The Portland Thorns booked the first place in the NWSL final after a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Wave at Providence Park. While the Wave struck first as Taylor Kornieck was left unmarked in the box to score her third goal against the Thorns, that didn’t throw the experienced Portland side off. Raquel Rodríguez hit a stunner of an equalizer from a broken corner kick in the 20th minute, then the match turned into the Sophia Smith vs. Naomi Girma battle. Girma was excellent in defense showing why she’s a finalist for league MVP among other awards but it wasn’t enough as Crystal Dunn scored the dramatic winner deep into stoppage time for her first goal since giving birth to her first child in May.
Here’s highlights and takeaways from the game:
Thorns experience shines through in an even battle
The semifinal was a stage for several running NWSL storylines to come to a head for these two clubs. Not only was it a battle between two first-year NWSL head coaches, but also The first-ever NWSL semifinal led by two women head coaches as well with Thorns manager Rhian Wilkinson and Wave skipper Casey Stoney.
After playing 120 minutes in the quarterfinal, it was a dream start for the Wave in the semifinal as Kornieck scored in the opening ten minutes of the match. Alex Morgan delivered a lofty cross into the box where Kornieck slid into to open space between two defenders and head the first goal.
The two teams played an end-to-end first half and it didn’t take long for the Thorns to level the scoreline. Rocky Rodriguez provided the equalizer off a scattered corner kick, and the Costa Rican international utilized the space and time to get the perfect volley off.
Both teams entered halftime fairly even in offensive stats, though San Diego narrowly won the first-half battle in total shots with seven compared to six by Portland. The Thorns three attempts on target were just short of the Wave’s four shots on goal. The narrow margins between the two teams set up a “who will crack first” scenario between Wilkinson and Stoney for the second half.
Don’t call it a comeback
Crystal Dunn proved to be the ideal substitution in the match after getting into the game just past the hour mark. Dunn has been building her minutes with the team over the last two months after being away on maternity leave. Her return to the pitch comes after giving birth to her son Marcel back in May and she had previously made five appearances for the club ahead of her semifinal appearance.
The Thorns applied strong pressure in the early phases of the second half, though San Diego was able to sustain it before getting looks in the final third towards the later stage of the half. Despite the effort, it was another broken set piece place led to a stunning game-winner by Dunn in stoppage time, securing Portland’s positon in the 2022 NWSL championship final.
San Deigo’s historic season comes to an end
The club made history throughout its inaugural season and fell just short of making an appearance in the NWSL Championship final. The California expansion team never fell out of playoff contention throughout a regular season that included stadium sellouts and end-of-the-year nominations for MVP (Morgan, Girma), Rookie of the Year (Girma), Defender of the Year (Girma), Coach of the Year (Stoney), and Goalkeeper of the Year (Kalien Sheridan). The future looks bright for the young franchise with both veteran leadership and young talent in place.
What’s next
Portland Thorns will play in the NWSL championship final on October 29, the will face the winner of OL Reign-Kansas City Current.
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