Angel City and Portland Thorns created an electrifying shootout sealed with great performances and an edge-of-your-seat play in a 2-2 draw. In the home team at BMO Stadium, forwards Alyssa Thompson and Claire Emslie were in the limelight throughout the match, as were Morgan Weaver and Olivia Moultrie for the Portland Thorns. A result that kept the Thorns in the race for the NWSL playoff spots and left Angel City in a precarious position, still fighting to remain in contention for the last spots available.
Early Lead for Angel City
Right from the word go, Angel City showed their intention as Alyssa Thompson utilized an opportunity and opened the scoring with a shot that kissed the post and buried in the net in just 10 minutes.
Even with the lead, Angel City didn't back down. On the other end, goalkeeper DiDi Haračić played a crucial role in keeping the lead through the first half. At 13 minutes, Morgan Weaver enjoyed a golden chance for the Portland Thorns, but he was crucially saved by Haračić.
Portland Thorns' Second-Half Response
While the first half was dominantly given to Angel City, Portland Thorns came much stronger after the break. It wasn't until the 49-minute mark that Morgan Weaver finally found the back of the net. A perfect pass by Marie Müller set up Weaver, sprinting toward the goal as the forward did not miss her mark. This was a well-deserved goal by Weaver, who actually had been trying to break through since the start of the match and therefore marked her return in style after time off due to injury.
A comeback was destined to happen, and voilà-it didn't take too long to materialize. At 60+4 minutes, young Olivia Moultrie, only 19 years of age, did what she does best: hit the back of the net. A pinpoint cross by Kelli Hubly found Moultrie in the box. The youngster, with class, controlled the ball and with a quick move scored a stunning goal. This strike marked a new personal high for Moultrie in goals scored this season, resolidifying her worth to the team and potential to grow in the soccer world.
Angel City Fights Back to Equalize
If Portland Thorns seemed in control after reversing the course of the game, Angel City wasn't ready to give up. At 76 minutes, Claire Emslie appeared at just the right moment to level the match. A cross by Spencer had created danger on the opposing defensive line, while Emslie, with a volley, secured the equalizer with a beautiful goal. Angel City, under pressure to secure points, didn't back down and kept fighting until the final minute.
The game was at 86 minutes and could easily have gone all the other way. First, it was Becky Sauerbrunn, the experienced Portland Thorns defender, who had a clear chance to seal the win for her team. Indeed, a powerful drive toward the goal had the crowd holding its breath, but once again, Haračić made that spectacular save and saved Angel City from defeat.
Impact on the League and What's Next
For both of them, the 2-2 draw means something else. Portland Thorns, with 29 points, stayed in the playoff zone of NWSL, but the battle is far from over. With five games left to the regular season, the team will have to keep up this pace so that its dream to reach playoffs could be translated into getting probably higher positions in the standing.
Meanwhile, Angel City sit 10th with 22 points to their name, and now it's very complicated. With five rounds of games remaining, the team needs to raise its level if they want to keep playoffs hopes alive.