Thorns get back to their winning ways

Coming off a 1-0 loss to Sky Blue FC at home last Thursday, the Portland Thorns had little time to recover and prepare for a Sunday match against the Washington Spirit. But the quick turnaround wasn’t enough to hold back Portland as forwards Christine Sinclair and Alex Morgan each tallied goals to lead the team to a 2-0 victory over Washington at Jeld-Wen Field.

Getting back on the pitch so soon after Thursday’s defeat may have actually worked in Portland’s favor. “We were lucky having a game to come back with,” Morgan said. “After the loss we were really down, so we wanted this game right away to get our confidence back up. And we did that today. We came out wanting to work hard for each other. It was a good performance from us to bounce back from our last one.”

Their motivation was evident from the start as the Thorns came out strong in the first half, pressing the attack and consistently holding back Washington’s drives. Nearing halftime, Sinclair caught a pass from Allie Long in the 41st minute and netted her third goal of the season to give Portland a 1-0 lead heading into the locker room.

The story remained the same throughout the second half as Portland continued to stamp down any trace of momentum by the Spirit, though the Thorns were unable to gain any ground of their own against Washington’s defense. Finally, in the 86th minute, Alex Morgan ended the Spirit’s chances at a draw with her fourth goal in 2013.

“I already had one breakaway that I missed,” Morgan said. “So I wasn’t going to let another slip through my hands.”

Portland is now in a tie for first place in the National Women’s Soccer League with Sky Blue FC. Next up on the schedule is a road matchup with the Seattle Reign FC on Saturday at 7 p.m.