Raso, Carpenter win battle of the Westfield Matildas in NWSL

Hayley Raso and Ellie Carpenter have got the better of a couple of Westfield Matildas teammates in a thrilling National Women’s Soccer League clash on Monday (AEST).

Raso and Carpenter – both playing for Portland Thorns – emerged 3-1 winners over Kyah Simon and Clare Polkinghorne’s Houston Dash.

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Lindsey Horan was the star for the Thorns at Providence Park, scoring twice in the first 30 minutes to go equal with Sam Kerr at the top of the NWSL scoring charts with nine for the season.

The Dash pulled a goal back before the break through Kealia Ohai before Raso helped re-establish the home side’s two-goal buffer early in the second-half.

Receiving the ball just outside the box, Raso played a clever pass in behind the defence with the outside of her right foot, allowing Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic to score.

The Aussie star then had the ball in the back of the net 20 minutes from time when she scored with a header, only to be denied by a dubious offside flank.

The win sees the Thorns end the weekend in fifth place on 26 points, just two behind Orlando Pride and Chicago Red Stars in the final two playoff spots.

But Portland have a game in hand on both of those teams.

For the Dash, they remain in seventh spot on 20 points and in a huge battle to make a late-season push for the top four.