There were a handful of games in the NWSL over the holiday weekend, starting with a match-up between Chicago (5-2-1) and Houston (1-7-1) Friday night. The Red Stars extended their win streak to four with a 3-1 win over the home team Dash.

Chicago got scores from Vanessa DiBernardo, Alyssa Mautz and Jen Hoy in the very physical contest which saw multiple fouls called on each side. Ella Masar had the only tally for the Dash.

Chicago secured the 2nd place spot in the NWSL rankings with the win.

Action continued Saturday with Sky Blue FC (2-3-4) defeating Portland Thorns FC (4-2-2) 1-0 in front of a crowd of 13,427 in Portland’s Providence Park.

The game’s lone score came after a foul was called against Thorns FC in the 84th minute. Christie Rampone took the free kick, playing a long ball into the box. Wide open defender Kelley O’Hara headed the ball past Portland goalkeeper Nadine Angerer to secure the win.

Sky Blue FC vs. Portland Thorns FC highlights

Sunday featured two games, with FC Kansas City (4-4-3) traveling to Boston (1-6-0) to defeat the Breakers 2-0 and the visiting New York Flash (3-3-2) playing to a 2-2 draw against Seattle Reign FC (7-0-2).

In Boston, the teams played a scoreless first half before FC Kansas City’s Nikki Philllips capitalized on a corner kick at the 62’ mark to put her team up 1-0. The goal was Phillips’ first in her professional career.

Twenty minutes later, Amy Rodriguez secured the Kansas City win with a drive past Boston keeper Alyssa Naeher. The score came off an assist from Jen Buczkowski.

FC Kansas City vs. Boston Breakers highlights

Meanwhile in Seattle, a game featuring USWNT superstars Abby Wambach and Hope Solo ended in a draw as the Flash controlled play for much of the contest against league points leader Seattle. The contest ended a two-game losing streak for Western New York, allowing them to earn their first point in the final game of their three-game road trip.

Wambach came up big for the Flash, factoring in both Western New York goals. At the 17’ mark, Wambach took advantage of a defensive miscue by Kendall Fletcher who failed to clear the ball from the Seattle penalty area. Wambach took the mishit and drilled a shot past Solo.

Later, Wambach served up the assist on Carli Lloyd’s score in the 62nd minute, a goal which put the Flash up until very late in the game.

Seattle’s offense came from Jessica Fishcock who scored in the 45th minute and Kim Little who assured the draw with a goal at the 92’ mark.

Western New York Flash vs. Seattle Regin FC highlights

Finally, Memorial Day saw one game as the Washington Spirit (4-4-1) rallied late to secure a 3-2 win over the Houston Dash (1-7-1).

Washington jumped out to an early lead on a score from Diana Matheson in the 4th minute. Eight minutes later, the Dash evened the scoring on a Nina Burger goal.

Jodie Taylor secured the half-time lead for the Spirit on a goal at the 38’ mark off an assist from Christine Naim, but Houston fought back to even things up in the 77th minute with a tally from Osinachi Ohale.

It appeared the contest could end in a draw, but at the 93’ mark in stoppage time Naim notched a score of her own to put Washington ahead for good.

Houston Dash vs. Washington Spirit highlights

Upcoming NWSL action includes:

Wednesday, May 28

Chicago Red Stars vs. Sky Blue FC
Portland Thorns FC vs. Boston Breakers

Saturday, May 31

Houston Dash vs. Western New York Flash

Sunday, June 1

Seattle Reign FC vs. Sky Blue FC
Washington Spirit vs. Boston Breakers

The post NWSL highlights: Wambach faces Solo, Chicago continues streak first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY CANDY PARKER

Going into Saturday night’s contest, the Western New York Flash (3-2-1) and the Washington Spirit (3-4-0) had played a total of five times since the inception of the NWSL. Each time, the Flash had prevailed. But the Spirit broke the losing streak in front of a home crowd of nearly 4,600 in Boyds, Maryland, defeating the Flash 3-2.

Western New York held a 2-1 lead at halftime after the Flash’s Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd each responded to an initial goal by Washington’s Jodie Lindsey in the 11th minute. Wambach evened the game at 1-1 in the 18th minute and Lloyd put the visitors ahead at the 30’ mark.

But the second half was all Spirit with Kathryn Williamson and Taylor notching scores just seven minutes apart to secure the victory for the home team.

