The Portland Thorns finally broke their winless streak by beating the San Diego Wave 1-0, thanks to a late goal from Izzy D'Aquila. It was a night full of emotions at Providence Park, where the Thorns showed determination and resilience to secure three valuable points.
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The match got off to a hot start, with Portland Thorns looking to impose their pace from the first minutes. Sophia Smith almost opened the scoring in the 10th minute, making a fine run and leaving Janine Beckie in position to finish, but the Canadian's shot went just wide of the post. San Diego goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan showed her service by saving a dangerous shot from Smith in the 17th minute.
At the other end, the San Diego Wave had their best chance of the first half. Alex Morgan found the back of the net in the 38th minute, but was caught offside, dashing the hopes of the visiting fans. With the score level at half-time, the tension only increased.
The second half brought even more drama. The Wave started strongly, but it was Thorns who came closest to scoring first. Smith, again, almost did in the 70th minute, but Sheridan was alert and saved another. Beckie had a golden chance shortly afterwards, but she came face to face with Sheridan and saw the Canadian goalkeeper make another crucial save.
In the 83rd minute, it was Shelby Hogan's turn to shine for the Thorns. Melanie Barcenas, who came on in the second half, unleashed a rocket towards goal, but Hogan managed to deflect the ball wide. And that's when the game turned. In a quick move, Beckie delivered a perfect low cross to D'Aquila, who did not miss and sent it into the back of the net, securing the win for the Portland Thorns.
This win was crucial for the Thorns, who now have 27 points and are firmly in the playoff race, occupying fifth place in the NWSL table. The San Diego Wave, on the other hand, have just 15 points and remain outside the qualification zone in tenth place. They urgently need to recover if they are to keep their hopes of progressing in the competition alive.