Boston Legacy FC (5-8-5, 12th place) will look to get three points against the Portland Thorns (8-6-4, 7th place) in one of its four remaining home games Sunday.
Here’s what to expect:
Player Availability
Ella Stevens (knee) and Laís Araújo (thigh) are ruled out for Sunday’s game. Kaká and Chloe Ricketts are still out as they recover from ankle injuries, and Fauzia Najjemba was recently put on the season-ending injury list after rupturing a tendon in her thigh.
Aïssata Traoré is available to play, but will likely be load managed after playing the entirety of three WAFCON matches over the last two weeks on top of travelling to and from Morocco.
Portland's Olivia Moultrie and Reilyn Turner will not be available due to knee injuries. The Thorns will also be without Bella Bixby, Julie Dufour, and Caiya Hanks due to season-ending injuries.
How Things Stand
The back half of the season has yielded (mostly) favorable results for the Legacy. Though there are still inconsistencies that need to be worked on, the Swans’ 3-1-2 record since coming back from the break is a complete turnaround compared to the start of the season.
The Thorns, on the other hand, are on a four-game winless streak, putting up a 1-3-1 record since the June break. The team is coming off an astounding 5-1 loss to the Utah Royals.
Sophia Wilson seems to be one of the only players holding the team together, and will undoubtedly be the Legacy’s biggest threat. She has scored eight goals this season, including three over the last five games, and is well on her way to having her most successful NWSL season. Wilson leads the league in shots on target (29), and it took her only 33 seconds to get on the scoresheet in the last game.
Casey Murphy and the back line will surely have their hands full with her. As we saw with the Denver Summit’s penalty equalizer in the last game, Boston will need to take care not to give chances away when marking Wilson.
Pietra Tordin is the team’s strongest creator, leading the league in assists (8). She has found the back of the net four times this season, though only once since the June break. Olivia Moultrie is close behind with five assists and five goals, but she will not be available for the match, giving Boston some relief.
The Legacy’s starting forwards are still a question considering the need to load manage Amanda Gutierres and Traoré. The team will need to take advantage of the Thorns’ inconsistent defense. The visitors have conceded 11 goals over their last four games and are on a five-match losing streak when on the road. Boston’s high press will be pivotal in this game; the players are capable of getting to the final third, but they will need to show off the finishing skills they say they’ve been working on.
Coach’s Keys to the Game
Head coach Filipa Patão told The Blazing Musket the two things the team will need to do to win the game:
- Watch Portland’s speed
- Keep possession
If you’ve been watching the league or the USWNT over the last few years, you know how quick Wilson can be. The Legacy can’t give the Thorns the space to connect any long balls, lest giving the striker an opportunity for the kill.
“They are very vertical, very fast attack in the deep, so we really need to be concerned with that,” the coach said.
The Swans will need to be on the lookout for counter attacks, and keeping possession of the ball will alleviate that threat.
“And when we don't have [the ball], how can we be balanced, and at the same time cover the ball as many times as we can to not allow [transitions,]” Patão said.
BLFC will face the Thorns on Sunday, August 9 at 4 p.m. in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Fans will be able to watch the game on NBC Sports Boston and CBS Sports/Paramount+.
