Thorns dominate opportunities, but not scoring in loss at Bay FC

In their first game back from a two-week break, the Portland Thorns dominated in scoring chances but fell short on the scoreboard, losing 1-0 to host Bay FC at PayPal Park in San Jose.

Thorns coach Rob Gale lamented that Portland deserved a draw, given the team’s statistical edge over Bay FC. The Thorns took 16 shots, five on goal.

“But it wasn’t our best game. We forced it sometimes and were not as sharp as we could be through the midfield and lacked a bit of quality in the final third,” Gale said.

The Thorns lost for the first time in six NWSL games. Portland (4-3-4, 16 points) has yet to win a game this season when conceding the first goal, dropping to 0-3-3 in that scenario. The Thorns remain in seventh place in the league standings, one point clear of Bay FC (4-4-3, 15 points).

Alyssa Malonson roofed a shot from a steep angle in the penalty area that Thorns keeper Bella Bixby had no chance of saving in the 39th minute for the game’s lone goal. It was Malonson’s first career goal, coming in her third season in the league.

“It’s definitely frustrating and not the result we wanted,” Thorns center back Sam Hiatt said. “It’s double-edged, they only got a few chances but they put one of them away and that’s what decided the game. But I think we’d feel worse if we weren’t creating and getting shots.”

Portland put four shots on target in the first half, but Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz fended off each of them. Her best save came in the 43rd minute, when Caiya Hanks blasted a left-footed attempt that a leaping Silkowitz deflected over the crossbar. Hanks and Olivia Moultrie each put a pair of shots on Silkowitz in the half.

“I feel like we’re saying a lot of the same things over and over about how we’re getting a lot of opportunities,” said Moultrie. “I think we’re building in the right direction. Some games we put four in the net and then there’s games where we’re right there and it’s not happening. Finding the consistency is important, but it’s obviously frustrating.”

While the Thorns had the better of the first-half chances, they narrowly avoided going behind in the opening minutes as Bay FC’s Asisat Oshoala pounced on a Jayden Perry turnover and pounded a shot off the post to Bixby’s left in the eighth minute.

Portland’s attack slowed in the second half. After outshooting the home side 12-4 in the first half and earning nine corner kicks, the Thorns were outshot 6-4 in the second half and didn’t record a corner.

Moultrie’s shot on goal in the 83rd minute from inside the penalty area didn’t have enough steam to trouble the keeper. Earlier in the half Moultrie played a dangerous cross that was headed for Hiatt at the far post but a Bay FC defender recovered just in time to deny Hiatt a chance from close range.

Bay FC’s Rachel Hill scored in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, but the goal was called back for a handball on Hill.

The Thorns got one final opportunity late in stoppage time when a cross by Jessie Fleming intended for Hina Sugita took a deflection and skidded inches wide of the post.

Making the evening worse for the Thorns, Hanks came off the field in the 80th minute after Bay FC’s Kiki Pickett stepped on her left wrist. Pickett received a yellow card for dragging Hanks down from behind on the play. Hanks appeared shaken up as she left the field with a trainer gingerly holding her arm.

Gale said he didn’t have any further information on Hanks’ status, but stated that he felt the referee “didn’t protect our players” during the game.

“Two of our best chances we had transition moments that got called back where we weren’t given the advantage,” he added.

The Thorns last played an NWSL game on May 16, a 4-1 road win at Houston. Portland split a pair of games in the Concacaf W Champions Cup in Mexico the following week, which led into a break for international play. Over the past two weeks, 10 Thorns appeared for their national teams.

Gale said the team had one training session together to prepare for Saturday’s game, and he admitted that bringing it all back together quickly can be difficult and possibly affected the team’s performance. Bay FC had just three players away during the break.

Moultrie mentioned that reintegrating the team is easy from a personality perspective, but it takes some time to get back on the same page on the field.

“There’s always that tiny hiccup when we haven’t played together for a week and a half,” she said. “It’s not a disconnect, but there’s a little bumpiness.”

The Thorns return home next Sunday for their first game at Providence Park in six weeks, hosting the Washington Spirit at 1 p.m. Portland is unbeaten at home this season, with two wins and three draws.

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