**PORTLAND, Ore.** – Portland Thorns FC produced a commanding 4-1 win over San Diego Wave FC on Friday night, with a first-half goal from Hannah Betfort added to by three goals in seven minutes from the span of the 54 ^th minute to the 61 ^st minute to earn the result for the hosts. Portland jumps up to 2 ^nd place in the West Division with the win, while San Diego remains bottom with a third loss in four Challenge Cup games this year.
The Thorns were in control early on and were able to break the deadlock after just nine minutes thanks to forward Hannah Betfort. Attacker Morgan Weaver was on the attack on the left side of the field when she played a teasing ball into the box. However, her cross in was stopped by a San Diego defender just a few yards out from goal, with the ball then sitting motionless need a boot in either direction. In stepped Betfort, and she smashed home a shot from close in to put her team ahead.
Over the course of the following 15 minutes, Portland was able to apply a great deal of pressure on the San Diego goal, with chances for all of forward Izzy D’Aquila, Betfort, Weaver, and midfielder Olivia Moultrie. However, San Diego goalkeeper Shae Yañez showed some great shot stopping display as she kept out everything that was sent her way and the visitors remained down just one goal.
San Diego began to work its way back into the match beginning on the half hour mark with a couple of chances for forwards Taylor Kornieck and Rachel Hill. In the 30 ^th minute, San Diego had earned a corner with the delivery inside finding Kornieck smashed between the near post and the penalty spot. Kornieck then did brilliantly to get a lot of power behind her headed effort, but a remarkable save from Portland goalkeeper Bella Bixby helped keep her side’s deficit at just one.
Forward Rachel Hill then sent an effort just wide in the 34 ^th minute before striking the post in the 41 ^st minute to keep her side’s energy high. On the latter attempt, a cross from out wide on the left side found Hill at the back post. Like Kornieck, Hill was able to get up and over the ball with her glancing header, but it agonizingly skipped off the post and back into play where Portland could get the ball clear.
The last great look of the half came for Weaver, who this time opted to go on her own as she was slipped in behind the defense and facing a 1v1 with Yañez. Portland had moved the ball well down the left side when Weaver was played into the box via a ground through pass and only an onrushing Yañez to beat. However, though Weaver was able to get her shot off, the San Diego goalkeeper did well to repel the chance and eventually end the move.
At the break, San Diego will feel hard done by but a hard-working Thorns performance secured them the lead through the first half.
Into the second half, what momentum the Wave had carried into the interval seemed to have disappeared, and three goals in seven minutes for Portland definitively turned the tide in the hosts’ favor.
First up, attacker Morgan Weaver finally got her goal as a cross from the right side of the box fell for Betfort just in front of the top of the box, and her shot to the right side of goal saw Weaver redirect the ball into the back of the net as Portland then led by a pair of goals in the 54 ^th minute.
That was just the beginning, though, because Betfort would go on to secure her brace with a goal in the 58 ^th minute to keep the Thorns rolling. This time, the ball was out on the left side and swung into the penalty area by defender Meghan Klingenberg. Betfort’s run was the key however, as she ran to the near post to get in front of her defender and power a strong header by Yañez to go ahead by three just before the hour mark.
Finally, Portland finished off their blitz with a fourth goal in the 61 ^st minute, with Klingenberg against getting the assist as she fed defender Reyna Reyes in front of goal for a tap-in effort. Klingenberg was on the ball in the penalty area after a long cross from right to left. Settling the ball, Klingenberg whipped a low ball to the back post where Reyes was waiting, and she had little to do to see the ball over the line and add to her side’s successes on the evening.
San Diego would not go away completely though, and forward Taylor Kornieck did eventually pull one back for the Wave in the 80 ^th minute. Like her earlier opportunity in the match, San Diego had earned a corner kick that forward Jaedyn Shaw was set to take. Lifting in a cross to the back post, Kornieck was again above everyone in the area and her towering header sailed past Bixby to end the shutout, although the goal was too little too late for the visitors.
In the end, Portland had a couple more looks at goal but will be satisfied with a 4-1 win that puts them in better position in the West Division moving forward.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights