PORTLAND – A Friday match that started full of promise turned into another exercise in frustration for Portland Thorns FC.
Christen Press scored twice in the final 15 minutes, rallying the Chicago Red Stars to a 2-2 draw in front of 13,084 fans at Providence Park.
The result leaves Portland and Chicago tied with 6-6-3 records. The teams, which meet again near Chicago on Wednesday, remain tied for fourth place in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Things looked good for Portland after first-half goals from forward Jess McDonald and defender Sarah Huffman on plays that started from corner kicks. But the Thorns were left regretting missed opportunities both before halftime and just after the break.
“Certainly the early second half we had four great chances. That first half was some great stuff and we probably should have come in three or four-nil up at halftime but we didn’t,” Thorns coach Paul Riley said. “Seems to be part of the reason we’re in the position we’re in. Just don’t seem to be able to put the game away.”
The goal that gave the visitors life started from a throw-in at midfield. Press was able to break behind the defense. Portland goalkeeper Nadine Angerer came out to challenge Press, who stepped around the keeper for an easy finish.
“I thought the first goal was very soft,” Riley said. “You give a team a little joy, at that point in the game they started to push on and caused us some trouble second half.”
Press, who was the 2010 women’s college soccer national player of the year while at Stanford, showed her quality on the tying goal. When a loose ball fell to her just outside the 18-yard box, she drove it into the goal. This was the third game with the Red Stars for the U.S. women’s national team forward after the completion of her season in Sweden.
“We scored first, which was one of our objectives today, but I think all of us definitely feel we let them back in the game and that’s unacceptable,” Portland’s Huffman said..
McDonald scored her team-leading ninth goal of the season in the 24th minute, calmly beating Karina LeBlanc – last season’s Thorns goalkeeper — with a left-footed effort from 11 yards in front of goal. Rachel Van Holllebeke got a touch on Allie Long’s corner kick and the ball found McDonald with time and space to finish.
Huffman’s first goal of the season also came on a play that started with a corner kick. This time Veronica Boquete set it up after a short corner kick, slipping a pass into the box that Huffman was able to settle than slide her shot beyond the reach of LeBlanc.
Tobin Heath played 84 minutes on the left side of a midfield diamond in her first match with the Thorns this season, allowing Riley to use his preferred formation .
McDonald started alongside Alex Morgan at forward as team captain Christine Sinclair was not a starter for the first time this season when she was available. Sinclair came on at halftime for midfielder Sinead Farrelly. Riley said he wanted to give Sinclair some rest.
“She’s looked tired the last couple of weeks for me. It was merely (because) with six games in the next two-and-a-half weeks, there’s a lot of games coming up,” Riley said.
This was the only visit of the season to Portland for LeBlanc and the Red Stars. The same two teams meet again on Wednesday in Lisle, Ill. After a July 13 home match against FC Kansas City, the Thorns go back to Illinois for a July 17 match with the Red Stars.
