The National Women’s Soccer League continues Saturday with Sky Blue taking on the Washington Spirit at 12:30 p.m. ET available through Twitch. The early game will be followed by the Utah Royals meeting the Portland Thorns in the Game of the Week at 10 p.m. ET. And on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, the Houston Dash will host the North Carolina Courage, which will also be streamed on Twitch.
Match of the Week: Utah Royals vs Portland Thorns
The NWSL Fall Series Game of the Week will feature The Utah Royals hosting the Portland Thorns at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday at 10 p.m. The game will be broadcasted by CBS Sports Network and streamed through CBS All Access and Twitch.
Utah Royals
The Royals failed to hold on to a 2-0 lead in their last NWSL Fall Series match against OL Reign. Center-midfielder Aminata Diallo scored in the opening 10 minutes, and rookie forward Tziarra King doubled the lead in the 22 minute. But the Reign responded quickly, scoring a goal in the 23 minute via forward Bethany Balcer. And 5 minutes later, Center-attacking midfielder Rosie White drew the match. Utah dominated the rest of the match, but their efforts were not enough to claim the three points.
The Royals’ loss to Portland and draw with OL Reign have left them dead last with one point and a -3-goal differential.
The Royals lost head coach Craig Harrington before the first game of the Fall Series after allegations of inappropriate behavior. Ex-USWNT defender Amy LePeilbet stepped-up from her first-team assistant coach position temporary head coach.
Amy LePeilbet is stepping up for the Utah Royals in a major way.#NWSL https://t.co/YOUskwOxUb
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) September 25, 2020
Portland Thorns
Portland is coming off a commanding mid-week 4-1 win over OL Reign. Captain Christine Sinclair scored a hattrick, while Cota Rica’s Raquel “Rocky” Rodriguez scored her first goal wearing red and black.
Her first Thorns goal, and it's a BEAUTY. Take a bow, @raque_rocky.#PORvRGN | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/3uVDDnk5Vt
— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) October 1, 2020
The Thorns have been the strongest team in the tournament so far, winning both their games and outscoring their opposition for a combined seven goals to one.
A win at Rio Tinto Stadium would mean that the Portland Thorns are first in the race to win the NWSL Verizon Community Shield and the $25,000 grant that would be donated to their partner Mimi’s Fresh Tees.
Talk of the Week: Verizon Community Shield partners
Each National Women’s Soccer League team will partner with small businesses or programs in their communities during the Fall Series. The winner of the Fall Series will receive the Verizon Community Shield and a $25,000 grant for their community partner. Second and third places will receive $15,000 and $10,000, respectively. Here are the teams and the small business or programs they have chosen to support from their communities:
Chicago Red Stars – Semicolon
The Red Stars chose to support Semicolon, a black, woman-owned bookstore in Chicago, Ill. One of Semicolon’s standout programs is their #ClearTheShelves initiative. Every month, Semicolon invites Chicago Public School students to the store. Free of charge, students can take home whatever books they would like.
Houston Dash – NAACP
The Dash chose the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as their beneficiary for the 2020 Verizon Community Shield. The NAACP is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the country that strives to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.
North Carolina Courage – 321 Coffee
The NC Courage partnered with 321 Cofee, a nonprofit organization located in Raleigh, N.C. The mission of 321 Coffee is to provide meaningful employment for adults with IDD (intellectual or developmental disabilities) and to model inclusion for other businesses to follow
OL Reign – Black Future Co-Op
The Reign are playing for Black Future Co-Op, a fund launched in June 2020 to address the systemic racism and wealth inequality that has disproportionately affected the Black community for generations.
Orlando Pride - NA
Portland Thorns – Mimi’s Fresh Tees
The Thorns partnered with Mimi’s Fresh Tees, a Portland-based t-shirt company that aims to amplify tough social justice conversations and allows people to wear their truth. Motivated by systemic racism her Black son experienced in the education system, owner and designer Kamelah Adams wanted to create a product that brought conversations around discrimination out into the open, in a quick and straightforward way. She started designing t-shirts as a way for people to take a stand, break the silence and start a dialogue by wearing their feelings on their chest.
Sky Blue FC - NA
Utah Royals – Journey of Hope
The Royals joined Journey of Hope in their goal to support women and girls at-risk in Sandy, Utah, whose status put them in jeopardy for further harm and incarceration. Journey of Hope empowers at-risk women and girls — the homeless, the trafficked, those fleeing domestic violence, the addicted, the mentally ill, women transitioning from jail and prison, and girls aging out of state services — by providing resources through mentoring and case management.
Washington Spirit – DC Scores
The Spirit chose to play for official partners DC Scores, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. DC SCORES utilizes a unique combination of soccer, poetry, and service-learning to create neighborhood teams that give 3,000 kids in need the confidence and skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom, and in life. The Spirit and DC SCORES became official community partners in April of 2020.
