NWSL Rewind: Thorns take statement win (for themselves)

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Jul 18, 2017

The NWSL playoff race tightened as the Portland Thorns, last year's Shield winners, moved into the top four with a 1-0 win over the leader North Carolina Courage in front of 16,804 fans at Providence Park.



Hayley Raso scored in the 70th minute, and the Thorns limited the NWSL's top-scoring offense in the league to two shots on goal.

"The energy and intensity and the performance from ever single player in the group -- that’s a statement, and it’s a statement to ourselves," said Thorns coach Mark Parsons. " We know when we work and go after teams and look to be dominant with or without the ball that we can be very, very good. I thought we were very good today. There were a lot of individual performances."

NWSL, Week 13 Results
Portland 1 (Raso 70) North Carolina 0.
Att.: 16,804.
Sky Blue 2 (Hayes 32, Kerr 90) Chicago 2 (Huerta 4, Press 26).
Att.: 2,529.
Orlando 4 (Kennedy 22, Morgan 38, Pressley 70, Edmonds 75) Kansas City 1 (Kelly 65).
Att.: 6,073.
Houston 2 (Poliana 25, Andressa 53) Washington 1 (Johnson 75).
Att.: 3,332.
Seattle 1 (Kawasumi 32) Boston 1 (Leon 43).
Att.: 3,730.

NWSL Standings:
1. North Carolina 27 points;
2. Chicago 25;
3. Sky Blue FC 23;
4. Portland 22;
5. Seattle 21;
6. Orlando 19
7. Houston 17.
8. Boston 14;
8. FC Kansas City 13.
10 Washington 12.

NWSL Leading Scorers:
G PLAYER (TEAM)
10+1 Samantha Kerr (Sky Blue FC)
9 Megan Rapinoe (Seattle)
8 Marta (Orlando)
6+1 Christen Press (Chicago)
5 Sarah Killion (Sky Blue FC)