PORTLAND THORNS FC GAME NOTES PORTLAND THORNS FC VS. WESTERN NEW YORK FLASH SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2015, 4 P.M. (PT) VP Communications: Chris Metz - (503) 553-5433, cmetz@timbers.com Manager, Media Relations: Mark Nelson - (503) 553-5529, mnelson@timbers.com Coordinator, Media Relations: Katie Simons - (503) 553-5539, ksimons@timbers.com Coordinator, Media Relations: Diego Basabe - (503) 553-5543, dbasabe@timbers.com
THORNS FC
2015 SCHEDULE
FLASH
2015 NWSL RECORD: 1-0-0 (Home: 1-0-0; Away: 0-0-0)
VS.
1-0-0 (3pts)
0-1-0 (0pts)
MATCH INFORMATION Date: Saturday, April 18, 2015 Kickoff: 4 p.m. (Pacific) Location: Providence Park (Portland, Ore.) Forecast: 72 degrees, Sunny Referee: Karen Abt Assistant Referees: Cameron Blanchard, Jason Perlewitz Fourth Official: Ekaterina Koroleva Webstream available via www.portlandthornsfc.com
NWSL WEEK 2 SCHEDULE Saturday, April 18
TIME (PT)
FC Kansas City at Washington Spirit Western NY Flash at Portland Thorns FC Houston Dash at Sky Blue FC Seattle Reign FC at Chicago Red Stars
4 p.m. 4 p.m. 4 p.m. 5 p.m.
INTERNATIONAL TALENT Thorns FC has a deep and experienced roster that features 11 players with national team experience, including U.S. Women’s National Team forward Alex Morgan, midfielders Tobin Heath and Allie Long and defender Rachel Van Hollebeke; Canada Women’s National Team forward Christine Sinclair, midfielder Kaylyn Kyle and defender Rhian Wilkinson; England Women’s National Team forward Jodie Taylor, Germany Women’s National Team goalkeeper Nadine Angerer; Australia National Team defender Steph Catley and newly acquired Equatorial Guinea National Team forward Ayo Añonma. Eight of those players have competed with their respective national teams at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The group combined has more than 980 international caps and 256 international goals. Angerer, Van Hollebeke, Sinclair and Wilkinson all have more than 100 international caps.
HOME FORM Thorns FC enter Saturday’s match unbeaten in their last six home matches (5-0-1), dating back to the 2014 regular season. During this six match stretch, Portland has outscored its opponents 21-6, and has scored two or more goals in four of those six matches. Individually, midfielder Allie Long has tallied five goals in those six matches, including a pair of braces.
DATE Sat., April 11 Sat., April 18 Sat., April 25 Sat., May 9 Sat., May 16 Sat., May 23 Sat, May 30 Sat., June 6 Fri., June 19 Fri., July 3 Sat., July 11 Wed., July 22 Sun., July 26 Wed., July 29 Wed., Aug. 5 Sun., Aug. 9 Wed., Aug. 12 Sat., Aug. 22 Sun., Aug. 30 Fri., Sept. 4
OPPONENT TIME/RESULT BROADCAST/ATT. BOSTON BREAKERS W 4-1 13,386 WESTERN NY FLASH 4 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com @Chicago Red Stars 5:30 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com WASHINGTON SPIRIT 7 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com @Boston Breakers 1 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com HOUSTON DASH 7 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com @Washington Spirit 4 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com @Houston Dash 5:30 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com FC KANSAS CITY 7 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com SKY BLUE FC 7 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com @Sky Blue FC 4 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com SEATTLE REIGN FC 7 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com @Seattle Reign FC 4 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com @Western NY Flash 4 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com BOSTON BREAKERS 7 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com CHICAGO RED STARS 7 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com @FC Kansas City 5 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com @Sky Blue FC 4 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com WASHINGTON SPIRIT 6 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com @Western NY Flash 4 p.m. portlandthornsfc.com
*dates and times subject to change
MATCH DAY PREVIEW Portland Thorns FC continues their two-match home stand Saturday against the Western New York Flash at Providence Park; kickoff is set for 4 p.m. (Pacific). Thorns FC registered a 4-1 win against the Boston Breakers to open the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League campaign on April 11 at Providence Park, receiving goals from midfielders Sinead Farrelly, Mana Shim and a brace from Allie Long. Saturday’s match marks the sixth regular-season meeting between Western New York and Portland. In the five previous regular-season meetings, Thorns FC have suffered just one defeat and recorded a 2-1 victory against the Flash on May 21, 2014. In that match, Long tallied the opening goal, while current Thorns FC midfielder McCall Zerboni recorded Western New York’s lone goal.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME Playing their home matches at downtown Portland’s iconic Providence Park, Thorns FC drew an average crowd of 13,362 fans per game during the 2014 National Women’s Soccer League season and has led the league in attendance at better than 13,000 fans per match since the team’s inagural season in 2013. Thorns FC set a NWSL single-game record for attendace on Aug. 3, 2014, drawing 19,123 in a 1-0 against the Houston Dash.