THORNS PLAY TO WIN

The Portland Thorns have clinched a National Womens Soccer League playoff spot after a 1-0 win against the Houston Dash last Saturday, Sept. 21 at Providence Park.

After losing two consecutive games for the first time since 2017 and devastating 6-0 loss on Sept. 11 against North Carolina, the No. 1 team in the league, the Thorns did make sure to put on a show in front of 21,022 fans on Saturday night.

They  didn’t make it look easy, after going scoreless in the first half. The home team was aggressive on offense, recording 12 total shots and giving the visitors just three shots in the opening half. In the second half, the Thorns finally got on the board in the 48th minute, where Tobin Heath was on the receiving end of a cross from Lindsey Horan, and put the ball in the net.

Saturday’s win secured a playoff berth for Portland, currently sitting third in the NWSL, and ended the playoff hopes for Houston.

The Thorns travel to Tacoma on Sunday, Sept. 29, to play against the Reign FC who also hope to get a playoff spot. The match will start at 1 p.m., and can be seen on ESPN2.

Advocate Staff