PORTLAND, Ore. – Glances from a distance will judge Portland Thorns FC’s performance against Sky Blue FC as an adequate result, and with a 2-1 victory adorning both scoreboards when Mark Allatin blew his final whistle, those verdicts won’t be entirely off. Given the loss cast Sky Blue to a 0-15-5 record, this season, some will say the final margin wasn’t enough, particularly for a team aspirating toward a third NWSL title.
Those judgments, though, ignore the reality of closer context, as well as the actual, underlying performance on the field. For months, Sky Blue have played much better than their record, so for Portland to take a 2-0 lead into the game’s final 36 minutes was no lean achievement.