Moultrie Makes History In Thorns' 1-1 Road Showing

On Jun. 12, 2022, midfielder Olivia Moultrie found the back of the net and became the youngest player in NWSL history (at the time) to score in the regular season at just 16 years old.

Just three days before her 20th birthday, Moultrie scored her 14th regular-season goal and broke her tie with Jaedyn Shaw for most by a teenager in NWSL history.

The midfielder's record-setting goal ended up being the only time the Portland Thorns found the back of the net against the Chicago Stars in a 1-1 draw.

Not only was it a milestone moment for Moultrie and the league, but it ended up earning the Thorns a point on the road – which could be the difference between making or missing the postseason.

13' Record-Breaking Goal (1-0)

The teenager helped Portland strike first off a free kick. It was poetic that her historic goal came off a set piece, given that her first professional goal – which came in the semifinal of the International Champions Cup in August 2022 – was off a direct free kick.

She scored her 13th goal against the North Carolina Courage in August. Sunday was her last game to break the record for goals by a teenager with her birthday on Wednesday.

"Like, just I got four games, I'm gonna get it. And so that had been in the back of my mind," Moultrie said. "Obviously, that is not the first priority for me. It's like, can my team win the game? But I was very excited about it, forgotten in the moment, because all I was worried about was winning."

With 18-year-old English youth international Laila Harbert and 18-year-old Colombian international Valerin Loboa recently joining the squad, Moultrie also spoke about no longer being the youngest player on the team. She said that she wants to be the person that she never had, given that she was the first teenager after the elimination of the league's age rule.

23' Substitution (1-0)

A concerning moment for the Thorns came later in the half when defender Isa Obaze was subbed off for Sam Hiatt.

Head coach Rob Gale said postgame that he didn't have an update on her yet. Obaze has become an important part of the team's backline, starting each of the last nine matches dating back to Jun. 15.

45' Chicago Responds (1-1)

The last time Portland secured a clean sheet was the last time it played Chicago, which happened to be the last game before the break, back on Jun. 21. Bea Franklin's late first-half goal made it 11 goals conceded in the last seven matches.

After some initial deflections, Franklin received the ball, turned and scored. It was her second goal in two matches, but the defensive lapses continue to trouble the Thorns.

56' Ludmila Counterattack (1-1)

Portland did well to prevent Stars' forward Ludmila from scoring. The Brazilian international has 10 goals this season and threatened to add to that total at times versus the Thorns.

"She is a great player. We definitely watched a lot of film on her and knew what we wanted to do," defender Reyna Reyes said. "We want to be tight as a back line and just have each other's backs."

A chaotic sequence in the second half occurred during a Ludmila driving down the field off a counter. Plenty of contact happened on the play, but no whistle was blown. The Thorns were able to prevent another goal, however, and shut out Chicago in the second half.

Full Time: 1-1

Despite a couple of opportunities in the second half for both teams, neither squad did enough to pull ahead.

The Thorns sit fourth in the NWSL with 30 points and a plus-six goal differential. As of now, the franchise is in a good position to host a postseason match, but things could change quickly.

Portland is in a three-way tie with 30 points. Kansas City has separated itself from the rest of the league with 50 points, but even second place is still up for grabs. The Washington Spirit currently holds that spot with 36 points.

There's also a risk of any of the teams two through eight falling out of playoff contention entirely. North Carolina is just one spot outside of making it at the moment, and it has 25 points. Houston and Angel City trail close behind with 23 points each.

"All season long, we're just as a staff, looking at processes, keeping everything tight, making sure that we give ourselves the best opportunity to pick up results in the league," Gale said.

"I think we've left a few points on the table this season that we probably deserve a little bit more," he later said. "We're a small squad, but we're a mighty squad that's stuck together all season, against all odds and against all kinds of circumstances that have not been favorable."

The Thorns lost to the Utah Royals a couple of weeks ago, who have the worst record in the league. The Stars are the second-to-last team in the NWSL, although they've had significantly better results since returning from the break. Still, a draw meant dropping a pair of points that could've gone a long way come November.

Portland returns to Providence Park next Saturday, where fans will look to give the franchise a boost as it faces the San Diego Wave at 7 p.m. PT.