NWSL Results: Thorns crush Pride

[Admin]

On Sunday, the National Women’s Soccer League played three games, kicking off with a domineering victory for the Thorns in Portland.




Portland Thorns 6, Orlando Pride 0



The Skinny: Portland Thorns dominated this game in every sense of the word and every stat on the sheet. Six goals and a shutout, a complete and commanding victory.




One Key Moment: This goal is exemplary of how most of this game played out, with the Thorns constantly making quick passes and the Pride continuously too slow to get to them. Portland’s offense was on fire while Orlando’s defense was simply not good enough.

Natalia Kuikka makes it FOUR for Portland!#PORvORL | 4 – 0 pic.twitter.com/1gmFRFg2wr
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) June 19, 2022

Inside the Game: Portland had essentially won this game in the first half. It took 20 minutes for the home side to find their opener but when they did it was a brilliantly taken finish by Hina Sugita on Janine Beckie’s cross.

Hina Sugita with the beautiful finish to put Portland ahead!#PORvORL | 1 – 0 pic.twitter.com/gXUdSHTgC6
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) June 19, 2022

The second goal came shortly after the first and was Portland’s only unassisted tally of the night but absolutely everyone loves a Becky Sauerbrunn goal. The US national team veteran converted the chance off the rebound for her first NWSL goal since September 2019. The Thorns looked firmly in control at this point but the second half is when they truly took over.

BECKY GOAL BECKY GOAL BECKY GOAL#PORvORL | 2 – 0 pic.twitter.com/NoK5vUun9R
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) June 19, 2022

The next star of the show was Sophia Smith and her brace on the night. As the second half began Portland turned up while Orlando did the opposite, this allowed the Thorns to create many turnovers in the midfield from where they could launch the quick counterattack. Smith’s first goal, assisted by Sauerbrunn, came from one of these attacks where the Pride were not in proper defensive positions and the young striker made them pay with a smart and powerful strike to the opposite bottom corner.

Sophia Smith only scores And the assist from Becky Sauerbrunn#PORvORL | 3 – 0 pic.twitter.com/ZQTc2Gx7b5
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) June 19, 2022

With a little over ten minutes left, Natalia Kuikka would add the fourth goal. Smith would then score her second of the night with another brilliant finish off a counterattack, this time ripping it into the top corner.

ANOTHER SOPHIA SMITH BANGER

Everyone else is speechless too right?#PORvORL | 5 – 0 pic.twitter.com/B0Ckb1NTg9
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) June 19, 2022

And lastly, a special shoutout to this smart set-piece goal that put the cherry on top, but there is absolutely no reason for Taylor Porter to have that much space in the box. Two inexperienced players came in off the bench to connect here in Yazmeen Ryan and Porter, a good sign for the Thorns who will be missing many of their attackers to the upcoming international break.

Taylor Porter scores her first professional goal to make it SIX!!#PORvORL | 6 – 0 pic.twitter.com/uedn7NCOjd
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) June 19, 2022

The Goals:

1. Portland Thorns — Hina Sugita (Janine Beckie), 21′
2. Portland Thorns — Becky Sauerbrunn, 25′
3. (Becky Sauerbrunn), 63′
4. Portland Thorns — Natalia Kuikka (Olivia Moultrie), 79′
5. Portland Thorns — Sophia Smith (Yazmeen Ryan), 86′
6. Portland Thorns — Taylor Porter (Yazmeen Ryan), 90’+1′

— Bella Munson



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