Chicago Red Stars 4 Nagasato 18’, 90’; Kerr 20’, Vasconcelos 77’
Portland Thorns 4 Sinclair 16’, 51’, 87’; Crnogorcevic 33’
Today’s match had all the makings of a marquee home opener; the new kits looked great, the sun was shining, and the Portland Thorns were in town. Not unlike they way they play North Carolina, the Red Stars have taken Portland down to the wire for a number of years, but it has felt like the Thorns have walked away with the better points every time.
It’s not that the Thorns and the Red Stars don’t line up well, but there is a feeling to each match that Portland comes in with an edge and a certain amount of precision that sinks the Red Stars in weird ways.