The Thorns had yet another resounding win against Gotham FC on Saturday, beating New Jersey/New York 5-0 with five different goal scorers. At the halfway point through the season, Portland has five wins, six ties, and one loss and sits second on the table. All five of the Thorns’ wins have been shutouts, and they have scored at least three goals in each. While the Thorns have had trouble holding onto a lead if the other team scores, they have proven time and time again to be lucrative in front of goal when their defense is solid.
Portland came out of the gates firing against Gotham. From the moment the whistle blew, the Thorns were hungry for a goal. The first came courtesy of Taylor Porter—filling in for Sam Coffey after Coffey’s sudden call-up to the full national team—in the fifth minute. Olivia Moultrie hit an absolute worldie from the top of the 18-yard box in the seventh minute, and Marissa “Dangerous” Everett tapped in a third goal in the 11th. These first three goals were the fastest an NWSL team has scored three in the regular season, beating the record previously set by the Thorns (15 minutes). The second half saw two more unique scorers, with Hannah Betfort scoring her first career NWSL goal in her first touch of the match off her head, and Morgan Weaver ruthlessly pressing and intercepting a pass from Gotham keeper Ashlyn Harris and slotting the ball home on an open net.
Exactly half of the Thorns’ 20 shots were on target—a very strong ratio. The game against Gotham marked the third game without the Thorns’ seven international players. Head coach Rhian Wilkinson said that she was “proud of the two previous performances [both ties], but they wanted to put a stamp on this game and on this three-game series. And my goodness, they did that.”
Now, the Thorns feel as though they have multiple players in each position that can come in and deliver, according to Wilkinson, which is crucial to work towards a deep playoff run.
With a goal differential of +19, over two times the next highest team’s goal differential, the Thorns are on track to set a new record for goals scored in the NWSL. Portland has scored twice as many goals as eight of eleven other teams, and four times as many as Gotham this season so far. The Thorns have more individual goal scorers (12) than some teams have scored goals.
These stats highlight the depth of the team and the creation of a strong team mentality. Each and every player, regardless of where they play or whether they start in the XI or on the bench, knows the job they need to do and how to execute it. Last season, the players reiterated the strong culture they were building under Mark Parsons. Now, with a new head coach, the players are still maintaining the strength and intensity of their connections with one another, showing that they believe in one another and hold each other to high standards.
“The team’s biggest strength is that they like one another,” Wilkinson said.
Against Gotham, the Thorns looked like they were having an absolute blast. Each player was playing with swagger and joy and complete confidence in themselves. It was infectious to watch. Seeing the over 16,000 people at Providence Park cheer and wave flags felt incredible. The players deserve the support of the fans, and are showing how well they can play when they are hyped up.
One player who has stepped up to the plate in a big way during the international tournament window is Moultrie. She had gotten limited minutes in the beginning of the season, starting the vast majority of games on the bench. With Coffey, Christine Sinclair, and Rocky Rodríguez all out with their respective countries, midfield spots are open for the taking, and Moultrie is trying to set her name in stone in that starting XI.
Moultrie completed nine passes in the final third, and half of her shots were on target. With 10 recoveries as well, Moultrie showed her box-to-box skills and that she is able to take shots as well as prevent them.
When asked about her goal, Moultrie said: “as soon as I got the ball, I was like, ‘I’m gonna rip this. I’m gonna touch it out and I’m gonna hit it.’ And it went exactly where I wanted it to, and I got very excited, I’m sure as the video shows for itself. I’ve never scored in a regular-season match at Providence Park, so to get a rose and go through that was a really awesome moment for me.”
Being aggressive in front of goal was a goal for the Thorns, and their dominating 5-0 scoreline was a testament to the competition of their goal.