San Diego Wave FC at Portland Thorns: Match preview, starting lineups, injury report, starting XI, how to watch

San Diego Wave FC will play the Portland Thorns in the NWSL semifinals Sunday afternoon for a chance to make even more history in its first season. A win on Saturday would make it the first expansion team to make the finals in its first season. 

It will have to take down a team it knows very well, playing in a stadium it has had success in. This will be the fifth time these two teams have played each other, including the Challenge Cup. The last matchup between these two ended in a 2-0 Wave FC victory with goals from Kristen McNabb and Alex Morgan, just was the second time all season the Thorns were shut out at home. 

Each game between these teams has produced high amounts of skill and highlight goals. Even though it is just Wave FC’s first season in the NWSL, a rivalry between these two clubs is building, and Sunday’s game could cement it as one of the notable rivalries in the league. 

Kickoff time

2 p.m. PT at Providence Park in Portland, Ore.

How to watch

The match will stream on CBS Sports Network.

How to listen

Tune into the NWSL station on iHeart radio.

Records

Wave FC: 10W-6D-6L (36 points, third in NWSL); Thorns: 10W-9D-3L (39 points, second in NWSL)

Last time out

Wave FC defeated the Chicago Red Stars in an epic comeback extra time win, which ended in an Alex Morgan go-ahead goal. Down 1-0 after a mistake from goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, Emily van Egmond tied the game in the second half and Morgan completed the comeback in extra time. With 26,215 fans in attendance, Wave FC now hold the NWSL postseason attendance record as well as the regular season attendance record.

Due to a first-round bye in the playoffs, the Thorns' previous game was the regular season finale against Gotham FC. The Thorns needed a win to clinch first place and win the NWSL Shield. Instead, it tied Gotham FC 3-3, a team who had lost its 12 previous games, and saw rivals OL Reign take the Shield instead. 

Injury report

Wave FC: OUT– Kayla Bruster (SEI- left foot), Abby Dahlkemper (SEI- back), Katie Johnson (SEI- right foot) 

Thorns: OUT– None

Projected lineups

Wave FC (4-3-3): Kailen Sheridan; Christen Westphal, Kaliegh Riehl, Naomi Girma, Kristen McNabb, Belle Briede, Emily van Egmond, Taylor Kornieck, Kelsey Turnbow, Alex Morgan, Jaedyn Shaw

Thorns (4-2-3-1): Bella Bixby, Natalia Kuikka, Kelli Hubly, Becky Sauerbrunn, Megan Klingenberg, Taylor Porter, Raquel Rodriguez, Hina Sugita, Christine Sinclair, Morgan Weaver, Sophia Smith

Players to watch

Wave FC: Taylor Kornieck, midfielder

Throughout the season, Taylor Kornieck has become one of the most important pieces on the field for Wave FC. Similar to players such as Morgan and Naomi Girma, she is a necessary component to the club’s success.

At 6’1, Kornieck is the tallest player in the NWSL and towers over everyone on the field. To understand how much of an aerial threat she is, look no further than the first round of the playoffs. Against the Red Stars, she won 82% of her aerial duels. 

In two games against the Thorns this season, she has two goals, an assist, two chances created and has won 60% of her aerial duels. Her height and quickness posed a severe mismatch for the Thorns this season — expect that to continue Sunday afternoon.

“Taylor seems to play very well against Portland,” Wave FC head coach Casey Stoney said in the pre-match press conference. “It's a team she likes playing against and I'm looking forward to seeing her performance again.”

This season, Kornieck has three goals, three assists and 14 chances created. Due to playing over 100 minutes in her first game back from injury last weekend, Stoney has not yet decided whether Kornieck will start or come off the bench. Either way, Kornieck is sure to have some impact on Sunday afternoon and Wave FC will need her in order to find a result.

Thorns: Sophia Smith, forward

The last time Wave FC played the Thorns, they made Sophia Smith invisible. She had no shots on target, one chance created and dispossessed nine times including winning just 1/17 of her duels.

The odds of this happening again? Very, very low. Smith is the MVP favorite with 14 goals and three assists this season. You can argue that in need of a goal, there is no one else in the league you would rather have on your side.

She is also an extremely accurate shooter. This season, she has 49 shots on target compared to just 27 off target. She leads the team averaging three shots on target per game and averages a goal a game. 

Not only can she score goals, but she makes her teammates better. This season she has 24 chances created, which would actually be tied for first on Wave FC. On Portland, she ranks fifth in chances created. 

Since playing Wave FC in August, Smith has had three goals and an assist in five NWSL games. For the USWNT, she has had three goals since last playing Wave FC. After the last result to Wave FC and the Thorns losing last season in the semifinals at home, Smith is going to have a positive impact for the Thorns.

So, on Sunday afternoon, it will be close to impossible for Wave FC to stop Smith, but can it contain her?

Key matchup: Naomi Girma vs. Sophia Smith

Last week in the preview against the Red Stars, we discussed how important it was for Naomi Girma to shut Mal Pugh down. If Girma and the rest of the Wave FC defense could take away the Red Stars' main source of offense, it had an easier path to a result. The same applies with Smith on Sunday.

The Thorns lost three games in the regular season. Smith did not play in the first loss and did not score in the other two games. In the two losses Smith was a part of, she had a combined three shots on target, was dispossessed 11 times and won just three duels. If Wave FC can contain Smith and limit her impact on her teammates, their chances of winning skyrocket.

In the most recent game against the Thorns, Girma had eight clearances, won all five of her duels and had 10 passes into the final third. Not only does Girma not shrink in the big games, she plays better. Last week against the Red Stars, Girma played all 120 minutes, was a 93% accurate passer and had 13 recoveries. The Wave FC defense held Pugh to just one shot on target and two chances created. 

Girma’s play uplifts the rest of the defense. And her shutting down the other team's star gives confidence to the entire club. However, if Wave FC cannot stop Smith. they'll have problems. A lot of problems. It will be hard to dig out of whatever hole Smith absolutely can put Wave FC in. How this matchup plays out will be more important than anything to the result of this game.

For the win: Take control early

What Wave FC did so well against the Thorns in their 2-0 win was taking control of the game early. By the 17th minute, when McNabb scored the first goal, the game was virtually over. Wave FC had completely taken control and held the momentum. If it is able to break the spirits of the Thorns early, this game could see a similar result as the previous one.

If the Wave allow the Thorns to work their way into the game and feed off the energy of the Rose City Riveters, this game will be much different. Wave FC has shown an ability to be a second-half team, scoring eight of its last twelve goals in the second half. But, this is not a regular season game and this is not a regular opponent. Working themselves into the game just won’t be an option on Sunday because the Thorns won’t let them. 

Wave FC has also been an extremely successful team when it is able to take over games from the beginning. How do we know? It won 10 regular season games this year. In all 10 games, it scored first. So, what are the main keys for a Wave FC win? Take control early, shut down Smith and score first.