Sunday’s NWSL Matchday 6 between Portland Thorns and Racing Louisville was pure drama. A six-goal thriller, two penalties, a red card at full-time, post-match refereeing controversy, and an indirect verbal spat—the match was a complete package. But in spite of all this, Lavenders’ star Arin Wright surprisingly claims, “100%—This was the game we needed!”

Well, from the entertainment perspective, we get it; even the fans would love to witness such madness in a game. Then again, it’s certainly not from a mayhem POV that Wright feels ecstatic about the 3-3 away draw at Providence Park. Instead, it’s sort of a personal goal that Louisville has been able to achieve.

Though Wright agrees that the draw wasn’t the result they needed, she emphasized that the team’s performance and the individual effort shown throughout the game were exactly what they needed to build momentum moving forward. “That is what we were looking for from the group—to show us that you can execute your job,” said the 32-year-old while speaking on The Attacking Third.

“The biggest issue we were having was that we were performing great in just the first half of games… then we fall off in the second. We didn’t do that in this game and that’s growth. So I’m very excited for this next game because now we have something to build from. We’ve set a standard and now you keep that standard,” concluded the former Chicago Red Stars defender.

Well, technically, Wright is correct. Consistency is one of the factors that Louisville has been struggling with. Like in their NWSL’s opening game vs. NC Courage. Though Bev Yanez’s side was able to take the lead inside 15 minutes, the hour mark saw them concede to end up sharing points. Similar was the case in this game, as they struck early thanks to Savannah DeMelo finding the net within the first 10 minutes.

Portland Thorns didn’t take long to answer back, with Reilyn Turner powering in a header to equalize. But the Lavenders weren’t done yet—they turned up the intensity, with Kayla Fischer and Emma Sears each scoring to put their team ahead by two and dampen the spirits of the home crowd. However, Louisville’s two-goal cushion lead ended up getting marred with two penalty kicks that were given in favor of the Thorns.

The first one was from Jessie Fleming, who calmly converted the spot-kick during the stoppage time, trimming the deficit to 3-2 before halftime. In the second half, though Louisville held off Portland’s attacks effectively, a second penalty from Jayden Lee Perry leveled the game. Before either team could chase a winner, the final whistle blew, leaving both sides with a frustrating shared result.

Now whether it was a growth or not for Racing Louisville is something that they have to look for. Whatever works for Arin Wright, but it looks like for others, it’s definitely not!

Racing Louisville and Portland Thorn clash beyond the pitch

Referee Corbyn May called an NWSL-record 41 fouls in this game. But surprisingly, he handed out just one yellow—to Portland’s Reyna Reyes—and a post-match red to Ary Borges for dissent. The fallout was immediate and intense, with players and coaches from both sides voicing their discontent. Portland midfielder Jessie Fleming was the first to speak out, admitting, “I think, in general, reflecting our performance, we played into their hands a little bit and kind of dug ourselves a hole.”

While she praised her team’s fightback, Fleming expressed ongoing frustration with the ‘shameful‘ refereeing and league oversight. Calling it the most frustrating match of her career, she urged league officials to review the situation—before closing with a sharp remark: “I think Louisville should be embarrassed.”

Interestingly, Jessie Fleming’s bold remarks didn’t sit well with Racing Louisville forward Ary Borges, who fired back in response after the game. “For those who had two questionable penalties and spent the whole game throwing themselves in and around the penalty box, please take a moment to reflect and not talk about my team,” said Borges.

Regarding her red card, Ary Borges took full responsibility, admitting she let emotions get the better of her in the heat of the moment. The 25-year-old publicly apologized for her reaction but didn’t hold back in criticizing the officiating. While Borges typically avoids commenting on referees, she made an exception this time, calling the situation “a shame” and stating, “At the level of this league, it is not acceptable to have someone commanding a match like it was today.”

If this isn’t pure drama, then what else is? Regardless, share your thoughts in the comments.