Oct 12, 2024, 01:05 AM ET
Morgan Weaver and Christine Sinclair scored to give the Portland Thorns a 2-0 win over Orlando on Friday night and hand the Pride their first loss of the season.
The Pride (17-1-6) had not lost in 23 matches this season while their 24-game unbeaten streak dated to last season.
The victory snapped Portland’s seven-game winless streak and kept the team in seventh place in the league standings. The top eight make the playoffs.
Portland (9-11-4) took a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute when Reyna Reyes popped a header off a corner kick that fell to Weaver, who tapped it into the goal.
Weaver was injured in the 60th minute, walking gingerly before she sat on the turf and gestured to the trainers, then going to the locker room.
Sinclair, who is retiring after 11 seasons with the team, scored in the 55th. It was her 80th career goal across all competitions, ranking her second on the NWSL‘s career list. The Providence Park crowd gave her a standing ovation and chanted her name when she was subbed out late.
Portland, which had an 8-4-11 record before Friday, ended Pride attempt to become the first NWSL team to finish the regular season unbeaten. Craig Mitchelldyer-Imagn Images
Sinclair went down hard after a header attempt late in the first half and and appeared to injure her shoulder, but she was checked on the sidelines before returning to the match.
With the NWSL Shield for best regular-season record already secured, Pride coach Seb Hines opted not to start Barbra Banda, Adriana and Marta. Banda leads the Pride with 13 goals this season, while Marta has eight. Banda and Adriana entered in the 65th minute while Marta came in about 10 minutes later.
The Thorns, one of the league’s five founding clubs playing their 250th match, were without top scorer Sophia Smith, who has an ankle injury, and Hina Sugita, who has a facial injury.
Orlando has just won once at Portland’s Providence Park, in 2018.
