A Portland own goal during second-half stoppage time gave the Orlando Pride the score needed to earn a 1-0 victory over the visiting Thorns on Friday night.
Marta took a corner kick in the second minute of overtime and her boot flew towards the mass of people gathered in front of the net. Portland goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold was watching the ball, but teammate Mallie McKenzie tried to clear it and the ball hit the side of her head and went into the net.
This is the second victory in three matches for Orlando (10-8-6, 36 points), which wins for only the second time in its last 12 NWSL matches (2-5-5). The Pride moved up to third place in the standings with the sixth-place Seattle Reign scheduled to play later Friday night.
Arnold made five saves for Portland (9-8-7, 34 points) and kept the game scoreless with a remarkable save on a right-footed shot from Orlando’s Ally Watt in the 61st minute. The Thorns are tied for fifth with Seattle, pending the outcome of the latter’s match against Bay FC.
Watt put two balls into the net in three minutes at the end of the first half, but was flagged for offside on both. She was clearly offside from the first attempt but the second was extremely close as shown by the multiple replay angles.
Anna Moorhouse made four saves for Orlando.
Races Louisville 1, Chicago Stars 1
Bethany Balcer scored in the third minute of the second half stoppage as Louisville won the tie against Chicago.
Balcer was in position near the net when Janine Sonis’ pass came his way. She put her left foot on the ball and sent it into the upper part of Racing Louisville (9-9-6, 33 points), undefeated in its last three matches (2-0-1).
Jameese Joseph scored for last-place Chicago (2-11-11, 17 points). The Stars are winless in their last five matches (0-2-3).
The match was tied in the 85th minute when Ivonne Chacon slipped the ball from the left side to the right. Joseph arrived just as the ball approached and she fired a right-footed shot into the left corner to give Chicago the lead.
Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made eight saves, including a big save on Ella Hase’s shot in the fourth minute.
Jordyn Bloomer’s lone save for Louisville was crucial as she stopped Ally Schlegel’s header in the 54th minute.
–Field level media
