Thorns suffer first loss of the season

Feelin’ Thorny? The once-controversial T-shirt slogan turned into an unofficial motto as the Portland Thorns rolled through their first six games of 2013 unbeaten, leaving the competition wondering if they had just taken an up-close and personal tour of the city’s rose gardens. But when the National Women’s Soccer League leaders faced off against Sky Blue FC on Thursday, they finally ran into an opponent they could not deny, losing 1-0.

Portland took to the pitch at Jeld-Wen Field in front of a crowd of 11,055 and found out exactly why Sky Blue FC is nipping at their heels in the NWSL standings. The Thorns had every reason to be confident going into the second home game in franchise history with a dynamic lineup that features Alex Morgan, who is currently tied for second in the league in goals, as well as the April NWSL Player of the Month, Christine Sinclair.

But Portland’s attack came up empty against Sky Blue FC, getting just three shots in the first half compared to eight by their opponents. The Timbers defense did their part, holding Sky Blue FC in check to keep the game scoreless at halftime, but the visitors began to establish themselves in the final 10 minutes of the half and seemed to have the energy on their side by the time the teams headed into the locker rooms.

That trend continued into the first 20 minutes of the second half as the Thorns appeared worn down on defense and lacking in passing accuracy on offense. Sky Blue FC was relentless, feeding off the pace of Australian forward Lisa De Vanna, who had four shots in the game and two on goal as she consistently pulled off brilliant moves to lose her defenders. The Thorns continued to look for answers and were nearly rewarded for their patience in the 67th minute, when Alex Morgan sent a ripper on goal that flew just a few inches over the right post.

But it was Sky Blue FC who finally saw the fruits of their labor against the exhausted Thorn defense, when they earned a yellow card on a foul by Sinclair in the 79th minute. The resulting free kick was passed to Taylor Lytle, who converted it into a goal just a minute after being substituted into the game.

With only seconds left in stoppage time, Lytle was whistled for a hand ball, giving Portland one last chance to even the tally—but the ball was cleared away with a header and the Thorns took their first loss of the season.

Portland goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc was deflated after the game but determined to look on the bright side. “Oh, it hurt, especially at home, because we want to put on a good show for the fans and make them know that we appreciate them,” LeBlanc said. “To lose at home stinks that much more, but you know it’s good to have it this early in the season.”

Defender Rachel Buehler echoed the sentiment. “We’ve had a good record so far,” she said. “The loss is a good wake-up call.”