Sky Blue FC at Portland Thorns FC
10:00 p.m. ET / Providence Park
Sky Blue FC: 1-3-4 (7 points)
Portland Thorns FC: 4-1-2 (14 points)
This is the second meeting between Sky Blue FC and Portland Thorns FC with the first match ending in a 1-1 draw in New Jersey back on April 19. Christie Rampone gave Sky Blue FC a first-half lead when she scored her first-career professional goal midway through the half. Allie Long erased that lead in the 75th minute when she put away her second goal of the season and first from the penalty spot. Kelley O’Hara had a golden chance to give the home side its first win but she hammered her stoppage time penalty wide left.
Sky Blue FC:
Last Match: May 21 at Washington (T, 3-3)
Sky Blue FC is coming off of its first three-goal game and just the third time this season that the club has scored multiple goals. Katy Freels scored her third goal of the season while both Kelley O’Hara and rookie forward Jonelle Filigno tallied their first goals of the season.
The offensive explosion was much needed for a club that had found the net just six times in seven matches.
O’Hara moved up top, where she spent much of last season, despite having started each of her previous six games in a defensive role. Time will tell if head coach Jim Gabarra leaves the former forward in the attack.
Monica Ocampo had several quality chances and is second on the team in scoring after tallying twice this season. The Mexican forward led the club in scoring in 2013 with eight goals.
The New Jersey club will look to get rookie forwards Maya Hayes and Filigno into the attack an onto the scoresheet. Hayes has brought a great deal of pace to the Sky Blue attack, which lost Lisa De Vanna in an offseason trade.
The big concern for Sky Blue FC will be defensively. Sky Blue has conceded late tying goals in three out of four matches where the club has held the lead. Two of those three equalizers have come on penalty kicks (vs. Portland, at Washington). Sky Blue will need to tighten up defensively if they have the lead heading into the final moments.
Portland:
Last Match: May 21 vs. Western New York (W, 2-1)
The Portland Thorns are coming off their first regular season win against the Western New York Flash behind goals from Allie Long and Jessica McDonald who have both scored a career-high four and five NWSL goals respectively.
Christine Sinclair, has, surprisingly, not found the back of the net through seven matches but looked the most dangerous she has all season in the early minutes of Wednesday’s win. The Thorns will look to continue to get her involved and the world’s second-leading goal scorer will eventually find the back of the net.
McDonald and Long have been the only two Portland players to score this season and the Thorns will also look for contributions from super-sub Mana Shim, and midfielders Angie Kerr and Sinead Farrelly.
The Thorns’ attack could get a huge boost tonight as Alex Morgan’s status was upgraded to questionable after the U.S. forward was cleared earlier in the week for full contact. Morgan has not played in 2014 for club or country after sustaining a series of ankle injuries that led to a stress reaction. Portland owner Merritt Paulson hinted that Morgan’s season debut could be closer than the original June 7 date last night:
https://twitter.com/MerrittPaulson/status/470003007917010944
The Thorns’ backline, which has returned just one starter from last season, has been stingy thus far. Nikki Marshall has anchored the backline in front of Nadine Angerer and the club has allowed a league-low five goals in seven matches (tied with Seattle).
INJURY REPORT:
Christie Rampone is listed as probable with left toe sesamoiditis for Sky Blue FC while Rachel Van Hollebeke misses her eighth-straight match with an ankle sprain sustained in a friendly with the U.S. Women’s National team last month.
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