Beneath the surface of Portland Thorns FC’s 12th win of the NWSL season is a story of obstacles, one that augments the straight-forward, somewhat pedestrian tale Saturday’s final score tells.
On one level, the 1-0 win over a Washington Spirit team that, with the result, set a league record for losses in a season seems more obligatory than impressive; but on another, the stifling control Portland showed over long stretches of Saturday’s game reflected another piece of progress, one the team can build on going into their final game of the regular season.
“We saw a lot of great defensive work,” Thorns head coach Mark Parsons said, his team having limited their hosts at Audi Field to two shots on target.