CHICAGO- The Chicago Red Stars are back at SeatGeek Stadium this Sunday, October 20th to take on the Portland Thorns at 2:30 pm CT for an NWSL Semifinal Match. This will be the fifth consecutive semifinal appearance for the Red Stars and the second in franchise history at SeatGeek Stadium. Here’s everything you need to know about our upcoming opponent.

Opponent Form: 

The Portland Thorns closed out their regular season this past weekend with a 0-0 draw against the Washington Spirit and secured their third-place finish in the NWSL standings. Despite only scoring one goal in their previous five matchups, the Thorns rank third in the league in goals scored with 40. The Thorns defense conceded nine goals in the month of September, largely due to their 6-0 loss to North Carolina on September 11th. 

Matchup History:

This Sunday will be the fourth meeting this season between the two teams and the second at SeatGeek stadium. Their first matchup on April 20th resulted in a wild 4-4 draw. The scoring opened early with back-to-back goals from Sam Kerr and Yuki Nagasato to give the Red Stars a 2-1 lead in the 20th minute. A Christine Sinclair hat trick gave the Thorns the 4-3 lead late in the match, but last-minute heroics from Yuki Nagasato equalized the scoring and secured a point for both sides. In the final two matchups of the regular season, home-field advantage helped the Thorns to victories over the Red Stars.

Who’s Hot:

As one of the most consistent players for the Thorns this season, Christine Sinclair has tallied six goals since her return from the World Cup. In her two games played against the Red Stars, Sinclair has been an offensive threat with four total goals. Sinclair has played a full 90 minutes in every appearance this season.

Fun Stat To Know: 

Sunday’s matchup will feature the NWSL’s second and third best offenses. During the regular season, Chicago scored 41 goals while Portland scored 40.