Portland Thorns Clinch Playoff Berth, Beat Courage 1-0

Marie Müller scored in the 60th minute to give the Portland Thorns a 1-0 home win over the North Carolina Courage, clinching Portland’s place in the NWSL playoffs for a 10th consecutive season. The victory moved the Thorns to sixth place with one regular-season game remaining; goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold recorded her eighth clean sheet. North Carolina, which has lost five of its last six matches, is still chasing the final playoff spot and needs a win in its finale plus a Seattle loss. Elsewhere, the Utah Royals secured their first playoff berth with a scoreless draw against the Seattle Reign, who remain above the playoff line but have not clinched. The Houston Dash beat the already-eliminated Chicago Stars 3-1.