Subscribe
Follow Us
Manager Rob Gale and the Portland Thorns took down the Seattle Reign 4-2 in a competitive match on Sunday.
It was an early tumble for Portland despite being the hosts. They conceded the first goal of the night, having Emeri Adames score for Seattle in the third minute.
The Thorns responded back, getting two goals from Sam Coffey in the 18th minute and Reilyn Turner in the 26th minute. Coffey equalized with a spot kick and Turner followed it up with an excellent strike for the lead.
Portland maintained control in the second half. Reyna Reyes provided the third goal in the 55th minutes before Seattle's Jess Fishlock brought the deficit back to one with a goal in the 64th minute. Despite the visitors' efforts, the Thorns sealed the deal with Pietra Tordin scored the dagger in the next minute.
“I thought we were excellent and could have scored more,” Gale said after the game, per Oregon Live. “We weren’t quite exactly what we wanted in the first half, but we got it right in the second half. Every time we won the ball in the midfield it looked like we were going to score.”
“It’s a young group, you wonder how they’re going to react and they don’t know yet what this rivalry is all about,” Gale said. “We tried to build that up this week, and that early goal could crumble your confidence but we got back on track.”
What's next for Thorns after win vs. Reign
It was a great win for Rob Gale and the Portland Thorns, fighting through adversity as they took down the Seattle Reign.
With the victory, it extended their home unbeaten streak to 10 games dating back to last season (7-0-3). It bested the previous franchise record of nine they had in the 2017-18 campaign.
Portland improved to a record of seven wins, four draws and four losses on the season. With 25 points, they have the fifth-best record in the NWSL standings. They are one point behind the San Diego Wave and two points behind the Washington Spirit.
The Thorns will prepare for their next match, being on the road. They will face the North Carolina Courage on Aug. 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
