KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Behind a strong defensive effort in the second half and a goal from midfielder Lindsey Horan, Portland Thorns FC earned a hard-fought point on the road with a 1-1 draw against FC Kansas City at Swope Soccer Village in front of 3,022 fans on Saturday night.
Playing their first of four consecutive matches on the road, Thorns FC (1-0-1, 4pts) overcame a first-half deficit as Horan scored for a second straight match, while midfielder Tobin Heath added her third assist in two matches for Portland.
Goalkeeper Michelle Betos kept Kansas City off the scoresheet early in the match, making several key stops and saving a penalty kick in the 20th minute. Betos dove to her right, tipping midfielder Shea Groom’s attempt from the spot off the post before the ball was cleared out of the box. Ten minutes later, Groom put FC Kansas City (0-1-1, 1pts) in front, converting a cross by Heather O’Reilly with a diving header in the 30th minute.
Pushing for an equalizer and playing with a player advantage after Groom picked up a second yellow card in the 47th minute, Thorns FC outshot Kansas City 8-2 and leveled the match in the 78th minute on a corner kick. Heath delivered a hard, driven ball to the back post and Horan headed the ball inside the far post past diving FC Kansas City goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart.
Thorns FC created several additional goal scoring opportunities in the second half, including an argument for a penalty kick in the 56th minute after forward Hayley Raso was tackled from behind, but no penalty was awarded on the play. In the 81st minute, midfielder Allie Long dribbled through multiple defenders and fired a shot from inside the box just wide of the post, while Horan’s curling effort from the left side of the box deep in second-half stoppage time missed just to the right of the far post.
Up next, Thorns FC travel to square off against the Boston Breakers on Sunday, May 1, at Jordan Field; kickoff is set for 2 p.m. (Pacific). Sunday’s match will be broadcast live via webstream at www.thornsfc.com.
Notes:
- Saturday’s match was the 10th meeting all-time during the regular season between Portland and Kansas City.
- Midfielder Allie Long is the only Thorns FC player to appear in all 10 matches against FC Kansas City in team history.
- Goalkeeper Michelle Betos has saved two penalty kicks during her Thorns FC career. In addition, both of Betos’ penalty-kick saves have come in road matches. Betos saved a penalty kick against the Houston Dash on June 6, 2015.
- Portland has scored seven of its 19 goals against FC Kansas in the all-time series in the final 15 minutes.
- Midfielder Lindsey Horan is one of only two players in Thorns FC history to score in the first two matches of the season. Long accomplished this feat in the first two matches of the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
- Midfielder Tobin Heath tallied her sixth career assist in the match, moving her into a tie for fourth place all-time in career assists for Thorns FC.
- Forward Mallory Weber earned her first career start for Thorns FC on Saturday.
Portland Thorns FC (1-0-1, 4pts) at FC Kansas City (0-1-1, 1pts)
April 23, 2016 – Swope Soccer Village (Kansas City, Mo.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
FC Kansas City 1 0 1
Portland Thorns FC 0 1 1
Scoring Summary
KC: Groom (O’Reilly), 30
POR: Horan (Heath), 78
Misconduct Summary
KC: Groom (Caution), 41
KC: Groom (Caution), 47
KC: Groom (Ejection), 47
Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Betos, D Williamson (Reynolds, 40), D Sonnett, D Menges, D Klingenberg, M Long, M Horan, M Weber (Raso, 52), M Brynjarsdottir (Shim, 75), M Heath ©, F Nadim
Substitutes Not Used: GK Franch, M Boureille
TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (Long, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Long, 3); FOULS: 9 (Long, 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 4
KC: GK Barnhart, D Frisbie, D Sauerbrunn, D Taylor, M Averbuch, M Scott, M Buczkowski, M Laddish, M O’Reilly, F Tymrak (McCarty, 53, (Kastor, 89), F Groom
Substitutes Not Used: GK Rowland, D Reed, M Newfield, F Silva
TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (Groom, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Groom, 3); FOULS: 6 (Groom, 4); OFFSIDES: 6; CORNER KICKS: 1; SAVES: 5
Referee: Danielle Chesky
Assistant Referees: Adrienne McDonald, Brooke Mayo
4th Official: Ryan Cook
Attendance: 3,022
Weather: Sunny, 77 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
