On Saturday afternoon, the USC women’s soccer team continued its winning streak with a third consecutive away win against Portland. The Trojans faced the Pilots at Merlo Field on a scorching afternoon with temperatures remaining in the mid-90s for the duration of the game. Despite playing without two key contributors, USC was able to grind out a 2-1 win.
USC (3-0-1) started slow from the first whistle — a trend for the Trojans so far this season — allowing Portland (2-2-1) to look dominant in the opening minutes. The Pilots’ control of the game quickly loosened after the Trojans’ first attack, with the game having no clear leader in possession for the majority of the first half.
The first goal of the game would come at the 28 minute mark when senior forward Kayla Colbert, just inside the 18-yard box, smashed a left-footed shot into the back of the net. The goal came from a brilliant attack orchestrated after a Trojan throw-in. Freshman forward Jaiden Anderson connected with senior midfielder Helena Sampiao to set up Colbert for her first goal of the season.
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After the game’s first goal, both USC and Portland fought hard for the ever-crucial second strike. The second half was extremely physical, with a total of nine fouls, one of which led to USC’s second goal of the game.
The goal came in the 55th minute after Trojan senior forward Maile Hayes was taken out by Portland junior defender Katana Norman on a bad tackle inside the 18-yard box. Norman received a yellow card for the foul, and it resulted in a penalty kick for USC. The kick would be taken by Hayes and while Pilot senior keeper Bre Norris guessed correctly, Hayes’ shot still found the back of the net.
With a 2-0 lead, the Trojans did not relent on the Pilots, as they continued their high press and possession-heavy game play. As the clock began to wind down, the Trojans looked like they were going to walk away with both the win and a clean sheet. However, in the 85th minute, a Trojan handball created an opportunity for Portland to score.
The handball occurred after a shot was rifled into graduate midfielder Hannah Griffin’s hand inside the 18-yard box, resulting in a yellow card and penalty kick. The penalty was taken by Portland graduate forward Hailey Stills, who scored as Trojan graduate keeper Laurence Gladu guessed the wrong side.
Suddenly down just one goal, Portland would have one more opportunity before the end of the game, as they were awarded a free kick just outside the 18-yard box. However, the Pilots were unable to capitalize on this opportunity, allowing the Trojans to regain possession in the final moments of the match. USC would finish the game by burying the ball in the corner of Portland’s half, as the Pilots were forced to watch the final seconds of the game tick away.
USC’s third win of the season was also notable in that it came without the contributions of two of its star players. Both Canadian sophomore forward Florianne Jourde and Mexican sophomore forward Maribel Flores missed the game to represent their countries in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
USC will now turn their focus to the University of San Francisco, who they will face on the road at Negoesco Stadium Thursday at 6 p.m.
