(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)
ORLANDO, Fla. – For the Orlando Pride, the road to the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs doesn’t get any easier.
Despite a dominating second half of the season, Orlando still hasn’t solidified a playoff spot with two regular-season matches to go. Right now, the magic number is one. One point is all the Pride need out of either a home bout against the Portland Thorns on Saturday or against the No. 1 North Carolina Courage in Cary, North Carolina, on Sept. 30. Both of the Pride’s upcoming opponents have already established home-field advantage in the NWSL playoffs.
But first up will be the Thorns in the Pride’s last home, regular-season match of the 2017 season. If the Pride are to play in Orlando City Stadium again this year, after Saturday, it will be in the 2017 NWSL Championship on Oct. 14.
Portland, however, presents the Pride with one of their most formidable threats since their inaugural season in 2016. Since last season, the Pride have lost all three matchups to the Thorns by a combined score of 6-2 with both Orlando goals coming in 2016.
If the Pride are to win in front of their home crowd and secure their first-ever NWSL playoff berth, they’ll have to play one of their best games in team history. Fortunately for the Central Florida side, it’s in prime form and being led by the likes of top-five goal-scorers Marta Vieira da Silva (12) and Alex Morgan (9).
On the other side, though, is a group that has proven it can be very successful even without United States women’s national-team star Tobin Heath. Through 22 games, Portland has amassed the best home record this season, losing only once at Providence Park. They’ve also compiled the best goal differential (+15) so far this season.
Here’s what to expect from Portland, come Saturday.
Thorns Take Advantage of Competition in Recent 4-game Winning Streak
Following their most recent loss to FC Kansas City on Aug. 16—a 2-1 loss in Missouri—Portland has jumped out to an explosive four-game winning streak. In home games against the Houston Dash and the Washington Spirit and in road games against the Seattle Reign and the Boston Breakers, Portland has outscored its opponents 9-1.
However, three of those wins came against bottom-dwelling teams. Right now, from eighth to 10th place, Houston, Washington and Boston all occupy the final three spots in the standings. Even Portland’s win with its neighbors to the north wasn’t against a fully healthy Seattle side. Megan Rapinoe, who is tied with Marta for the second-most goals this season, did not play against Portland on Aug. 26.
Christine Sinclair Leads Portland in 2017
So far this season, Christine Sinclair has helped a Heath-less Portland to second place in the NWSL. She has recorded eight goals while starting all 22 of her appearances. While she’s seen a significant drop in efficiency, scoring just one more goal than her 2016 total in 10 more games and a little more than 1,000 extra minutes, the 34-year-old has had to adopt a different role without Heath. Sinclair is sixth in goals and has taken the eighth-most shots (43) with the fifth-most shots on goal (24).
Sinclair, a fixture in the Canadian women’s national team since 2000, has also had to provide less because of improved play from midfielder Lindsey Horan and defender Meghan Klingenberg.
A season ago, Horan scored six goals with no assists, starting all 16 of her games. In 2017, she has scored four goals and recorded two assists in 1,945 minutes while starting all 22 of her games. As for Klingenberg, she has tallied six assists this season after having no statistical effect on the offense in 2016, recording no goals and no assists. She’s tied with Marta and Kansas City’s Shea Groom for second-most assists in the NWSL.
Tobin Heath Returns to Training with USWNT
Heath has missed all club and national-team action over the last six months after suffering a back injury shortly after the 2017 SheBelieves Cup in early March. She was a pivotal part of last year’s Portland team that recorded the best regular-season record (12-3-5, 41 points) of 2016. Heath’s one goal and 10 assists in 15 appearances and 14 starts also helped the Thorns to the longest winning streak (four) and longest unbeaten streak (12) of last year.
“The recovery timeline was tough,” Heath said, according to a report by USSoccer.com. “When I finally got the diagnosis for my injury, I knew I was going to be out for a while, and I wrote off a lot of the season. Obviously, football is my passion, and it brings me so much joy. So, to not be able to play with my teammates was really difficult.”
Now, Heath is training with the national team, again, and will presumably train with the Thorns upon her return from her most recent national-team call-up. While that doesn’t necessarily spell doom for the Pride, Heath’s potential presence on the pitch still presents a threat. Heath did not dress for the USWNT’s 2-1 win over the New Zealand women’s national team on Sept. 15, but she will be available for selection on Sept. 19 when the U.S. plays New Zealand, again, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“[Being away], it put a lot of things about life in perspective,” Heath said. “I’m thankful for each day, and, whether it has football or not, I always try to live it to the fullest… I’m just taking each day as they come, to be honest. I’m stoked to train and be back with the group. I’ve got to get my form back, and I’m just enjoying that process.”
–
Orlando and Portland’s kickoff on Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m. for the Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week.
For more on the Pride, as they prepare for the Thorns and a chance at their first-ever playoff berth, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
