The NWSL season will be making its return on August 23rd. Meanwhile, August 24th will have the Portland Thorns make the trip to Red Bull Arena to face Gotham FC.
The Thorns are currently sitting in fifth place with a record of 8-3-5. They won their last match against the San Diego Wave with a goal from Izzy D'Aquila in the 85th minute. Janine Becky provided the assist with a nice cross to the center of the box. Eight of their 17 shot attempts were on goal, and they held possession for 43.4% of the match. This was a bounce-back game for Portland after a draw against the Utah Royals and a tough loss against the Kansas City Current.
NJ/NY are sitting in fourth place right now with a record of 9-4-3. They also won their last game against Angel City FC 2-1. The first goal was a dagger to the top right corner by Rose Lavelle in the 16th minute off an assist from Crystal Dunn. Goal two was a shot from Delanie Sheehan to the bottom right corner in close range. The assist came from Ella Stevens.
Which of these teams can keep the momentum going and get a win after the long break?
Game Details
Fixture: Portland Thorns @ NJ/NY Gotham FC
Date and Time: August 24th, 2024 @ 2:30 pm EST
Location: Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
Where to Watch: Paramount+ and CBS
Portland Thorns Team Review
Sophia Smith is currently leading the team in goals with 10 in the 14 appearances that she has had. She was also the lead scorer in 2023-24. Smith is also leading in assists with six. Goalie Shelby Hogan has been in goal for all 16 matches. She currently has 46 saves, seven clean sheets, and 20 goals allowed.
The Thorns have a passing accuracy of 78%. Their short passes completed percentage is 85%, and their long passes completed percentage is 42%. They also have a long ball percentage of 42% and a total of 22 assists. They have an attacking percentage of 56%, with 97 attempts on target and 77 off target. Lastly, they have 100% accuracy on penalties and have taken 63 corners this season. Defensively, they've won 214 out of 360 tackles, giving them a 59% accuracy. They've accumulated 332 headed duels and 186 interceptions.
NJ/NY Gotham FC Team Review
Ella Stevens and Rose Lavelle are currently tied in goals scored in the season, with five each. Stevens has done it in 13 games, while Lavelle has done it in 12. Jenna Nighswonger, Yazmeen Ryan, and Stevens all lead with three assists. German Ann-Katrin Berger has been the main goalie since her transfer there. She has 12 starts, 41 saves, four clean sheets, and nine goals allowed.
Gotham has a passing accuracy of 77%. They've completed 83% of their short passes and 43% of their long passes. They also have a long passes percentage of 43% and a total of 15 assists. Their attacking percentage is at 51% accuracy, with 78 out of 153 attempts on target and 80 corners taken on the season. The defensive accuracy is at 69%, with 216 out of 311 tackles won. They've accumulated 456 headed duels and 147 interceptions.
Who to Watch
Portland Thorns
Olivia Moultrie is one to watch for the Thorns. The young midfielder has taken 20 shots in the 12 games she has played. Out of the 20, eight of them have been on target. She has also scored three goals and has one assist. Moultrie has a passing accuracy of 73%, with 223 out of 307 of her passes being accurate. She has a 57% accurate shooting percentage. If she can fire off a few, there's a decent chance she can get one to go in.
NJ/NY Gotham FC
Lynn Williams has been a consistent player in the NWSL for a long time now. She recently surpassed Sam Kerr for the most goals scored in NWSL history with 79. She currently has three goals on the season with nine shots on target. Her passing percentage is at 69%, with 135 out of 197 passes being accurate. She's been strong on the defensive end as well, with 14 tackles on the season and a tackle accuracy of 74%