a 90th-minute equalizer, but ultimately fell short, 4-3, to Portland Thorns FC (6-2-4, 22 points) on a stoppage-time goal on Sunday at Providence Park.
Rookie Erin Greening scored her first professional goal in the seven-goal thriller, while Marta also tallied and forced an own goal by the Thorns.
Orlando Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner:
“I’m proud of the players in the attacking sense. I thought we came into an arena of quite a few people and, for the second half, dictated the game; we dictated the tempo. But again, as I’ve said last week, we can’t keep conceding the goals that we’ve been conceding. They’re individual errors and that, for me, is something that I will stamp out in the future.”
Scoring Recap:
3’ Hayley Raso - POR 1, ORL 0
Australian forward Hayley Raso capitalized on a miscue from Pride goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer, blocking the clearance with her face but continuing with the play, ultimately slotting the ball home.
58’ Midge Purce - POR 2, ORL 0
The home side doubled its lead just under the hour mark of the match after Elizabeth Ball sent a cross in that was headed into the air by defender Shelina Zadorsky but fell to Midge Purce, who was waiting on the goal line.
61’ Marta - POR 2, ORL 1
The Pride responded with their first goal of the night, a highlight-reel goal from Marta. The Brazilian forward pounced on a rolling ball outside of the box, blasting a shot into the upper corner of the net.
67’ Christine Sinclair (Caitlin Foord) - POR 3, ORL 1
The Thorns went up by two goals momentarily in the 67th minute when Caitlin Foord laid a ball off to captain Christine Sinclair inside the box, who sent a left-footed strike into the far side of the net.
68’ Emily Menges (Own Goal) - POR 3, ORL 2
Marta quickly responded to Sinclair’s goal, after being sent in behind the backline by Chioma Ubogagu. Marta drove down the left side, taking a tight-angle shot that ricocheted off of Emily Menges and into the net.
90’ Erin Greening - ORL 3, POR 3
Rookie defender Erin Greening leveled the match with a stunning goal, the first score of her professional career. Marta drove a free kick from distance into the box that was headed by a Portland defender, only to fall to Greening at the top of the 18. The Colorado product took a chance off the half-volley, bending a ball through the crowd and past Britt Eckerstrom.
90+4’ Tyler Lussi (Meghan Klingenberg) - POR 4, ORL 3
Despite the Pride’s comeback efforts, the home side pulled ahead on the final play of the game, when Meghan Klingenberg connected with Tyler Lussi’s head on a late corner kick.
Match Notes:
- Erin Greening’s goal in the 90th minute marked the first career score from the Colorado product. Greening has made 10 appearances for the Pride, including starts in the last nine games.
- The three goals scored by the Pride at Providence Park mark the first time a team has posted three goals at the venue in regular season play since May 30, 2018, a 4-1 loss to North Carolina.
- Sunday’s match marked the second straight game the Pride have scored three or more goals, after posting four goals in a 4-3 victory to the Washington Spirit last week in Orlando.
- With her 61st minute strike, Marta has now scored in each match since her return from the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with four goals over the last three matches. The goal also extended her Club leading career goal total to 21 all-time.
- Greening’s goal marks the latest goal scored by the Pride this season, and the latest goal from the Club since September 30, 2017 when Alanna Kennedy scored on a game-winning free kick in North Carolina.
- With the start in the match, Alanna Kennedy made her 50th career appearance as a member of the Pride.
