Emotions are always high when the Portland Thorns (4-1-2) face off against the North Carolina Courage (3-2-3), a rivalry exacerbated by dramatic postseason results and — when the teams match up at Providence Park — Thorns supporters booing Jaelene Hinkle for homophobic comments every time she touches the ball.
After dominating the NWSL table for the past two seasons, the Courage have looked less imposing as of late, posting only one win in their last five games. That said, they’re still a talented, attack-minded team with the ability to grind out results; this game promises to be an exciting one.