Rapinoe and spice and everything not so nice

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Thorns FC The Portland Thorns dominated OL Reign in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup 2-0 to secure qualification for the final. The win was the third straight for the Thorns against their Cascadia rival and their fourth unbeaten. The Thorns equaled the longest unbeaten run by either team in this rivalry.

That streak came to an end on Sunday.

All the cliches about rivalries, like “form and tactics go out the window,” are sometimes true in rivalry matches because of the intensity and because it is a match like no other — passion and pride drive the game.

In the past few years, though, the biggest rivalry in the NWSL didn’t have that extra bite to it. The bite returned…