San Diego attacker María Sánchez lit up Snapdragon Stadium last night, leading the Wave to a 3-2 home victory over Portland in Concacaf W Champions Cup play.
Goals from Sophia Smith and rookie Reilyn Turner gave Portland a 2-0 lead entering the 67th minute, but Sánchez’s hat trick — which included two converted penalty kicks — secured San Diego’s dramatic comeback win.
Calling Sánchez “an incredible human being…[who’s] a pleasure to coach,” Wave boss Landon Donovan told the post-match press corps that his entire team was “awesome” last night. “To go down two goals and just continue to believe and keep playing and putting them under pressure was awesome. I’m just really proud of them.”
Portland Thorns’ team woes continue
Last night’s result — though not counted toward the NWSL season — marked Portland’s fifth straight loss against league opponents. The sixth-place Thorns have yet to earn a point on the NWSL table since returning from the Olympic break.
When asked about the usually dominant Thorns’ recent downfall, Portland’s new permanent head coach Rob Gale said “We need to get healthy bodies available for 90 minutes.”
With forward Morgan Weaver on limited minutes as she works back to full form following a May knee surgery, and Smith joining her in being pulled at halftime last night with what Gale called “some lower body problems,” Portland’s attack suffered in the tilt.
That said, the lopsided affair also saw mental errors, with the Thorns scrambling for possession and excessively fouling — mistakes Portland hopes to eliminate before hosting San Diego in NWSL play in nine days.
Where to watch Concacaf W Champions Cup group play tonight
Halfway through the international club tournament’s four-match group stage, the Wave now leads Group B while Portland sits in third. The top two teams in each group will advance to May’s semifinals.
As for the third NWSL team competing for the inaugural Cup, Group A’s Gotham FC will host Liga MX club Monterrey in their second group match at 7 PM ET tonight, with live coverage on the CBS Golazo Network.
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