The Portland Thorns defied expectations all season but couldn’t find one more bit of magic in Saturday’s NWSL semifinal, falling 2-0 to the Washington Spirit at Audi Field in the nation’s capital.
Gift Monday scored on a counterattack in the 27th minute to book Washington’s spot in the league final for the second straight year. An insurance goal by Croix Bethune in the 83rd minute off a bad pass by Portland’s Sam Hiatt ended any hopes for a Thorns rally.
Two goals were more than enough as the Thorns created few threatening offensive opportunities and saw their season come to a quiet end on the scoresheet.
“Tough way to end the season, mainly because of the nature of the two goals we gave away,” Thorns coach Rob Gale said. “Very preventable from the corner, and then obviously a mistake late on when we were trying to chase the game.”
Portland goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold did her best to keep the team in the match, making six saves as the Thorns’ defense came under pressure throughout.
The Thorns traveled across the country for a match that took place at 9 a.m. local time, but fell to 4-6 all-time in NWSL semifinals. This was perhaps their most unlikely appearance in the final four, though, as they fielded a young, largely inexperienced team this season in the wake of retirements, maternity leaves and multiple season-ending injuries.
That doesn’t include the list of players who fought through injuries to stay on the field. Gale said the team “limped over the finish line, which is kind of the story of the season.”
“I want to say how proud I am of our group,” Gale said. “Everybody on the sporting side, the staff, the players. You saw how short of bodies we were, even at the end there. It was one game too many for us this season, but I’m terrifically proud of all of them.”
Portland won the league championship in 2022 at Audi Field, but Sam Coffey and Olivia Moultrie are the only Thorns who played in that match and also appeared in Sunday’s game.
“They outplayed us for sure, and I think they definitely have all the pieces to go and win the whole thing,” Coffey said of the Spirit. “We left it all out there and it wasn’t for a lack of effort. I just think we were simply outplayed.
“We did our best to come out today fearless and leave it all out there and play as freely as we could but it was a really challenging environment and they played a great game.”
Washington’s opening goal came from what should have been a scoring chance for the Thorns, but the Spirit quickly cleared a Portland corner kick and started a devastating counterattack.
Rosemonde Mouassi beat Portland’s Kaityln Torpey to the ball along the sideline and left Torpey in the dust, flying down the right wing on a breakaway before sliding the ball across to a streaking Monday for a tap-in when Arnold came off her goal line to challenge Mouassi. Thorns forward Alexas Spaanstra did her best to keep pace with Monday, but her sliding attempt to deny Monday came slightly late.
Portland was fortunate not to fall behind further as Sofia Cantore clanged a shot off the post in the 69th minute.
With the Thorns trying to push forward for an equalizer, Hiatt mishit a back pass to Arnold and Bethune swooped in to intercept it from the onrushing Arnold near midfield. With the net vacated, Bethune dribbled in alone and scored easily into the open goal.
Portland struggled to generate any sustained attack. Moultrie ripped a shot wide right from the top of the penalty area in the 25th minute but that was the Thorns’ only threatening attempt at goal in the opening half.
The Thorns finally tested Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury in the 75th minute when Pietra Tordin drove a hard shot from the left side of the box that Kingsbury was able to fight off.
“We were probably a little nervy playing the ball forward compared to our last few games,” Gale said. “I thought we erred on the cautious side and at halftime, I said we can be braver and be bolder and we were in the second half. We gave our best but unfortunately had a mistake that ended the game. But I have no qualms about the effort.”
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