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NWSL
Portland Thorns host North Carolina Courage in a match that could seal or shatter playoff hopes, with the Thorns desperate for points and the Courage already eliminated.
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Portland Thorns sit seventh in the NWSL on 44 points, clinging to a playoff berth with just two matches remaining. North Carolina Courage, one spot below on 42 points in ninth, have already been eliminated from post-season contention. That disparity in motivation could prove decisive on Friday.
The Thorns' recent form reads DLDWD - a sequence that screams inconsistency. They drew 2-2 at Bay FC last time out, lost 2-4 at home to Boston Legacy, and drew 1-1 with Houston Dash before that. One win in five is alarming for a side still fighting for its playoff life. They score freely enough - 47 goals in 28 games at 1.7 per match - but 41 conceded tells a different story.
Portland's home record offers genuine hope: seven wins, five draws, just two defeats, with only 13 goals conceded and seven clean sheets in 14 home matches. Away from home, they leak two goals per game on average. North Carolina, interestingly, travel well - winning seven of 14 on the road with five clean sheets and a 1.7 goals-per-game average away.
North Carolina's form is dire: LWLLL. Three straight defeats, including losses to NJ/NY Gotham, Utah Royals, and San Diego Wave (twice), have killed their post-season hopes. They boast the league's joint-highest goal tally at 51 but have shipped 41. The attack is potent; the defence is porous.
This fixture loves a draw. The reverse meeting in April ended 2-2, while the 2025 encounters produced a 1-1 and a 0-0. Portland's last victory over North Carolina at home came in August 2023, a 2-1 win. Neither side has dominated this rivalry recently.
Portland need points desperately and their home record suggests they can deliver. North Carolina's free-scoring attack will test a Thorns backline prone to lapses, but the Courage's leaky defence and collapsing morale tip the balance. Expect goals - and expect Portland's home advantage to matter most.
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Copyright 2026 VIASPORT
Eva Hernández, Editor-in-Chief
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