Western New York Flash vs. Washington Spirit highlights

NWSL action continued Sunday night as FC Kansas City (3-4-2) and Houston Dash (1-5-1) played to a 2-2 draw.

FC Kansas City got scoring from Lauren Holiday (2’) and Erika Tymrak (36’) while the Dash’s offense was served up by Jordan Jackson (20’) and Tiffany McCarty (78’) in the evenly match contest.

Houston Dash vs. FC Kansas City highlights

Finally, Chicago (4-2-1) downed Boston (1-5-0) in a lopsided 4-1 match pitting the second-ranked Red Stars against the last place Breakers.

The teams played to a 1-1 draw in the first half with Chicago’s Michelle Wenino striking first at the 23’ mark to give the visiting Red Stars the lead. Boston’s Heather O’Reilly drew her team even in the 35th minute on a penalty kick after Chicago defender Samantha Johnson was called for a handball.

The second half saw a torrent of offense from Chicago with goals by Jen Hoy (50’), Lori Chalupny (57’) and Zakiya Bywaters (85’) as Boston was unable to adjust to the Red Stars’ speed attack.

Chicago Red Stars vs. Boston Breakers highlights

Upcoming NWSL action includes:

Wednesday, May 21

Sky Blue FC at Washington Spirit
Seattle Reign at FC Kansas City
Western New York Flash at Portland Thorns FC

Friday, May 23

Chicago Red Stars at Houston Dash

Saturday, May 24

Sky Blue FC at Portland Thorns FC

Sunday, May 25

FC Kansas City at Boston Breakers
Western New York Flash at Seattle Reign FC

The post Spirit ends Flash losing streak, Red Stars rout Breakers first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Chicago Red Stars celebrate victory

BY CANDY PARKER
Lesbian.com

The National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) leading teams continued to separate themselves over the weekend with Seattle, Western New York, Kansas City and Chicago all earning wins.

Seattle Reign FC (6-0-0) continued its pursuit of perfection earning a hard-fought 1-0 win over Portland Thorns FC (2-1-2) Saturday afternoon.

League-leading scorer and Scottish International Kim Little notched her fifth goal of the season in the 90th minute to give visiting Seattle the victory. The goal capped a late flurry by Seattle during which Bev Goebel drilled an uncontested shot directly at Thorns goalkeeper Nadine Angerer and later barely missed the foot of Sydney Leroux at the 88’ mark.

Reign goalkeeper Hope Solo kept Portland off the board with eight saves in the contest, including two key stops in the 67th and 68th minutes – a header from Jessica McDonald and shot by Amber Brooks, respectively.

Seattle Reign FC at Portland Thorns FC highlights

USWNT superstar Abby Wambach provided all the offense necessary for the Western New York Flash (3-1-1) on Sunday, treating the home crowd to a 2-0 win over visiting Sky Blue FC (1-3-3).

After a scoreless first half, Wambach netted the game’s first goal in the 49th minute with a header off a bending free kick from Vicky Losada. The free kick was awarded after Flash midfielder McCall Zerboni was fouled.

Wambach sealed the win with a goal in injury time at the 93’ mark. Wambach chased down a long kick from teammate Kelsey Wys, beating Sky Blue FC’s goalkeeper Brittany Cameron to the ball and powering a shot to the back of the net.

In other action, FC Kansas City (3-3-1) welcomed the return of Amy Rodriguez, who missed last week’s game while away with the USWNT, as the forward scored two goals in a victory over the Washington Spirit (2-4-0) Sunday evening.

Rodriguez notched her first goal in the 36th minute when Leigh Ann Robinson carried the ball down the right side and sent a low cross to the middle. The initial cross missed Rodriguez’s foot, but Jen Buczkowski recovered the loose ball, tapping an easy pass to Rodriguez who drove a shot into the upper left corner of the goal.

Kansas City took the 1-0 lead into the half, but Washington rallied briefly when, at the 63’ mark, Danesha Adams scored the equalizer for the Spirit, arcing a 25-foot shot over goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart.

Less than one minute later, Rodriguez netted the winning goal, sending a shot to the near post to put her team up 2-1 and secure the win.

