PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Thorns FC today announced that the club has loaned midfielder Allie Long to English club Chelsea Ladies FC through Dec. 9.
Long, 26, joins Chelsea Ladies for the second annual International Women’s Club Championship in Japan. Chelsea Ladies, the European representative in the tournament, entered the competition at the semifinal stage on Wednesday against 2012-13 Australian W-League champion Sydney FC at Kanko Stadium in Okayama, Japan. Long started and played the full 90 minutes in a 3-2 win for Chelsea Ladies. Nadeshiko League champions INAC Kobe Leonessa defeated 2012 Copa Libertadores Femenina winner Colo-Colo of Chile in the other semifinal match on Wednesday.
The tournament’s championship match between Chelsea Ladies and INAC Kobe Leonessa is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 8 at 1:10 p.m. local time (Saturday, Dec.7, 8:10 p.m. Pacific).
Signed by Thorns FC on Jan. 31, 2013, Long recorded three goals and three assists for Portland during the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League season. A dynamic midfielder for Thorns FC, Long tallied the game-winning goal in the 103rd minute of extra time in a 3-2 win over FC Kansas City in the NWSL semifinals on Aug. 24, helping Portland in its run to winning the NWSL Championship. One of three players to start all 22 regular-season games for Thorns FC, Long ended the regular season ranked first on the team with 1,956 minutes played.
Chelsea Ladies finished the 2013 FA Women’s Super League (FA WSL) season in seventh place in the eight-team league with a 3-10-1 (10pts) overall record. The FA WSL began play in 2011 and completed its third season in September 2013.
