Come game’s end, nobody was talking about the crowd. But nobody was talking about the goals, either. Rocky Rodríguez’s opener. Tyler Lussi’s game-winner, eventually. Amy Rodriguez’s response. The aspects of soccer games we usually remember were relegated to subplots before Friday’s final whistle, with Portland Thorns FC and Kansas City NWSL finishing with only 19 players on the field. The Thorns had won their NWSL Challenge Cup opener, 2-1, but those in attendance at Providence Park were left wondering what Morgan Weaver, confronted by Kristen Edmonds in stoppage time, had done to earn her red card.
— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) April 10, 2021
It didn’t take long once the match ended for the main story to come back into focus.