2019 NWSL Regular Season – Week 18

Portland Thorns vs Chicago Red Stars

Providence Park. Portland, Oregon

August 25 at 2:00 PM CT

 CHICAGO — Chicago’s August concludes with a trip to Providence Park for a matchup against current NWSL leader Portland Thorns FC on Sunday, August 25. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 pm CT on ESPNews. 

Where to Watch

TV: ESPNews

Stream: Yahoo Sports, Watch ESPN

Opponent Form

The Thorns are on the hunt for the NWSL Shield and enter Sunday’s game at the top of the league standings thanks to a two-game winning streak. Two weeks ago Portland hosted a rematch of last year’s championship game between the Thorns and North Carolina Courage. Two second-half goals allowed Portland to complete the comeback and get the 2-1 victory. Six days later, Portland again sent their home fans happy after a 3-1 win over the Washington Spirit. 

Storylines

Start Me Up: Offensive firepower is a prevailing theme in matchups between Portland and Chicago. Their last three meetings have resulted in a combined 15 goals. Chicago’s 2019 season opener against the Thorns featured a Christine Sinclair hat-trick and two Chicago goals in the last 15 minutes of play, including a Yuki Nagasato goal in stoppage time to earn a point apiece in a 4-4 draw. 

GOAT^2: Sunday’s game features a head-to-head matchup between the two most prolific goalscorers in NWSL history. Sam Kerr’s staggering 72 goals are the most in league history, and the back-to-back Golden Boot Winner has her sights set on a third consecutive trophy with an NWSL-best 13 goals in 2019. Behind her in the all-time list is Portland’s Sinclair, who has 48 goals since entering the league with Portland in the NWSl’s inaugural season. Her eight goals this season is tied for second-best in 2019. 

Lot of Gold: Portland and Chicago feature many head-to-head battles on the field that you will only see on the club side. Goalkeepers Alyssa Naeher and Adrianna French won the World Cup together last month, now they face off against each other representing Chicago and Portland respectively. Portland’s Lindsey Horan and Tobin Heath will stare across the field and see international midfield teammates Julie Ertz and Morgan Brian on the opposing side. In total, Chicago vs Portland has the potential of fielding 14 players with World Cup experience, including eight that just won gold with Team USA.