Portland Thorns vs. Bay FC Preview

The tenth-place Bay FC (6-0-11) are traveling to Portland to face off against the fifth-place Portland Thorns (8-3-6) tonight.

Portland lost their last game against Gotham FC 0-2. It was a difficult match for them. Only nine of the shots they took were on target. The team held possession for 48% of the game and made 434 passes with a passing accuracy of 78%. There were nine fouls in the match for them and one yellow card. Lastly, the team went offsides twice and only had two corner kicks the whole match.

The Bay’s last match was a loss in a Friendly against Barcelona 2-5. Their last in-season game was also a loss against the Utah Royals. The Bay took 19 shots with seven on target, but only one found the back of the net in comparison to Utah’s two. They held possession for 59% of the match and took 457 passes with a passing accuracy of 81%. Lastly, they had 10 fouls, zero cards, zero offside calls, and 10 corner kicks.

Which of these teams can bounce back from their last loss?

Photo byPeter GlaseronUnsplash

Game Details

Fixture: Bay FC @ Portland Thorns

Date and Time: August 30, 2024 @ 10:00 pm EST

Location: Providence Park, Portland, OR

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

Portland Thorns Team Review

Sophia Smith is the lead scorer for the Thorns with 10 goals in 14 games played. Smith is also leading in assists with six on the season. Olivia Moultrie falls second in goal scoring with three goals. Hina Sugita is second in assists with three. Shelby Hogan has been the keeper for Portland all season with 17 games played, 53 saves, seven clean sheets, and 22 goals allowed. She had a tough one last match against Gotham.

The Thorns have scored 27 goals during the season, and they’ve given up 22 goals. They currently have a passing accuracy of 78%, and their short passes completed have an accuracy of 85%. Their long ball percentage is 42%, and they have 22 assists as a whole. Their attacking accuracy is 59%, with 100/179 attempts being on target. They have a penalty kick accuracy of 100%, taking two and making two, and they’ve taken 65 corners. On the defensive end, they’ve won 229/385 tackles (59%). Lastly, they’ve battled in 347 aerial duels and have made 199 interceptions.

Bay FC Team Review

Tesse Boade, Asisat Oshoala, and Racheal Kandananji are tied for leading the team in goals, as they each have three. Emily Menges and Joelle Anderson lead in assists with two this season. This team has been struggling to produce. Katelyn Rowland has been the main goalkeeper with 11 appearances, 27 saves, two clean sheets, and 14 goals allowed.

The Bay have scored 20 goals this season, and they’ve given up 30 goals, giving them a goal differential in the negatives. Their passing accuracy is 77%, and their short passes completed have an accuracy of 84%. Their long ball percentage is 40%, and they only have 11 assists this season. The team’s attacking accuracy is 41%, with 66/161 attempts being on target. They’ve taken 111 corners this season and have a penalty kick accuracy of 100% (1/1). On the defensive, the Bay has a 61% tackle accuracy, winning 217/354. They’ve also battled in 363 aerial duels and have made 161 interceptions.

Who to Watch

Portland Thorns

If she plays, Sophia Smith will be the one to watch this match. She tore it up for the USWNT in the Olympics this summer, and Thorns fans will be excited to see her take the pitch once again. She did not play in their last game. Smith has 47 total scoring attempts this season, with 32 being on target, giving her an accurate shooting percentage of 68%. She’s won nine tackles, committed 18 fouls, and has been offsides eight times.

Bay FC

Venezuelan midfielder Deyna Castellanos could be an interesting player to watch in the second half of the season. She recently played for Manchester City and the Venezuelan National Team. In 2023, she scored five goals in five matches for Venezuela. Castellanos has taken 25 shots, with 10 on target (40%). Her passing percentage is 65%. The midfielder has won 15 tackles, committed six fouls, and has been offsides zero times.

Article originally written by Elizabeth Della Piana