The Portland Thorns opened their NWSL season with the kind of pomp and circumstance that we would have been shocked to see at an MLS game 10 years ago, let alone a professional women’s match. But, what once would have surprised is now becoming the norm for the Rose City.
Portland’s enthusiasm for their leading ladies was matched with a stunning display this weekend as the Thorns destroyed the Boston Breakers 4-1. Contrary to what the scoreline may indicate, the game was a firecracker from start to finish. Boston pulled within a goal just after the hour, and it wasn’t until twenty minutes remained that Portland began to put the game to bed. And boy did they ever.
Scoring their third and fourth goals in the span of little over a minute, the Thorns showed why they are the best team in the NWSL. Both were beautifully worked, with the third taking the unofficial title of ‘goal of the game’ from Boston’s lone tally on the night.
Domination: in quality and quantity.
With performances like these, it is easy to understand why Portland has the highest average attendance in the league, three times higher than the league average.
It seems Thorns supporters and the club’s players have managed to form the kind of symbiotic relationship that is the envy of any supporter of any team around the world. They have progressed to the point at which it is no longer possible to tell who is inspiring whom, more.
That’s the way it should be.
