Following a victory last week, the Portland Thorns headed to Kansas City on Wednesday for an away game. The battle between the teams was fierce, with neither side scoring a goal during the first half. Everything changed during the second half, however, when Kansas City scored three goals, and the Thorns remained goal-less.
The real question now is: how will these highly competitive ladies fare in the next few games? The regular season is coming to a close, with only three games left, before the playoffs begin. This is where things get exciting, as only the top four teams will be playing at that point. A points system has been tracking the teams all season long and has Portland at the #5 spot, just out of playoff range. This has made Kansas City the team’s closest rival for a top four spot. Currently, Kansas City has 25 points while Portland has 22.
The pressure is on with these last games coming up, and only a few points separating Portland and Kansas City. What could be more exciting? Well, there actually is a piece of news that makes this playoff battle even more intense. It was announced that Providence Park will be hosting the championship game in October. So once the playoffs are over, the last two teams will be vying for the trophy in downtown Portland. Obviously, having the Thorns play in the championships would be even more exciting now that they would be on their home field.
The next game coming up for the Thorns is next Saturday, the 23rd, and will be another away game. This time the ladies will be playing Sky Blue, a team from New Jersey. Currently ranked at #8, Sky Blue does not seem to have a serious chance at the playoffs, but if the Thorns can best them at this away game, it may just give the team a chance to edge out those last few points over Kansas City that they need. Also on Saturday, Kansas City will be playing a home game against the Boston team, possibly allowing them to keep their point lead going as Boston is currently ranked #9 in the standings.
Excitement is definitely building in the women’s soccer world and it will be an intense few weeks coming up here for the Thorns. With our avid fan base, support for this team has been very enthusiastic, and I’m sure our stadium will be filled with many fans should this talented Portland team make the playoffs and beyond. It can scarcely be imagined the excitement level should the Thorns indeed be able to play a hometown championship game.
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