The end of the Challenge Cup ended with the same excitement that led to its final. There were goals, key passes, important saves, and a game-changing referee decision. The Portland Thorns won the cup, over Gotham FC, but they’d need penalty kicks to do it.
In the first half, the Portland Thorns controlled much of the possession. After two crosses in the early minutes, a poor touch from Carli Lloyd, in the Gotham defensive third, was met by forward Christine Sinclair. Sinclair, after dribbling a couple yards, put the Thorns in the lead with a shot just out of the reach of goalkeeper DiDi Haracic.
Just minutes later, Gotham had a great opportunity to tie it up. Winger Midge Purce tackled the ball away from Portland, earning possession and a breakaway down the right sideline. She sent a cross in front of the goal, but Lloyd couldn’t catch up to the ball. The second time in the match where the US legend didn’t look quick to respond to the match around her.
Gotham had two shots in the first half and none on goal. The closest coming with Lloyd shooting over the bar, in the 29th minute. In the midfield, Gotham was strong. Jennifer Cudjoe led the way. The Ghanaian went toe-to-toe with Portland midfielder Lindsey Horan. It was back and forth between the two, but Cudjoe’s defensive awareness kept the ball from finding the back of the net again, in the first half.
Joining that effort were big saves by Haracic, something Challenge Cup viewers are used to at this point. Haracic punched a Sophia Smith shot away in the 33rd minute, followed by a Simone Charley change three minutes later.
Speaking of Charley, all the movement and speed from Portland’s group stage matches was on display in the final. The forward got past Gotham center back Gina Lewandowski on multiple occasions and had her best chance at adding a second Portland goal. She made a stop on a ball that would usually roll out for a goal kick. Dribbling down the end line, she sent a pass into the box but was cleaned up by Gotham’s defense.
Horan joined the close-but-no-cigar club on goals when a 42nd-minute free-kick, in a similar spot to where she buried one against OL Reign. It hit the post and crawled in front of the net, before a Gotham clearance.
Gotham started the second half with a substitution on defense. Lewandowski left the match for Estelle Johnson. Soon after the half began, Lloyd contributed her best moment of the match. Ten yards inside her defensive half, she sent a lobbying pass to forward Paige Monaghan. It didn’t turn into a goal, but showed Gotham’s improvement in halftime, resulting in better second-half looks.
The best in the 61st minute. Fullback Imani Dorsey sent a cross into Lloyd, who made up for her first-half mistake with a leaping-headed goal. The lead almost didn’t last when Portland’s forward Smith got in the way of a Haracic clearance.
Portland turned up the heat after giving up the equalizer. The Thorns had multiple shots on goal, with Smith having the best chances; none of them on target though. In the 72nd minute though, Portland came within inches of going ahead, if not for center back Mandy Freeman. Fullback Meghan Klingenberg intercepted a Cudjoe pass and sent in a cross. It got deflected off a Gotham defender and headed for the back of the net. Freeman lept into action, clearing it away at the last possible second.
In the next five minutes, Horan and Smith each were on the cusp of breaking the deadlock, but both attempts couldn’t get on frame. Then the 79th minute, the Thorns home supporters thought Charley won them the Challenge Cup. She received a pass in a dangerous area, getting ahead of Freeman. It ended with a goal but the referee called it offsides.
Haracic and Sinclair met again in the 86th minute, but Haracic came away winning the battle. Sinclair shot inside the penalty area, and the Gotham goalkeeper made a diving, fingertip, save. The Thorns swarmed Gotham’s defensive third with countless changes but the match stayed tied at 1-1 at the full-time whistle.
After the first three penalty kicks were buried by Gotham’s Allie Long, Lloyd, and Portland’s Sinclair, both Klingenberg and Cudjoe hit the crossbar. Horan, for Portland, beat Haracic to level the best of five penalty kick competition. Midfielder Crystal Dunn stepped up for her penalty kick, needing to convert for Portland to stay alive.
It took seven rounds of penalty kicks, and a huge penalty kick save by Adrianna Franch to win. Portland substitute Morgan Weaver sealed the Challenge Cup title for the Thorns.
There’s a lot more soccer and trophies where this came from. The NWSL regular season begins May 15, when Kansas City NWSL visits Louisville. Follow Beyond Women’s Sports all season for league coverage. And follow me on Twitter @1ThomasCostello.
