NWSL Portland Thorns FC

Thorns FC Register 3-0 Win against Angel City FC

Published on March 31, 2022 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Portland Thorns FC News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland Thorns FC received goals from Sophia Smith, Yazmeen Ryan and Morgan Weaver to secure a 3-0 win over Angel City FC in their third match of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup at Providence Park on Wednesday night. Smith scored for a second consecutive match, while Ryan and Weaver tallied their first goals of 2022 as the team recorded a second straight clean sheet victory.

Challenge Cup Run

Portland is unbeaten in its last eight Challenge Cup matches, posting a record of 5-0-3 in those matches. The club's eight-game unbeaten streak in Challenge Cup play is the longest streak in the competition's history, surpassing the Houston Dash's previous seven-game unbeaten run in the tournament. Notably, Thorns FC are unbeaten at Providence Park in the tournament with a record of 3-0-1, scoring two or more goals in three of those matches, while also registering a pair of shutouts.

Goals & Assists

Smith scored for a second consecutive match. She has two goals in six career Challenge Cup matches. With the goal, Smith is the fifth different player to score at least two goals for Portland in the Challenge Cup. Ryan became the eighth different player to score a goal in the Challenge Cup for Thorns FC. Weaver tallied her first goal of the 2022 Challenge Cup, and third overall in tournament play. Weaver has scored a goal in every year of the Challenge Cup (2020, 2021, 2022). Her three goals are tied with Christine Sinclair for the most goals in Challenge Cup play by a Portland player. With their assists tonight, Natalie Beckman and Madison Pogarch became the sixth and seventh players to register an assist for Thorns FC in a Challenge Cup game.

Debuts and Firsts

Beckman - the club's fourth-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft - earned her first professional start and second appearance for Portland. The University of Denver product logged 90 minutes in her Providence Park debut, recording her first career assist. Taylor Porter earned her first start in an NWSL competition. Rocky Rodríguez returned to the lineup, making her first start and appearance in the 2022 Challenge Cup. Yazmeen Ryan scored her first career professional goal, while Pogarch tallied her first professional career assist for Portland in her 2022 Challenge Cup debut. Bella Bixby registered her first shutout of the year, while also earning her first win in Challenge Cup play. Hannah Betfort and Gabby Provenzano each made their 2022 Challenge Cup debuts. It also marked Provenzano's professional debut with the club. Hina Sugita subbed into the second half, marking her Providence Park debut.

Goal-Scoring Plays

POR - Sophia Smith (Natalie Beckman), 31st minute: Natalie Beckman played a ball down the left side of the field into space for Sophia Smith, who surged forward beating an Angel City defender, cutting the ball toward the center of the box and firing low, hard strike inside the right post.

POR - Yazmeen Ryan, 53rd minute: Off a corner kick, the ball was played out to Natalia Kuikka on the top of the box. Kuikka fired a low hard shot, forcing a saving by Angel City goalkeeper Didi Haracic. The ball bounced back into the box and Yazmeen Ryan pounced, converting from close range.

POR - Morgan Weaver (Madison Pogarch), 78th minute: Madison Pogarch won possession back just outside of the 18-yard box and slipped a square ball to the center of the pitch. Morgan Weaver let the ball run across the right side of her body, sending a curling ball into the back of the net.

Notes:

Sophia Smith scored for a second straight match. It was her second goal of the Challenge Cup. She has two goals in six career Challenge Cup matches.

Smith recorded her 10th career goal across all competitions with Portland.

Smith is the fifth different Thorns FC player to score at least two goals in the Challenge Cup for Portland.

Yazmeen Ryan scored her first professional goal in the match. She is the eighth different player to score in a Challenge Cup match for Portland.

Morgan Weaver appeared in her 14th Challenge Cup game. She has played in every Challenge Cup match in the tournament's existence and is the only Thorns FC player to appear in every match.

Weaver notched her third career Challenge Cup goal. She has scored in every year (2020, 2021, 2022) of the tournament.

Weaver's three goals are tied with Christine Sinclair for the most goals by a Portland player in the Challenge Cup.

Natalie Beckman earned her first professional start in the match.

Beckman tallied her first career assist in the match.

Madison Pogarch made her 2022 Challenge Cup debut, recording her first career assist.

Beckman and Pogarch are the sixth and seventh players to record an assist for Thorns FC in a Challenge Cup game.

Taylor Porter earned her first start in an NWSL competition, making her second appearance in the Challenge Cup.

Rocky Rodríguez made her first appearance of the 2022 Challenge Cup, starting and playing 45 minutes.

Hina Sugita made her Providence Park debt in the match, logging 45 minutes as a substitute.

Gabby Provenzano made her professional debut, entering the match as a second-half substitute.

Hannah Betfort made her Challenge Cup debut in the match.

Bella Bixby earned her first shutout of 2022 and her first Challenge Cup win.

Bixby has recorded 13 shutouts in 24 matches across all competitions with Thorns FC.

Next Game

Thorns FC will host OL Reign at Providence Park on Saturday, April 2; kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (Pacific) on Paramount+.

Portland Thorns FC (2-0-1, 7pts) vs. Angel City FC (0-2-1, 1pt)

(NWSL Challenge Cup)

March 30, 2022 - Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)

Goals by Half 1 2 F

Portland Thorns FC 1 2 3

Angel City FC 0 0 0

Scoring Summary:

POR: S. Smith (Beckman), 31

POR: Ryan, 53

POR: Weaver (Pogarch), 78

Misconduct Summary:

None

Lineups:

POR: GK Bixby, D Hubly (Provenzano, 84), D Menges ©, D Nally, M Kuikka (Pogarch, 72), M Porter, M Beckman, M Rodríguez (Sugita, 46), M Ryan, F S. Smith (Everett, 67), F Weaver (Betfort, 85)

Substitutes Not Used: GK A. Smith, M Moultrie, M Coffey, F Sinclair

SD: GK Haracic, D Riley©, D Gilles, D Swaby, D Hammond, M Roccaro, M Weatherholt (Ferrer, 80), M Endo, F Press (Breslin, 80), F Spencer (Nabet, 62), F Lussi (Taylor, 80)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Isenhour, GK Perez, M Reid

Referee: Mark Allatin

Assistant Referees: Melissa Beck, Christian Clerc

4th Official: Patricia McCracken

Attendance: 9,902

Weather: Cloudy, 55 degrees

All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.

Check out the Portland Thorns FC Statistics

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from March 31, 2022


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