NWSL Portland Thorns FC

Thorns FC Register 4-1 Road Win over Kansas City Current

Published on April 1, 2023 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Portland Thorns FC News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland Thorns FC continued an undefeated start to the 2023 season with a 4-1 win over Kansas City Current on the road on Saturday morning. Crystal Dunn opened the scoring for Portland in the third minute followed by Sophia Smith, who notched her first career hat trick to seal the win at Children's Mercy Park. Notably, Thorns FC have outscored their opponents in their first two matches by a margin of 8-1.

Hat-Trick Heroine

Smith recorded three goals in the match, notching her first career hat trick. The hat trick brings her to 25 goals for Portland, which is tied for third-most in Thorns FC history. Smith has four goals and an assist in her first two matches for Portland in 2023. Notably, she became the third player in club history to tally a hat trick alongside Nadia Nadim and Christine Sinclair, and she is the third-youngest player in league history to accomplish the feat. Dating back to the end of the 2022 regular season, Smith has seven goals and two assists in her last four regular-season games. In today's match, Smith led both teams in shots with 11, the highest total for a player in the league this season.

Hot Start to the Season

Portland started the 2023 season racking up six points in two matches (2-0-0). In their two victories, Thorns FC have outscored their opponents 8-1, with five different players tallying at least one goal and four different players tallying an assist. Notably, Portland has scored in each of their last nine matches in the league, scoring 23 goals in that run. Head coach Mike Norris earned his second win at the helm for Thorns FC, becoming the first head coach in Portland history to start the season with a 2-0-0 mark. Dunn and Smith were today's goal scorers, while Sam Coffey and Meghan Klingenberg tallied an assist each. Dunn scored her first goal of the 2023 season and second with the club. Coffey recorded her first assist of the season and third for Thorns FC. Klingenberg became the 16th player to reach 20 career assists in league history with today's assist.

Against Kansas City

Today's victory marked Portland's fourth against Kansas City, continuing an undefeated streak in all competitions against the Midwest-based team (5-0-2). The last time the two sides met, Thorns FC captured the 2023 NWSL Championship with a 2-0 win over the Current on Oct. 29 at Audi Field in Washington D.C. Portland has outscored Kansas City 15-3 in seven games played. Notably, Dunn's goal in the third minute today was Portland's third goal scored in the first eight minutes in the last four games against Kansas City.

Goal-Scoring Plays

POR - Crystal Dunn (Sam Coffey), 3rd minute: Off a corner kick, Coffey served a low ball into the right side of the 18-yard box where Dunn controlled the pass, cut toward the center of the box and fired a shot into the top right corner of the goal inside the near post.

POR - Sophia Smith (penalty kick), 18th minute: After she was fouled inside the box, Smith stepped to the spot and converted the penalty kick.

KCC - Cece Kizer (Alexa Loera), 58th minute: On a set piece, Alex Loera sent a deep ball from the right wing toward the left corner of the six-yard box. CeCe Kizer jumped and headed the ball into the center of the goal.

POR - Sophia Smith (Meghan Klingenberg), 83rd minute: Klingenberg slid a ball down the left wing of the field to Smith, who received the ball and turned, driving to the edge of the six-yard box. Smith beat three Kansas City defenders, reaching the left side of the six-yard box and slotted the ball just pass Current goalkeeper Adrianna Franch and into the goal.

POR - Sophia Smith, 88th minute: Smith dribbled toward the top of the box before cutting past a defender before firing a right-footed shot from just outside the 18-yard box into the low right corner of the goal.

Notes:

Thorns FC earned their second victory of the season today, outscoring their opponents by a margin 8-1 (2-0-0).

Portland is the first team to score eight goals in its first two games of an NWSL season, while the team's 24 shots on target are also the most at this stage of a season in league history.

Thorns FC are unbeaten in their last four road matches (2-0-2), dating back to the end of the 2022 season.

With today's four-goal game, Portland now holds the league record for most games scoring four or more goals across all competitions, hitting this mark 22 times since the 2013 season.

Thorns FC are 4-0-2 all-time in NWSL regular season play against Kansas City, outscoring the Current 11-1 in those six matches.

Head coach Mike Norris earned his second win at the helm for Thorns FC, becoming the first head coach in Portland history to start the season with a 2-0-0 mark.

Crystal Dunn opened the scoring in the third minute, tallying her second career goal for Thorns FC.

Dunn scored after just 2:01, the fastest goal in the league this season so far this season.

Smith recorded three goals in today's match, tallying her first career hat trick. She became the third player in club history to do so alongside Nadia Nadim and Christine Sinclair.

Smith became the third-youngest player to score an NWSL hat trick at 22 years and 234 days olds.

The hat trick brings her to 25 goals for Portland, which is tied for third-most in club history with Lindsey Horan.

Smith has four goals and one assist in her first two games this season.

With four goals scored this season, Smith currently leads the league in goals by at least three goals.

Dating back to the end of the 2022 regular season, Smith has seven goals and two assists in her last four regular-season games.

Smith led both teams in shots with 11, the highest total for a player in the league this season.

Coffey recorded her first assist of the year and third with the Thorns.

Klingenberg became the 16th player to reach 20 career assists in league history with today's assist.

Thorns FC have scored in each of their last nine matches in the league, scoring 23 goals in that run.

Rookie Reyna Reyes made her professional debut, entering the match as a second-half substitute.

Next Game

Thorns FC will enter a FIFA break next week before returning home to host the Houston Dash on Friday, April 14 at Providence Park. The match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific) and will feature a national broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

Portland Thorns FC (2-0-0, 6pts) vs. Kansas City Current (0-2-0, 0pts)

April 1, 2023 - Children's Mercy Park (Kansas City, KS.)

Goals by Half 1 2 F

Portland Thorns FC 2 2 4

Kansas City Current 0 1 1

Scoring Summary:

POR: Dunn (Coffey), 3

POR: Smith (penalty kick), 18

KCC: Kizer (Loera), 58

POR: Smith (Klingenberg), 83

POR: Smith, 88

Misconduct Summary:

POR: Sugita (caution), 29

POR: Hubly (caution), 66

Lineups:

POR: GKBixby, D Klingenberg (Reyes, 90), D Hubly, D Sauerbrunn, D Kuikka, M Coffey, M Sinclair © (Rodríguez, 78), M Dunn (Moultrie, 60), F Weaver (Vasconcelos, 61), F Sugita (D'Aquila, 60), F Smith

Substitutes Not Used: GK Hogan, D Menges, D Nally, D McGrady, M Porter, F Betfort

TOTAL SHOTS: 19 (Smith, 11); SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 (Smith, 6); FOULS: 11 (Coffey, D'Aquila, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 5

KCC: GK Franch, D Mace, D Robinson (Rodriguez, 89), D Winebrenner, D Merrick (Spaanstra, 63), M Curran (Debinha, 70), M Loera, M Kizer, F LaBonta © (Childers, 89), F Del Fava, F Cooper (Larsson, 70)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Silkowitz, D Miller, M DiBernardo

TOTAL SHOTS: 10 (Cooper, Kizer 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Mace, Kizer, 1); FOULS: 12 (Del Fava, 4); OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 4

Referee: Natalie Simon

Assistant Referees: Jennifer Garner, Alicia Messer

Fourth Official: Velmir Stefanovic

VAR: Ekaterina Koroleva

Weather: Sunny, 48 degrees

Attendance: 11,301

All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial

Check out the Portland Thorns FC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



National Women's Soccer League Stories from April 1, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central