Match Recap: Courage Win Second Straight with 3-1 Result Over Portland
CARY, NC (Aug. 24, 2022) — The North Carolina Courage won their second straight match on Wednesday night with a commanding 3-1 win over the Portland Thorns. The match featured Courage goals from Diana Ordóñez, Debinha and Meredith Speck, while Rocky Rodríguez scored for Portland.
As is becoming habit, Courage rookie Diana Ordóñez opened scoring on the night in the 24th minute after a ball in from defender Carson Pickett found her head inside the box. Ordóñez’s goal was her 11th of the season, putting her tied for second in the Golden Boot race with Sophia Smith (behind Alex Morgan — 12). She also extended her goals streak to six games, tying the all-time NWSL record for scoring streaks (Kim Little, Abby Wambach – 6). In the 33rd minute, Diana Ordóñez went down hard on her shoulder but was able to leave the field on her own. Out of an abundance of caution, Ordóñez left the match and fellow UVA alumna Brittany Ratcliffe subbed on. The first half ended with the Courage leading 1-0, and the home side didn’t let up in the second half. Debinha took advantage of some space in the 50th minute to double North Carolina’s lead, 2-0. Thirteen minutes later, Portland’s Rocky Rodríguez found her own opportunity, slipping the ball past Courage keeper Casey Murphy. It was midfielder Meredith Speck who slammed the door shut on Portland, laying the ball over the goal line in the 83rd minute.
Up Next: The North Carolina Courage hit the road once more as they take on the Kansas City Current on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. ET at Children’s Mercy Park. The match will stream live on Twitch Global.
Match Notes:
- Diana Ordóñez scored her 11th goal of the season, tying her for second in the Golden Boot race. The goal also extended her scoring streak to six games, which ties her for the all-time NWSL goal scoring streak record (Kim Little and Abby Wambach).
- Carson Pickett has league-leading five assists on the season. This is her second straight season with five assists.
- Wednesday night’s Courage win broke Portland’s 11-game unbeaten streak.
Box Score
Starting XIs:
NC: Casey Murphy, Carson Pickett, Abby Erceg, Kaleigh Kurtz, Ryan Williams, Debinha, Fuka Nagano, Denise O’Sullivan, Brianna Pinto, Kerolin, Diana Ordóñez POR: Abby Smith, Meghan Klingenberg, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelli Hubly, Meaghan Nally, Hina Sugita, Taylor Porter, Olivia Moultrie, Yazmeen Ryan, Janine Beckie, Sophia Smith Score: NC: 3 POR: 1 Goals: NC: Diana Ordóñez (Carson Pickett — 24’), Debinha — 50’, Meredith Speck (Jaelene Daniels — 83’) POR: Rocky Rodríguez (Yazmeen Ryan — 63’) Cautions: NC: Merritt Mathias — 90+3’ POR: — Ejections: NC: — POR: —
