Remember the standard. For Portland Thorns FC, it was always about winning, but for those of us free of those bottom-line notions, there’s more nuance to take out of Sunday evening’s game at WakeMed Park. Where would the result fit into the arc of each team’s season?
For North Carolina, the 2-1 victory clinched their second consecutive NWSL Shield, ending the competitive portion of their regular season and allowing them to focus on the honor that alluded them last year: the NWSL Championship. The four games that remain before the postseason will be about how the league’s favorites position themselves for the playoffs.