Thorns home as NWSL returns

The Portland Thorns resume National Women’s Soccer League play on Friday, hosting F.C. Kansas City at 7 p.m. at Providence Park.

Eight Thorns players are away for the Women’s World Cup, which enters the knockout stage with round-of-16 games this weekend. F.C. Kansas City has five players at the World Cup.

The Thorns (2-3-3, 9 points) are winless in their last six matches with three draws and three losses since a 2-0 start. They are eighth in the nine-team league. F.C. Kansas City (2-3-3, 10 points) is in seventh place.

All eight Thorns players at the World Cup are on teams that made the round of 16: Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath for the United States; Christine Sinclair, Kaylyn Kyle and Rhian Wilkinson for Canada; Nadine Angerer for Germany, Steph Catley for Australia; and Jody Taylor for England.

Kansas City players at the World Cup include USA players Lauren (Cheney) Holiday, Heather O’Reilly, Becky Sauerbrunn and Amy Rodriguez, and Australia’s Katrina Gorry.

Midfielder Allie Long is tied for second in the NWSL having scored four of Portland’s 10 goals this season.

Kansas City has allowed a league-low seven goals in eight games — or as many as the Thorns scored against Kansas City in a single match last July. But KC has scored only six times. Only Sky Blue (six goals in nine games) has a less productive attack.

Liz Bogus has two goals in seven games for Kansas City.

A live web stream of the match will be available at portlandthornsfc.com.

• The Thorns waived midfielder Sarah Robbins, who made her lone appearance for Portland off the bench on April 11 in Boston.