Portland Thorns Finish with Best Regular-Season Record to Claim NWSL Shield
Portland Thorns FC received the NWSL Shield after recording the best regular-season record for the 2016 campaign. The Thorns edged Sky Blue FC in the final weekend of matches to jump ahead of the Washington Spirit who fell to the Chicago Red Stars on the road. The NWSL Shield is the annual award bestowed upon the team with the most outstanding regular season record.
NWSL Soccer News: Portland Thorns FC claimed the NWSL Shield on Sunday night following a 3-1 victory over Sky Blue FC at Yurcak Field. The team with the best regular-season record claims the NWSL Shield.
The Thorns fell behind off a goal by Sky Blue FC forward Tasha Kai in the sixth minute, but Portland was able to rally behind midfielder Allie Long who recorded a brace on the night and forward Lindsey Horan’s goal to push the Thorns to their fourth comeback victory of the season.
Portland finished with the league’s best regular-season record (12-3-5, 41 points) for the first time in franchise history as well as the first time earning a home postseason match. The Thorns won the 2013 NWSL Championship as the No. 3 seed in the playoffs that year.
Portland joins the 2013 WNY Flash as the only teams to clinch the NWSL Shield on the final day of the regular season. The Flash edged the Boston Breakers on Saturday of the final weekend of the 2013 season and then watched Sunday as FC Kansas City fell to the Chicago Red Stars – handing Western New York the regular-season title.
Portland kicked off the 2016 campaign with 12-game unbeaten run – the second-longest streak in NWSL history behind Seattle Reign FC’s 16 consecutive matches without a loss two season ago.
The Thorns finished the 2016 season with the best home record in the league as well as tied with FC Kansas City and the Washington Spirit for the best performance on the road.
The achievement comes a year after Portland missed out on the NWSL playoffs for the first time with a club low 23 points from 20 games in 2015.
Forwards Nadia Nadim (9 goals, 3 assists), Christine Sinclair (6 goals, 2 assists), Linsey Horan (5 goals) as well as midfielders Tobin Heath (1 goal, 10 assists), Allie Long (6 goals, 2 assists) and Dagny Brynjarsdottir (5 goals, 1 assist) led an offense that ranked No. 2 in the league this campaign with 35 total goals scored.
Goalkeeper Michelle Betos and her back line of Meghan Klingenberg, Katherine Reynolds, Emily Sonnett and Emily Menges recorded one of the best defensives seasons in NWSL history with a 0.95 goals against average as they became just the third team in league history to allow less than one goal per match.
Portland will attempt to become the first NWSL Shield winners to also claim the NWSL Championship. The Thorns face the Western New York Flash at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon in a semifinal matchup on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. ET broadcast live on FOX Sports 1.
