Portland edged out the Spirit 2-1 at home in a narrowly-contested, often nervy battle that saw the Thorns go down a goal before digging their way out to get the win.
Contrary to expectations, the Thorns stuck with the triple-center back formation they deployed against North Carolina last week, with Katherine Reynolds joining Emily Sonnett and Emily Menges for her first start of the season. Meghan Klingenberg and Ashleigh Sykes played as wingbacks, with Lindsey Horan and Allie Long deep in the central midfield. Christine Sinclair played as a #10, working as a link between the midfield and the forwards.