Washington Spirit at FC Kansas City highlights

Finally, the Chicago Red Stars (2-2-1) earned a 1-0 win over the Houston Dash (1-4-0) after waiting out a three-hour delay due to lightening and storms in Chicago area Sunday evening.

A goal at the 33’ mark by forward Jen Hoy was the lone goal of the night as Red Stars’ goalie Karina LeBlanc posted her second shut-out of the season.

Houston Dash at Chicago Red Stars highlights

The NWSL has a full slate of action this week with the following upcoming games:

Wednesday, May 14

Portland Thorns FC at Houston Dash
FC Kansas City at Seattle Reign FC

Thursday, May 15

Chicago Red Stars at Boston Breakers

Saturday, May 17

Western New York Flash at Washington Spirit

Sunday, May 18

Houston Dash at FC Kansas City
Chicago Red Stars at Boston Breakers

The post Wambach, Solo, Rodriguez star in NWSL action first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY CANDY PARKER

Four games were featured across the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) over the weekend with every team except the Chicago Red Stars seeing action.

The Seattle Reign (5-0-0) extended their league lead with a 2-1 victory over the Washington Spirit (2-3-0). Seattle sits securely atop the standings with 15 points; their closest competition Portland Thorns FC with 8 points.

Washington struck first in the contest with Ali Krieger notching a Spirit goal at the 53’ mark after the teams played a scoreless first half. But Krieger’s mark was neutralized just two minutes later when Seattle’s Jessica Fishlock riffled a kick past Spirit goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris.

The deciding goal came at the 76th minute mark when Sydney Leroux nabbed her first goal of the season, beating Spirit defender Tori Huster in a one-on-one battle before netting the goal.

Seattle Reign FC vs. Washington Spirit highlights

In other action the Western New York Flash (1-1-1) and Portland Thorns FC (2-0-2) played to a 1-1 draw Saturday. Sonia Bermudez gave the Flash the initial lead at the 39’ mark, but Portland equalized just four minutes later when Jessica McDonald took advantage of a bobbled save by Flash goaltender Lydia Williams. Despite two big scoring chances late in the second half, Portland couldn’t convert for the win.

The game saw the return of USWNT star Abby Wambach to the Flash line-up who missed the team’s first two contests with an orbital bone fracture. Wambach was held to two shots on goal.

Portland Thorns FC vs. Western New York Flash highlights

The Boston Breakers (1-3-0) fell to home team Sky Blue FC (1-2-2) 1-0 Saturday with Monica Ocampo netting the game’s only goal. Ocampo scored off an assist from Kelley O’Hara at the 14’ mark. The win was the first for Sky Blue FC who faces Chicago Wednesday night.

Finally, in the most lopsided contest of the weekend FC Kansas City (2-2-1) defeated the Houston Dash (1-3-0) 4-0 disappointing the 5,198 fans at Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium.

Kansas City was on the attack from the start, earning a corner kick just two minutes into the game. A near miss by Lauren Holiday was followed quickly by two backline breakthroughs by Amy Rodriguez by the 11th minute. Stalwart effort by Dash goalkeeper Erin McLeod thwarted Kansas City’s initial attempts but in the 13th minute Liz Bogus tucked a goal past a sliding McLeod to give her team the lead.

Early in the second half Rodriguez capitalized on yet another scoring opportunity, giving Kansas City an insurance goal they never needed. Erika Tymrak and Frances Silva added late goals for Kansas City cementing the victory.

Upcoming games in the NWSL include:

Wednesday, May 7

FC Kansas City at Western New York Flash
Chicago Red Stars at Sky Blue FC

Saturday, May 10

Seattle Reign FC at Portland Thorns FC

Sunday, May 11

Sky Blue FC at Western New York Flash
Houston Dash at Chicago Red Stars
Washington Spirit at FC Kansas City

The post Seattle Reigns after weekend action in the NWSL first appeared on Lesbian.com.

(Photo by Mike Gridley)

BY CANDY PARKER
Lesbian.com

National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) action continued over the weekend with Boston, Portland, Seattle and Washington earning wins.

Saturday featured two contests with the Washington Spirit traveling to Chicago to face the Red Stars and the Portland Thorns FC hosting FC Kansas City in their home opener.

In the first game, Chicago battled both the Spirit and gusty winds throughout much of the first half, unable to convert their aggressive offensive attack to goals. Chicago’s best first-half scoring opportunity came in stoppage time when midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo played a ball across the box to Adriana Leon who blasted a left-footed shot that drifted just inches wide of the upright.

