Portland Thorns x Houston Dash

On a clear and sunny Friday night, the Portland Thorns played their first league game back at Providence Park. Portland played the Houston Dash in their new secondary uniform debut.

The Thorns got on the board first in the ninth minute, when Dunn scored off a superb assist from league MVP Sophia Smith. After dribbling the ball past the left side of the box, Smith slipped a pass to Dunn, who blasted a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar on its way to the back of the goal.

But Houston adjusted their strategy and pressed every time the Thorns had the ball. The tenacity of the Houston squad paid off in the 24th minute, when Maria Sanchez tied the game. Sanchez carried the ball along the left side of the box with possession before sending a low shot into Bixby's right corner as the Thorn’s defense went into a frenzy.

By the time the first half was up, both sides had figured out how to stop the other from scoring. Both teams returned to the dressing rooms with a 1-1 tie.

The second half was a defensive slugfest as both teams fought for control of the ball. Both teams looked for openings to break the defense, with Portland making a few attempts that were denied by Houston. However, they were limited in what they could do.

In the Portland game's closing minutes, there was a mad dash for the game-winning goal. In the 88th minute, Morgan Weaver came close. After a Meghan Klingenberg corner kick into the six-yard box was deflected, she took a shot that went just wide right. The Dash battled for balls in the corner to keep the score tied as time ran out.

[Photography by Jackie Shinstrom]