Portland vaulted into third place in the NWSL tonight with a decisive 4-0 win over the Utah Royals. The win, perhaps the Thorns’ best all-around performance all season, came at a cost, though, as Midge Purce was taken out of the match at halftime following a brutal studs-up foul by Diana Matheson that easily warranted a straight red.
With Meghan Klingenberg out on a suspension and Katherine Reynolds on an excused absence, the Thorns were again forced to make some hard choices to fill out the back line. In front of AD Franch, we saw Midge Purce, Emily Menges, Emily Sonnett, and Ellie Carpenter, from left to right.