The game’s only goal came in the 50th minute when Washington capitalized on a corner kick. Danesha Adams played a cross toward the goal and the Spirit’s Tori Huster, alone near the center of the goal, netted a header to give the visitors the 1-0 lead.

The second half was a physical battle, with Washington earning three yellow cards and the Red Stars one in the hard fought contest. Despite the determined play by Chicago, Washington held on for the win.

Washington Spirit vs. Chicago Red Stars highlights

In Saturday’s second match-up, Portland downed Kansas City 3-1, with the Thorns’ Allie Long and Jessica McDonald each playing key roles in the victory.

The regular season home opener for the Thorns featured two goals from McDonald and a goal and assist from Long. Portland goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was also impressive in front of the home crowd, registering six saves. Forward Lauren Holiday, the 2013 NWSL Most Valuable Player, scored the lone goal for Kansas City in the losing effort.

Before the contest, the returning Portland players received their 2013 NWSL championship rings and the team unveiled a banner at Providence Park to commemorate the achievement.

Kansas City FC vs. Portland Thorns FC highlights

Sunday saw two matches, as the Boston Breakers hosted Sky Blue FC and the Houston Dash visited the league-leading Seattle Reign FC.

Boston earned their first win of the 2014 season in front of a home crowd at Harvard Stadium Sunday evening. The Breakers’ Julie King struck first at the 15’ mark, but after Sky Blue evened it up on a goal from Monica Ocampo in the 30th minute it was Boston’s Lianne Sanderson who secured the win with goals at 43’ and 60’. Ashley Nick added a goal for Sky Blue late in second-half stoppage time to pull within one, but ultimately fell short in the contest.

Sky Blue FC vs. Boston Breakers highlights

In the weekend’s final match-up Seattle shut out the Dash 2-0 to maintain their place atop the early NWSL season standings. Seattle is now 3-0-0 with a two-point lead over Portland (2-0-1).

Kim Little’s two first-half goals were enough to secure the win as Reign and USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo fended off three shots on goal from Houston. Little now leads the NWSL with four goals.

The Reign’s first goal came on a penalty kick after forward Sydney Leroux was taken down inside the box by Dash midfielder Becky Edwards. Little took the shot and confidently drilled the shot past goalkeeper Erin McLeod.

Seattle’s second goal came when Bev Goebel split the Dash backline with a pass that Little sent into the net in the 38th minute.

Houston Dash vs. Seattle Reign FC highlights

Finally, in late breaking news Monday, the NWSL announced that the league had suspended Western New York Flash midfielder Carli Lloyd for two games for use of excessive force in an April 19 incident involving Chicago Red Stars’ midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo. Lloyd will sit out the next two matches in which is she available to play.

“My action in the game against the Chicago Red Stars was not acceptable and is inexcusable,” said Lloyd. “I am very disappointed in myself and this is a lesson I will learn from. I want to apologize to Vanessa, the Red Stars, my teammates, the Western New York Flash organization and the NWSL fans.”

The suspension stems from an incident in which Lloyd appeared to strike DiBernardo in the face in first-half stoppage time after tugging on the Red Stars rookie’s jersey.

Upcoming games in the NWSL:

Wednesday, April 30

Seattle Reign FC at Sky Blue FC
Chicago Red Stars at FC Kansas City

Saturday, May 3

Seattle Reign FC at Washington Spirit
Portland Thorns FC at Western New York Flash
Boston Breakers at Sky Blue FC
FC Kansas City at Houston Dash

The post NWSL action: Weekend recap, Lloyd suspended first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY CANDY PARKER

Seattle Reign FC sits alone atop the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) standings after notching their second win of the young season, a 3-1 win over Washington. In front 1,750 fans at Moda Health Pitch at Memorial Stadium in Seattle, the Reign struck early and continued with a relentless attack to down the visiting Spirit.

Defender Kendall Fletcher set the tone early, scoring at the 3′ mark off an assist from Jess Fishlock. Despite numerous shots on goal by U.S. Women’s National Team forward Sydney Leroux and midfielder Bev Goebel, Washington remained down by just the one goal going into the half.

