With Orlando being new and Portland turning over a lot of players, some pretty exciting play from both sides. Probably not too surprising the defense on either side doesn't look too impressive yet. But things look fun so far.
Do the Thorns even have a shot on goal yet? EDIT: Scratch that! I just remembered I'm 3 minutes behind the live stream.
28' 1-1 Catley passes to Morgan facing away at arc top left. Morgan turns and standing-shot bounces to Betos, not hard enough to annoy. 29' 1-1 Kyle passes to Edwards at 27m mid-right, one-touch right instep pass lets Morgan chase through 18m mid-right. From 1 step behind and chasing 3, Morgan wins that race and chases to 5m mid-right. Low hard shot, Betos sit-blocks it away, Klingenberg collects. Wow. 31' 1-1 Portland pass through box top right for Nadim cutting 1-v-2, Orlando clear into the dining tables at near touch
35' 1-1 Orlando fk at circle top box right, Catley sails it to 10m left post. Morgan jumps facing away, heads it upward. Ball drops at 3m, Kyle wins the header but fouls Betos down. 38' 1-1 Horan drives a shot from 24m mid-left, Harris catches on knees at 2m. 38' 1-1 Portland pop a mini-lob over box top, Nadim is offside behind the CBs. Harris breaks up the 1st opportunity in the air, slaps ball away off Nadim's head. 40' 1-1 Orlando inside-out pass up wide right for Edmonds. Menges stays with her and pokes ball off her foot. 40' 1-1 Long turns at 22m mid-right, cannot resist and flicks a pass to 12m mid-right -- Nadim and Horan both offside.
If only these Portland announcers would mention Horan once in a while. It's almost like they don't even realize she's on the field...
41' 1-1 Orlando gk bounces to Edmonds at arc top box right. Edmonds measures the drop, shoots half-volley hard but wide left low. 42' 1-1 Betos gk, directly to Edmonds at 24m wide right. Hop-header down to 19m mid-right, Morgan collects and turns to arc tangent right. Quick pass to 11m 1/4 left hits Spencer in stride, alone through box top left post. Betos scrambles out to 6-top, dives forward as Spencer tries the too-cute mini-bend to right post, stuff-blocks it away. 45' 1-1 Portland float a high cross from 12m box left to 4m right post. Brynjarsdóttir jumps and twists shoulder toward ball, Harris half-jumps for a submarine punch and -- twists own face into Brynjarsdóttir's shoulder? Ball bounces away, Harris flattened and stays down. Stoppage, yellow card on Brynjarsdóttir. 45+2' 1-1 Harris resumes. No stoppage time on this scoreclock, not loving it. Harris fk, pinged around at midfield. HT 1-1.
Parsons may need to play Horan as a forward after all. She has goalscoring pedigree in her history. And Portland is looking toothless.
Mana Shim has one of the best footballing brains on the Thorns, and she isn't a NT player. Proves you don't have to rely solely on internationals to build a good team. If they had a few more players like her, they would be connecting.
Seeing Dagný Brynjarsdóttir score, I can't help but remember how Boston traded Brynjarsdóttir and the pick that became Raquel Rodríguez for Sinead Farrelly, McCall Zerboni, and 1/2 of the pick that became Abby Smith.