The Portland Thorns are through to the semi-finals of the National Women’s Soccer League thanks to a well-scored goal from rookie Morgan Weaver in the 68th minute against North Carolina Courage on Friday.
The goal was enough to tie up the game 1-0 to Portland, a very different result to the game many expected. The defeat marks the first important loss suffered by North Carolina since 2017, and they are the two-time defending champions of the League. In comparison, Portland was the eighth-seeded team, taking on the top dogs in their first victory of the tournament. North Carolina entered the match in a comfortable position, sitting on four wins out of their four Challenge Cup games.
Weaver was not the only notable name to come out of the game, though. Portland played without their big guns, Adrianna Franch and Bella Bixby, in goal. Instead, they went with 27-year-old Britt Eckerstrom. Nevertheless, Eckerstrom put on an excellent performance, walking away with eight saves.
Courage’s goalkeeper, Katelyn Rowland, fared not so well. Taking a cross from Raquel Rodriguez allowed Weaver to slip the ball past the North Carolina goalie and secure the only point needed to oust them from their winning streak. CBS tweeted, “Some amazing magic between Raquel Rodriguez and Morgan Weaver!”
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