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NWSL Portland Thorns FC

Thorns FC Weekly Update

March 22, 2018 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Portland Thorns FC News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Kicking off the 2018 season, Portland Thorns FC open the campaign with a road match against the North Carolina at Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, March 24. Saturday's match is the featured NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime at 12:30 p.m. (Pacific).

Thorns FC's record in NWSL season openers

Since their first NWSL season in 2013, Thorns FC have produced a 4-0-1 record in season-opening matches, winning their last four games to start the season. Saturday's match marks the first time Portland has opened the season on the road since 2014. Thorns FC opened both the 2013 and 2014 seasons with away matches, earning a 1-1 draw against FC Kansas City in 2013 and a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dash to begin the 2014 season.

Squaring off against the Courage

Saturday's match will mark the third regular-season meeting, and the fourth meeting all-time, between Portland and North Carolina. Thorns FC are 1-1-0 in the previous two regular-season meetings against the Courage. North Carolina posted a 1-0 win over Portland in the team's first-ever meeting on April 22, 2017, at Sahlen's Stadium in Cary, N.C., while Thorns FC notched a 1-0 win against the Courage on July 15 at Providence Park.

On the road

Thorns FC will begin the season with back-to-back road matches. The club opens the season away from Portland due to the construction currently underway at Providence Park as part of phase one of the stadium expansion. Entering this weekend, Thorns FC have been one of the top teams on the road over the last two seasons with eight wins, which is tied for the most road wins with the Chicago Red Stars and Sky Blue FC. Portland has earned at least a point in four of its last five road matches (3-1-1), dating back to the end of the 2017 regular season.

Preseason preparations

For a third consecutive season, Thorns FC played host to a three-team tournament to conclude their preseason preparations. In 2018, Portland played matches against the Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash and U.S. U-23 Women's National Team over a seven-day span. Six players started all three matches during the tournament, including defenders Meghan Klingenberg, Midge Purce and Katherine Reynolds, midfielder Celeste Boureille and forwards Ifeoma Onumonu and Mallory Weber. Onumonu and Weber each scored goals during the tournament, while goalkeeper Adrianna Franch kept a clean sheet in the tournament finale against the Dash on March 17.

Next match

Playing the second of back-to-back road matches, Thorns FC will travel to Chicago to square off against the Red Stars at Toyota Park on Saturday, March 31; kickoff is set for 5:15 p.m. (Pacific). The match will be part of a doubleheader with the Chicago Fire and Portland Timbers featuring in the first match at 3 p.m. (Pacific), while Thorns FC and the Red Stars square off in the second match.

Check out the Portland Thorns FC Statistics



National Women's Soccer League Stories from March 22, 2018


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