The Washington Spirit Travel to Portland

Crystal Dunn and the Washington Spirit hope to break through the Portland Thorns defense in this Week 6 Battle of the 1st and 4th place clubs.(Photo: Tony Quinn/ISI Photos)

The last time Washington (4-0-1) and Portland (3-1-1) squared off, we were treated to an exciting scoreless tie on the east coast. Today, the Spirit travel west as the Thorns host the second matchup between the clubs.

The Washington Spirit offense is led by Diana Matheson (3 goals) and Joanna Lohman (2 goals). Matheson comes into the match tied for first in the league for goals scored. Only Christen Press of the Chicago Red Stars has scored three goals to-date. Although Dunn has yet to find the back of the net in 15 shot attempts, she has proven to be an integral part of the attack. Crystal Dunn has the ability to break down defensive lines with her speed and strength on the ball, often making her a target and opening up space for other players. Additionally, Dunn has recorded 3 assists (second in the league), connecting to her Spirit teammates for nearly half of Washington’s seven goals.

Additionally, the Spirit defense has proven to be effective, holding all opponents to one goal over 6 matches. The only offense to beat goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé has been Sky Blue FC (2-2-1) in Week 2. Stephanie Labbé has recorded 13 saves on the season, and is tied with Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars) with 4 clean sheets in five starts. Although things seem to be clicking for Washington, the second place Portland Thorns have already shown that they intend to be a contender. Head Coach Jim Gabarra and his squad are up for the challenge, "We look forward to this match for a number of reasons,” stated Gabarra in a Spirit press release, “We get the opportunity to play one of the top teams in the league at full strength and again will work to improve on our last performance. The atmosphere in Portland is always special."

After a 1-1 draw with local rivals the Seattle Reign, the Thorns remain undefeated on the season. The current 5-game undefeated streak mirrors the Thorns start to the 2013 Championship season. Captain Tobin Heath will return from a one game suspension, the result of a second yellow card issued in the waning minutes of the first match against Washington. The NWSL Player of the Month and US National Team member is no doubt eager to atone her absence and return her team to the win column. Thorns Captain Tobin Heath leads the league in assists with 4 assists. Lindsey Horan and Dagny Brynjasdottir have two goals apiece, all assisted by the captain. The only other goal for the Thorns this season came in the 1-1 draw last week. In Tobin’s absence, Meg Morris recorded her first assist on Nadia Nadim’s first goal.

The team is ready to return home after a 4-game road tour. Head Coach Mark Parsons is confident the support of the home crowd will help overcome any fatigue the team is working through, “ … coming back home is going to feel like [another] home opener. The emotion that that brings, the excitement, we’re playing on that. The players are using that to come out the gate with energy, with venom … we want to be aggressive again.” Nadim agreed, “we’re really excited to play home again, especially in front of this incredible crowd. It really helps a lot playing here and you hear all the fans [laughs] going crazy!”

For the second time in three weeks, two undefeated teams square off in NWSL action! Will the Thorns, with the support of the home crowd, grab three points and put pressure on Chicago? Can the Spirit survive another week without a loss and gain some distance from Orlando?

To catch all the action live, purchase tickets here! All fans can catch game coverage on YouTube, as well as follow @MyWSports for live updates. Kick off is set for 7pm local time, 10pm EST.