The Thorns held off the Utah Royals FC to earn a 0-0 draw at Providence Park. While both sides generated a number of good looks, solid goalkeeping and strong defensive performances kept the score level and left Portland with their second tie in as many weeks.
The Thorns lined up with five in the back: Elizabeth Ball, Katherine Reynolds, and Gabby Seiler comprised the centerback trio, and Meghan Klingenberg and Kelli Hubly pushed forward as wingbacks. The three central defenders allowed for Reynolds to stay on Amy Rodriguez — Utah’s greatest scoring threat as of late — and for Seiler to make use of her stellar positional awareness as an Emily Menges-esque sweeper.