Match Preview: San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns

This Wednesday one other mid-week recreation awaits us when the Portland Thorns go to the San Diego Wave at Torero Stadium at 7 p.m. Pacific.

It is going to be the primary time each groups meet within the common season, with Portland having performed six video games thus far and sitting at fifth within the league desk.

Whoever predicted that the Wave (4-2-1, 13 factors) was going to take a seat atop the desk right now of the 12 months and that the Thorns (2-1-3, 9 factors) weren’t going to be the favorites going into this match deserves an award. This final assertion shouldn’t be blatant hubris, however that is the primary time in NWSL historical past when a rookie staff is having the outcomes San Diego is getting.

It’s additionally the primary time within the Thorns’ historical past after they’ve received solely two wins out of their first six video games of the season.

May we are saying that is the worst begin of a daily season for Portland in its whole historical past? Possibly in numbers. “Worst” is a tricky phrase that perhaps provides those that haven’t watched the matches the improper impression about what’s happening on the sector. Nonetheless, once we examine these few final outcomes to those the Thorns have gotten right now in earlier years… effectively, let’s simply say they haven’t been ok.

Regardless of that, we’ve seen promising issues thus far. One in every of them is Janine Beckie making an influence on the staff along with her crossing. She spoke about offering high quality balls and high quality companies into the field not too long ago, and he or she has been attempting to be the participant offering that high quality on the sector in her first appearances with the Thorns on this 2022 common season.

One other optimistic factor is Kelli Hubly scoring. Portland’s tendency in recent times has been to not depend on just a bit group of gamers to attain, however reasonably have the objectives distributed throughout the staff. Who doesn’t keep in mind Sonnett scoring within the playoff semifinal in 2016 towards the Braveness? It’s true she scored “solely” 8 objectives within the 3 years she performed for the Thorns (as a middle again it wasn’t her responsibility) however different groups knew she may do it and that made her a menace to the opponents that knew they needed to mark her within the field.

Final Saturday’s objective was the primary one for Hubly within the six years since she began to play for Portland, and perhaps that’s what she wanted to open the gates. Additionally, that objective was necessary as a result of she did it along with her head. Since Simone Charley left, the Thorns skill to assault aerial balls has not been ok, and it’s definitely one thing the Thorns should work on transferring ahead. Early returns are promisng, as Hina Sugita can (and did) contribute to that work.

On this upcoming match towards San Diego, the house staff is coming off of a loss and a draw of their earlier two video games. Casey Stoney’s squad will certainly need to get a win now that they’re lastly dwelling after 4 video games on the street, and extra so after the Thorns spoiled their dwelling opener within the Problem Cup.

Alex Morgan is available in sizzling with eight objectives, 4 of them being PKs. Her eight objectives scored in seven video games (common season) put her in rarefied air for early season objective scoring. She’s second all-time after Sam Kerr, who scored 9 objectives in her first 7 video games in a daily season (2019).

With that in thoughts, it’s a very good factor that Portland involves this recreation off of a convincing win at dwelling, with a brace scored by the one and solely Christine Sinclair (Hubly’s header was the opener for the 3-0 win). With these two objectives, the Canadian captain has a complete of 57 in her NWSL profession. Solely Sinclair has scored so many objectives for a single constant membership within the league’s historical past. Lynn Williams, who additionally has 57 objectives, scored 42 of these for North Carolina with the remainder of them being for the New York Flash (potato-potato). The previous Chicago Crimson Stars striker, Sam Kerr, is the one one who surpasses each forwards with 77 objectives scored in her NWSL profession.

Portland will need to get a optimistic outcome with a purpose to hold constructing momentum and, extra importantly, with a purpose to hold creating their id on the sector, one thing they desperately have to finalize quickly.

It is going to be an attention-grabbing showdown between one of many league’s all-time high goalscorers and the present season’s high goalscorer. Each are veterans, ones on the high of the desk, and the opposite wants factors to assist her staff hold climbing the desk. Thus far the Thorns have collected two wins towards San Diego— however that was within the Problem Cup. What’s going to occur now that we’re on the common season? Who will win?

Discover out right now at 7 p.m. Pacific on CBS Sports activities Community and Twitch.