The Portland Thorns came away from the first game of the 2017 season with a 2-0 win against the Orlando Pride, on the strength of a penalty conversion by Nadia Nadim and a goal by Christine Sinclair. The match was the first to be televised under the NWSL's shiny new broadcast agreement with Lifetime, and the Thorns best-attended season opener to date, with more than 16,000 in attendance.
Summary
The first half was very first-game-of-the-season from both sides. A handful of defensive flubs nearly cost the Thorns their clean sheet, and the team had some difficulty adjusting to the Pride's high press.