Pride fall to Portland Thorns FC 4-1 in NWSL Semifinal

Pride finish season with team-best 11-6-7 (40 points) regular season record

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Orlando Pride fell 4-1 to Portland Thorns FC on Saturday afternoon.

The Pride, which played their second year in the National Women's Soccer League, finish the season with a team-best 11-6-7 (40 points) regular season record and reached the postseason for the first time in team history.

"I think it was a game at halftime. We were very much in the game," Pride head coach Tom Sermanni said. "After a very shaky start, I was really pleased with the way our players responded, and in the second part of the first half, I thought we played really well and got ourselves back in the game."

Thorns FC jumped out to a two-goal lead 15 minutes into the match. Midfielder Alanna Kennedy scored Orlando's only goal in the 23rd minute.

"Thought we started the second half well, but the thing we couldn't do, we found it really difficult, to break down their defense," Sermanni said.

Portland caught Orlando in transition for its third goal of the night with Hayley Raso beating Ashlyn Harris on a 71st-minute breakaway. Christine Sinclair added Portland's final goal in the 82nd minute.

"We are really proud of our players’ effort," Sermanni said. "I thought 4-1 was an unfair scoreline for the effort and the commitment and the performance of our players today."

The Orlando Pride finish the 2017 season with 46 total goals, more than doubling its inaugural season total of 20.

The Thorns will next face the winner of Sunday's second semifinal between North Carolina and Chicago Red Stars in the Oct. 14 final at Orlando City Stadium.


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