Sinclair Sets Playoff Minutes Record as Thorns Beat Current for NWSL Title – TSN.ca

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sophia Smith and the Portland Thorns overcame challenges off the field with a championship this season.

Smith, the MVP of the season, struck early and the Thorns won their third National Women’s Soccer League title with a 2-0 win over Kansas City Current on Saturday night.

The Thorns also won NWSL championships in 2013, the league’s inaugural season, and again in 2017. The three titles are the most for any team in the league.

A recent report revealing misconduct across the league directly impacted the Thorns, but players said it brought them together.

“We’ve put so much work into it all season. We went through a lot of things that aren’t in the job description,” Smith said. “So it just felt very rewarding. I was so proud of our team because we’ve been through so much – and to be able to give that back to our fans who have been with us through everything this year means so much to us.”

The stream had a costly turnover before Smith went down the field, maneuvering around goalkeeper Adrianna Franch and deftly scoring in the fourth minute.

Smith almost scored another goal in the 27th minute, but her shot went just wide. Smith is the second MVP recipient to score in the championship game, joining Lynn Williams for North Carolina in 2016. At 22, she is also the youngest player to score in a league final.

Smith was honored as MVP earlier this week after scoring a club record 14 goals in the regular season. She was also voted MVP of the championship game.

An own goal by Kansas City’s Addisyn Merrick doubled Portland’s lead in the 56th minute. Moments later Morgan Weaver had a shot from long range but Franch was able to put his hands on it before it hit the bar and sped away.

“This hurts,” said current coach Matt Potter. “It’s just a moment to put it in the bigger picture. Then we obviously have a lot of reasons to celebrate now and this year that we can all look back on maybe tomorrow or the day after and be very proud of that. I think we’ve been talking all along that our best days are ahead of us, not behind us.”

Audi Field was a near sell-out audience for the game, which premiered on CBS network prime-time television.

The NWSL was rocked this month by an investigation that revealed systematic abuse and wrongdoing that involved multiple teams, coaches and victims.

The investigation, led by former acting US Attorney General Sally Yates, was launched last year after two former players made allegations of harassment and sexual assault brought against former North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley for a decade.

Riley, who was fired, denied the allegations. He was one of five coaches in the league to be fired or resigned over the past year following allegations of misconduct.

The Yates report details how the Thorns mishandled complaints about Riley when he coached the team in 2014-15. Following the report, the Thorns fired two team leaders. But some fans have urged owner Merritt Paulson to sell both Major League Soccer’s Thorns and Portland Timbers.

Some fans in Audi Field held a sign that read: “Support The Players”.

“We’re a very tight-knit team off the field and we knew these things were potentially going to derail us, so a lot of the conversations should remain process-oriented,” Portland goaltender Bella Bixby said. “We know that some days will be hard for some people. So if we just get together and carry that burden with them, we can balance it.”

The Thorns advanced to the championship game last Sunday with a 2-1 win over the San Diego Wave. Crystal Dunn scored the win in added time.

The Current earned their spot with a 2-0 win over top seed OL Reign, surprising this year’s supporters Shield winners.

The Current began playing as an expansion team in 2021, with many of its players coming from the defunct Utah Royals. They finished last season in last place in the league.

The Washington Spirit won the NWSL Championship last year.

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