PORTLAND, Ore. – And just like that, the game changed.
You can say that about most matches. Such is the nature of a sport where scoring is so scarce. But Friday’s game at Providence Park played out like an exemplar soccer’s worst truism.
Yes, goals do change matches, but in some games, that change is starker than others. Thanks to a 55th-minute goal from midfielder Celia Jiménez Delgado – the first of her NWSL career – Reign FC were able to pull a game dictated by the Portland Thorns into their win column. The 1-0 victory vaulted Vlatko Andonovski’s team to the top of the standings, leaving the night’s hosts regretting being shutout for a second-straight game at home.