Seattle notched the insurance goal early in the second half when midfielder Keelin Winters converted on a corner kick from Nahomi “Naho” Kawasumi. Washington made a game of it at the 73′ mark when Fletcher was called for a handball inside the penalty box. Diana Matheson took the penalty kick for Washington, pulling her team within one goal.

The Reign sealed the win when midfielder Jess Fishlock snuck past the front post to notch a goal into the far left corner in the 80th minute.

Seattle Reign FC vs. Washington Spirit highlights

At 2-0-0, Seattle is the only team to have won two games at this point. Portland Thorns FC and Sky Blue FC also remain undefeated, but have played to one or more draws at this point.

In their next contest, Seattle hosts the Houston Dash (1-1-0) Sunday, April 27, at 7pm.

The post Seattle downs Washington in mid-week NWSL action first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Washington Spirit teammates celebrate after a victory over FC Kansas City (photo courtesy of the NWSL)

BY CANDY PARKER
Lesbian.com

National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) action continued over the weekend with four match-ups on the schedule.

In the first contest, the Washington Spirit downed visiting FC Kansas City 3-1. The Spirit’s offense was led by Diana Matheson who tallied two goals for the home team.

Matheson notched the game’s first goal early, netting a near post shot in the fourth minute. FC Kansas City responded with a tying goal in the 29th minute when Spirit goaltender Ashlyn Harris blocked an initial shot by Amy Rodriguez, but had no chance when Rodriguez took aim on the rebound.

Matheson scored her second goal in the 38th minute, putting Washington ahead for good on an assist from Crystal Dunn. Christine Nairn added an insurance goal for the Spirit shortly before the half to take the 3-1 lead. Neither team was able to generate offense in the second half though FC Kansas City was able to create pressure on the Spirit with the insertion of Frances Silva and Jenna Richmond midway through the second half.

FC Kansas City vs. Washington Spirit highlights

Meanwhile in Chicago, the Red Stars were victorious in their 2014 season opener, defeating the Western New York Flash 1-0. Defender Julie Johnson netted the winning goal for the Red Stars in the 59th minute off a corner kick from Vanessa DiBernardo in a contest marked by balanced possessions by the clubs.

Western New York Flash vs. Chicago Red Stars highlights

Saturday’s final contest saw Sky Blue FC play to a 1-1 draw against visiting Portland Thorns FC. USWNT stars Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC) and Allie Long (Portland) were the lone goal scorers in the game. Rampone struck in the 26th minute off a corner kick and Long drew even for Portland with a penalty kick shot in the 75th minute.

Sky Blue FC had a chance to take the win during second half stoppage time when Portland was called for a handball inside the box following a corner kick. Kelley O’Hara took the attempt for Sky Blue FC, but missed wide left.

Portland Thorn FC vs. Sky Blue FC highlights

NWSWL weekend action wrapped up Sunday in Boston as the Breakers hosted the Houston Dash. Houston downed the home team 3-2, handing Boston their second loss of the season.

Houston Dash vs. Boston Breakers highlights

Boston struck early, with Heather O’Reilly sending a rebound shot into the net in the first minute after Dash goalkeeper Erin McLeod made a stop on O’Reilly’s initial attempt. The Breakers took the early lead into the half, but Houston tied it up early in the second half, with Ella Massar sending a loose ball into the Boston net at the 50 minute mark.

Boston responded with a goal by Joanna Lohman in the 70th minute and Houston tied it up again at the 81st minute mark on a goal by Teresa Noyola. The decisive score came with Noyola’s second goal just four minutes later on a penalty kick after Rafaelle Souza was tripped by Courtney Jones while dribbling through the box. Noyola drilled the penalty shot into the lower right corner, just beyond the reach of Boston goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

Upcoming games in the NWSL:

Wednesday, April 23

Washington Spirit at Seattle Reign FC

Saturday, April 26

Washington Spirit at Chicago Red Stars
FC Kansas City at Portland Thorns FC

Sunday, April 27

Sky Blue FC at Boston Breakers
Houston Dash at Seattle Reign FC

The post Washington, Chicago, Houston tally NWSL victories first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Opening weekend action continued in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on Sunday with two contests.

In the first, the Western New York Flash easily handled Washington, downing the Spirit 3-1 in front of a hometown crowd of 2,306.

