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Portland Thorns hands Orlando Pride their first defeat of the season
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Portland Thorns hands Orlando Pride their first defeat of the season

Morgan Weaver and Christine Sinclair scored to give the Portland Thorns a 2-0 win over Orlando on Friday night and hand the Pride their first loss of the season.

The Pride (17-1-6) had not lost in 23 games this season, while their 24-game unbeaten streak dated back to last season.

The win ended Portland’s seven-game winless streak and kept the team in seventh place in the standings. The top eight make it to the play-offs.

Portland (9-11-4) took a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute when Reyna Reyes blasted a header off a corner that fell to Weaver, who tipped the ball into the goal.

Weaver was injured in the 60th minute as she walked gingerly before sitting on the turf and gesturing to the trainers, then heading to the locker room.

Sinclair, who is retiring after 11 seasons with the team, scored in the 55th. It was her 80th career goal in all competitions and ranked second on the NWSL career list. The Providence Park crowd gave her a standing ovation and chanted her name as she was eliminated late.

Sinclair went down hard after a heading attempt late in the first half and appeared to injure her shoulder, but she was checked on the touchline before returning to the match.

With the NWSL Shield for best regular season record already secured, Pride coach Seb Hines opted not to start Barbra Banda, Adriana and Marta. Banda leads the Pride with 13 goals this season, while Marta has eight. Banda and Adriana came in in the 65th minute, while Marta came in about 10 minutes later.

The Thorns, one of the competition’s five founding clubs playing their 250th match, were without top scorer Sophia Smith, who has an ankle injury, and Hina Sugita, who has a facial injury.

Orlando has won just once in 2018 at Providence Park in Portland.