August 27th @ Providence Park
Records:
Portland Thorns FC 7-2-7 (1st)
San Diego Wave FC 8-5-4 (2nd)
Last Match:
Portland Thorns FC Lost vs. North Carolina Courage 1-3
San Diego Wave FC Won vs. Houston Dash 3-1
Top of the Table Clash
The second place San Diego Wave steps away from the comfort of SoCal and travels to Portland to take on the first place Thorns this weekend.
Scintillating Showdown
League supremacy is on the line in Portland. Wave has drifted (pardon the water pun) out of first over the last few games and been overtaken by none other than the Thorns. The recent combination of a Thorns win (vs. the Washington Spirit) and two Wave losses (vs. Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride) are responsible for the one-two table swap, so Wave will be looking to regain the top spot. I don’t know if Jill Ellis and Casey Stoney envisioned a trophy in their first season, but it would be a commanding start for the club if they were able to pull it off.
This is the fourth time these clubs have met (twice in this year’s Challenge Cup and once in the regular season), and the Thorns own the matchup with two wins and a draw (both wins decided by one goal). You can bet the Wave will be fired up to wrest their top ranking back from the team that overtook them in the standings (and avenge some Challenge Cup losses). For NWSL fans, this game is as salivating as meat to a tiger in the zoo.
Since both teams are likely playoff participants, the next item at stake (pardon the pun) is securing first place and home-field advantage. These teams will be fighting for the opportunity to play in front of their passionate fans (especially since the Wave are moving into a permanent stadium next month). Also, there is the natural regional rivalry and everybody wants to beat the Thorns, no?
Stat City
The top team in the league for most goals scored is Portland and they are also second in assists. But wait, there’s more…Portland leads the league in both shots and shots on goal. If you’re wondering which categories the Wave leads the league in, it’s…none, although Morgan does individually lead the league in offsides (22). The Wave’s Madison Pogarch is second in yellow cards, although she was recently acquired by the team and accrued the majority of those yellows while on…you guessed it…Portland. Continuing Portland’s statistical dominance, second in league assists is Yazmeen Ryan, and goalkeeper Bella Bixby is third in saves. Not hard to see why they are atop the table.
This game features two individuals at or near the top of the international and league scoring lists. Alex Morgan scored her 50th league goal in the Wave’s last game vs. Houston and is in line for the golden boot (more on that below). Meanwhile, Portland’s leading scorer is not Christine Sinclair (it’s Sophia Smith) despite sitting atop the all-time list of international goal scorers with 190 for Canada (65 all-time in the NWSL). Morgan is seventh on that same international list with 115 goals, by the way. With all this scoring, it’s no surprise these two teams have the highest combined fantasy point totals in Christina’s Round 16 Match of the Week (not that goals are the only way to accrue fantasy points…)
Match in the Mirror
The makeup of these two teams are so similar that it will be like looking in the mirror. Female coach, check. Reliable goalscorer, check (Thorns’ Sophia Smith and Wave’s Alex Morgan). Midfielders with national team experience (includes youth and/or senior), check (Thorns’ Rocky Rodriguez and Olivia Moultrie, and Wave’s Emily van Egmond and Kristen McNabb). National team defenders, check (Thorns’ Becky Sauerbrunn and Wave’s Girma, again). Rookie of the year candidate, check (Thorns’ Sam Coffey and Wave’s Naomi Girma). Number of goals conceded, check (18). Number of points in the table, check (28). The last regular season matchup ended in a 2-2 tie. You get the picture, I’m sure.
These teams are close, and I don’t just mean on paper. Wave forward Alex Morgan was a Thorn between 2013 and 2015 (yes, it’s true). Wave defenders Christen Westphal and recent acquisition Madison Pogarch are also former Thorns.
Tussle for the Shield
The NWSL Shield is awarded to the team with the best regular season record. Thorns have won it twice, Wave have won it…never (because it’s their inaugural season). It’s wild to think the Wave are in contention for this award, when it’s typically a moonshot for an expansion team to merely make the playoffs (Angel City currently on the bubble, being one point behind the playoff line). San Diego has a serious shot at the shield at this point, however the Thorns will have a lot to say about retaining the trophy.
Golden Boot Watch
League goalscoring leader Alex Morgan currently has twelve goals, but guess what? Right on her heels is the Thorns’ Sophia Smith with eleven. In the league’s shots category, their rankings merely swap as Smith leads with 46 and Morgan trails with 38. Morgan recently scored her 50th NWSL goal (vs. Houston) and Sophia is almost halfway there with 21 in her NWSL career. Morgan,11 years her senior, appears to be where Sophia aspires to be as a professional, so I bet she’ll be looking to impress her elder on the club level. The competition will remain fierce for the rest of the season with < 10 games to go, and this game gives Smith an opportunity to match (or better) her national team teammate’s league tally.
Statistically, Morgan is responsible for 50% of her team’s scoring thus far and the Thorns will know this. Meanwhile, Smith’s output accounts for 32.4% of the Thorns’ offense, so there is seemingly more offensive balance on the Thorns’ side. Even though both teams feature a high number of different goalscorers (Thorns’ 13 vs. Wave’s 10), many eyes will be on these national team teammates to put some in the back of the net for their respective team’s win.
Squad players are starting to get noticed, too. Nick’s Fantasy NWSL “Under the Radar” Team of the Week post (here) includes the Thorns’ Kelli Hubly and the Wave’s Kristen McNabb. This means these players are not owned by a large percentage of fantasy players (i.e. < 10% of FNWSL teams), but are valuable nonetheless (read: inexpensive and productive fantasy points getters).
International Collection
When examining the rosters for both sides, this match is a who’s who of women’s international soccer. I’ve done the math, and a whopping forty players (out of 56) have youth or senior national team experience (!!). Continuing with the mirror theme, both teams have an even twenty players in this bucket. The bulk of the players play or have played for the U.S. and Canada, but Japan, Costa Rica, Finland, England, Germany, Australia, and Sweden are also represented.
In fact, and of course, the fantasy NWSL numbers continue to bear out the similarities between these two sides. Both squads feature midfielders who are high producers, scoring 100 or more points for their teams throughout the season (see Janet’s Fantasy NWSL International Players post here). The Thorns’ Hina Sugita (Japan) and the Wave’s Emily van Egmond (Australia) are in the top four of point producers for the western division.
Final Thoughts
If the championship blueprint contains multiple goalscorers, national team defenders and goalkeeper, and a rookie of the year (like it did for Washington last season), then either of these teams are capable of winning the title. The Thorns also have experience and home-field advantage on their side, which is an environment that’s hard to bet against. The Wave has, dare I say, momentum on their side after beating Houston 3-1 at home (the same exact score the Thorns fell by vs. North Carolina, mind you). Fans can expect a possible playoff preview and a match of intensity.