Rookie Vicky Losada, an FC Barcelona transplant who signed with the Flash during the off-season, played a key role in the victory scoring two goals and tallying one assist for her new team. Losada’s offensive punch was welcomed with Abby Wambach sidelined with an orbital bone fracture.

After entering the half down 1-0, the Spirit tied the score five minutes into the second half when Midfielder Christine Nairn bent the ball through the Flash defense and past goalkeeper Lydia Williams on a great individual effort following a corner kick. But the 2013 regular season champion Flash responded quickly, netting a go-ahead goal from Brittany Taylor just four minutes later. Losada sealed the victory with her second goal at the 67′ mark.

Western New York Flash vs. Washington Spirit Highlights

On the other side of the country, Seattle Reign FC shut out the Boston Breakers 3-0 as Scottish international Kim Little scored a penalty kick in the 49th minute and added a second goal in the 54th minute. Megan Rapinoe capped the scoring in the 88th minute to give the hosts the victory.

Boston’s offensive efforts were thwarted by Hope Solo who had a little help from the crossbar early on when the Breakers looked to take the lead on a Heather O’Reilly cross to Joanna Lohman. Lohman’s half volley struck the crossbar and went straight to the ground, inches away from crossing the line.

Boston Breakers vs. Seattle Reign FC highlights

Action in the NWSL continues this weekend with the following match-ups:

Saturday, April 19

FC Kansas City at Washington Spirit
Western New York Flash at Chicago Red Stars
Portland Thorns FC at Sky Blue FC

Sunday, April 20

Houston Dash at Boston Breakers

The post Seattle, Western NY prevail in NWSL action first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Houston Dash goalie Erin McLeod blocks the ball during the game against the Portland Thorns FC at the BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, April 12, 2014.
Kim Christensen/Courtesy of the Houston Chronicle

BY CANDY PARKER
Lesbian.com

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) 2014 season got underway Saturday with Portland Thorns FC facing Houston Dash and FC Kansas City matching up against Sky Blue FC.

The defending NWSL champion Thorns opened the season with a 1-0 win in Houston. Midfielder Allie Long scored the game’s only goal in the first half and goalkeeper Nadine Angerer recorded the shut out as the Thorns defense held Houston to just three shots on goal.

Thorns FC out-shot the Dash, 12-10, in Paul Riley’s first match as head coach for the team.

In other action, FC Kansas City and Sky Blue FC played to a 1-1 draw in Kansas City. Amy Rodriguez scored for Kansas City at the 42′ mark and SBFC’s midfielder Katy Freels scored the equalizer at 48′.

The Blues outshot SBFC 14-5 and had a 5-2 corner kick advantage in the contest.

FC Kansas City vs Sky Blue FC highlights

Looking ahead, Thorns FC will travel to New Jersey to face off against Sky Blue FC on April 19 while Kansas City will host the Washington Spirit on the same date. The Dash will face the Boston Breakers at Harvard Stadium on April 20.

Opening week action for the NWSL continues Sunday with Abby Wambach’s Western New York Flash squaring off against Washington and Boston hosting Seattle Reign FC.

The post NWSL season gets underway first appeared on Lesbian.com.

In a contest highlighted by solid goalkeeping Portland Thorns FC defeated the Western New York Flash 2-0 Saturday night in Rochester, N.Y., to claim the first National Women’s Soccer League championship.

Tobin Heath’s decisive strike off a free kick in the 40th minute proved to be all the offense Portland needed to defeat Abby Wambach‘s Flash who ranked atop the league at the end of the regular season. Christine Sinclair added a second goal for the Thorns during second half stoppage time to crush the waning hopes of the home crowd in the final minutes of the match.

Recovering from a knee injury in early August, Alex Morgan didn’t start the game for Portland, but came on in the final 19 minutes and assisted on Sinclair’s goal.

Portland played most of the second half short-handed after Kathryn Williamson received her second yellow card in the 56th minute. Williamson was deemed to have taken down Wambach just outside the Portland penalty area twice in a nine-minute span.

Despite the advantage, the Flash couldn’t capitalize on scoring opportunities by Carli Lloyd and Vicki DiMartino late in the match.

Wambach, Morgan, Heath, Lloyd, and Rachel Buehler return to action with the USWNT on Tuesday night in Washington, DC, in a friendly match against Mexico.

The post Portland Thorns FC take NWSL championship first appeared on Lesbian.com.