Highlights | Portland Thorns FC vs. North Carolina Courage | June 8, 2024

well expecting a a good one here Providence Park is always a tough place to play as you said Gary and we are ready to go you're without Sophia Smith I think it deserves to get the job fulltime samam coffee on the corner near pose header and it's just off the mark from Becky SAU Brun you could see the center back wanted that one bad but it's SAU Brun Portland Still With It linan Wide Fleming top of the box shoots Murphy grabs these two clubs have a history of winning as well very dangerous moment St George with a takeaway in SAU Brun Sanchez in the Box shoots it's deflected off of Hogan not out of the woods yet for Portland and instead it goes to Fleming well I'm sure Rob G right now is thinking of some rousing speed for half time we're chatting to the players and to to Sam KY I think you asked the asked the question about Rob Gil and she said he's halftime speeches legendary he fires the team up but he's going to have to come up with something here today because at home at Providence Park this isn't the Portland Thorns we've seen since Rob Gale's taken over I go back to the Seattle game 4-0 and the crowd was absolutely pumping Smith shoots and it's wide very quiet first half but again long way to go in this match and just one goal from the home side and then the crowd will get behind [Applause] them oh a bunch of players flying around for both sides here's Portland Smith ahead shoots Murphy saves off the rebound ends up with Smith has another chance puts it across There's an opportunity for Mueller and it's blocked down Sanchez will boot it that was a good sequence for Portland and Sophia Smith has an effort it does move a little bit in the air cuz Casey Murphy just does enough to get behind it linan is up and off the pitch this is going to lead to a a corner kick here for North Carolina Berkeley bends it middle of the six headed away it's Hubley who got it off the volley whiffed by OS Sullivan lifts this one for Sanchez and St George bit turned around there for St George Touch to Sanchez shot from o solivan and skies that one into the crowd Sanchez this time towards a back pose header nothing there narumi on the follow through wide Sanchez ends up with it blocked by sour buun still in the box for Ashley Sanchez two Defenders swarm she goes down no calm Smith looking for a transition opportunity plenty of space for Sophia Smith runs ahead from linahan Smith takes a shot it's just bent out Rees trending in the right direction trying to go wide with it Becky dispossessed there by Pinto this fighting through Hopkins does not have numbers here we just control for North Carolina intercepted by Smith earns it back here for the Thorns Sophia Smith into the box Fleming shoots and it bends out of play in with a great shot here or the visitors North Carolina courage Mueller sug open not squared Becky has some time floats it back POS [Applause] well here's a call from Danielle chesy penalty wow sigo doing so well that's just purely willpower and desire to get to the ball but is so tough on North Carolina courage cuz they have defended extremely well but oh it's a second yellow for Ryan Williams players on a yellow that's the player that makes the tackle you'll see it here as she goes to play it and now there's the stamp inside the box after the ball's [Applause] gone Smith buries it Sophia Smith and the Portland Thorns on cloud nine get a good penalty well taken power in the corner to Casey Murphy's right hand side as the keeper looks our left hand side as we're looking when it's got that sort of pace and that sort accuracy very difficult for the keeper to get to that's under all sorts of pressure there corner for North Carolina header off the post and out off the post off Mueller that's a good header this from picket fantastic header off the post hits a Defender that can go back in the goals there and very fortunate comes off Marie Müller and she don't if she angled it away whether she had time to even think where it was going that was almost The Equalizer how unlucky can you get hit the post hit the defender and go out they're going to defend better at these set Pieces Portland another one lands for Smith Fleming sug in a space Smith headed towards the box two Defenders on Smith off her left foot and it's Saved By [Applause] Murphy well that penalty and that second yellow for Williams really sucked the life out of North Carolina and it's just one such a small little error of of Ron Williams just going in on the edge of the box to try and win a ball that she thought she was going to get her hands on and [Applause] didn't well it looked like it looks like Rob Gil was just ejected from this game on the bench if you're on a yellow have a look as the ball comes across she gets it what does she do just rolls it under there so we saw two red cards in this game Williams and for North Carolina Smith on the bench there's a final whistle Portland a 1 nil victory at home the Thorn's back in the wind column