The clock is ticking on the NWSL season, and so are Portland's efforts to host a playoff game at Providence Park.
The Thorns will look to pick up three road points this afternoon as they take on Bay FC at PayPal Park in San Jose, California – beginning the final three game push of the NWSL regular season.
Kickoff is schedule for 2 pm PST with streaming available on ESPN. Below you will find your match preview, along with a place for you to stop and chat throughout the game.
Availability Report
Sophia Wilson will be serving the first of her 2-game suspension this afternoon, following the red card incident that occurred in Boston. Not only is Wilson the team's leading scorer, she is also having one of the best seasons of her career – just one goal shy of tying her single-season record (14).
So, who steps up in Wilson's absence amidst this critical stretch of games for Portland?
Phuoc Nguyen (Fook Win)
There is good news ahead however, as it was announced Friday that Thorns forward Julie Dufour has officially been removed from the SEI list. Should she make her return at Bay today, this would be her first time back on the pitch after the year long rehabilitation process from tearing her ACL in Portland last September.
The matchup
It was May 20th the last time these two teams met, and the Portland Thorns walked away victorious with the 2-0 scoreline at home.
It was a defensive showing with goal contributions from MA Vignola and Mallie McKenzie, and Portland was red hot and rolling. With the shutout, it was the fourth in five games for goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold. Shutouts are a stat we now haven't seen from the Portland defense since August, and who most recently allowed four goals at home against the Boston Legacy.
For the opposition, it is Karlie Lema who is having a career defining season.
Since the midseason break, Lema trails only golden boot leader Ashley Sanchez, having recorded eight goals since July 1st. And her last performance was a record breaking one, with her goal against Kansas City she became Bay FC's all-time leader for goals in the regular season (8).
NWSL shakeout
With the end of the regular season rapidly approaching, we have seen teams pull ahead at the top of the table and the race tighten at the bottom for the final few playoff spots. Yet, before our eyes, the once top of the table Portland Thorns have plummeted to 7th in the NWSL standings.
With 5th-9th place separated by a mere four points, it would seem the heads of the Thorns may barely be above water, but an opportunity to host a home playoff game is still barely within reach.
Still, it doesn't get much better than this for the fans of this league – the pressure is officially on.
