In a wildly entertaining match the Portland Thorns FC victoriously triumphed over the Orlando Pride 4-3. Tyler Lussi was the hero who won the game for the home team in the final minute.
Raso punishes Orlando defense for mistake
Hayley Raso notched her first goal of this NWSL season in the 3rd minute. Orlando goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer was organizing her team's positioning after receiving a back pass. Her lack of urgency gave Raso the opportunity to pressure her and block her kick. Once Raso won the ball, all she had to do was slide it into an open net.
Raso would have gotten her second goal less than ten minutes later. Orlando midfielder Dani Weatherholt played a poor back pass to Kopmeyer. Dagny Brynjarsdottir hustled to get to the ball first and attempted a shot. She hit it right at Kopmeyer, and then the ball fell to Raso. Although Kopmeyer was out of position, defender Toni Pressley had her covered and was able to deflect Raso's shot away.
In the 17th minute, Kopmeyer made a fantastic reaction save on a header by Midge Purce.
In the 24th minute, the Pride's Alanna Kennedy took a free kick from a great position to score but aimed it right at the Thorns' goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom.
Kopmeyer was called into action again in the 36th minute to stop a header by Brynjarsdottir off a free kick played into the box by Meghan Klingenberg.
The Pride were extremely unlucky to not have found the net in the 40th minute when Rachel Hill headed the ball from a cross onto the crossbar.
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Second half sees six goals scored
Purce has been enjoying a spectacular season this year and scored her sixth goal in the 58th minute. Kopmeyer could not catch a cross into the box but went out of position, but this time none of her defenders could help her. Purce simply headed the ball into the goal.
Brazilian legend Marta cut the Pride's lead in half in the 61st minute. Chioma Ubogagu was trying to create something for the Pride just outside of the box. The ball fell to Marta who launched a beautiful and unstoppable strike with her left foot into the net.
In the 66th minute, Ellie Carpenter took a throw-in, and the ball fell to Caitlin Foord in the box. Foord laid it off for Sinclair to place a shot past Kopmeyer into the net.
The Pride again cut the lead to one in the 68th minute. Ubogagu slipped the ball to Marta as Marta was making a run into the box. Then, she took a shot that Thorns defender Emily Menges deflected into her own net.
The Thorns were shocked when the Pride found an equalizer in the 90th minute. Marta played a free kick into the box that was headed away by a Thorns defender but only as far as Erin Greening who was standing on the edge of the box. She controlled the ball with her chest, let it bounce once, and volleyed it into the goal.
At the death, Lussi won the game for the Thorns. Klingenberg took a corner kick, and Lussi made a perfect run to connect with the ball and head it into the goal.
The Portland Thorns FC (5-2-4) travel to Utah next Friday, and the Orlando Pride (2-8-2) host Sky Blue FC next Saturday. The U.S. Women's National Team players are expected to return for those matches.