The Thorns have announced the signing of Finnish international Natalia Kuikka. Kuikka is a defender out of Florida State who captained the Seminoles when they won the 2018 NCAA championship. She was projected as a potential top-five pick in the 2019 college draft, but opted out to sign with Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC in the Swedish Damallsvenskan, where she’s currently in her second season.
This signing likely means the Thorns are expecting to lose defenders in the offseason, whether to the expansion draft or elsewhere. Before the Fall Series, Mark Parsons hinted at doubts around Katherine Reynolds’s future, saying she planned to reevaluate her options going forward after suffering a concussion in the quarterfinal of the Challenge Cup. At age 33 and having dealt with a string of injuries in recent years, it doesn’t seem unlikely that retirement is among those options.
Kuikka has played as a center back both in Sweden and for FSU, but she started her college career as a winger. Thus, it’s plausible that Portland may be bringing her in as an option at outside back as well, a position they’re currently thinner at than they are in central defense.
Regardless of who ends up staying or leaving during this offseason, this also looks like a smart longer-term move for the Thorns, who have several defenders in their 30s, including not just Reynolds but Becky Sauerbrunn and Meghan Klingenberg. Kuikka is a smart, physically strong defender who stood out at FSU for her confidence on the ball and ability to play out of the back in coach Mark Krikorian’s possession-oriented system.
The Portland Timbers had gone three games without a win coming into Wednesday’s match against the LA Galaxy at Providence Park, but that streak was ended in emphatic fashion on the night as the Timbers’ attack exploded past the Galaxy in a 5-2 win.
As has been their style in 2020, the Timbers opened the scoring early, putting the first ball in the back of the net in just the sixth minute. Running onto a ball down the left from Yimmi Chará, Jorge Villafaña clipped a cross into the Galaxy box that found Jarek Niezgoda cutting in front of Nicholas DePuy. The Timbers striker nodded the ball toward the far post, sending it skipping off the turf and past the dive of Jonathan Klinsmann to put the Timbers up 1-0.
The Galaxy had a chance to pull one back in the eighth minute, when a Cristian Pavón corner kick found the leaping form of Yony González rising out of the press of bodies in the Timbers box. González struck a strong header toward goal, but the chance clanged off the post and bounced away, with the following rebound hitting a forest of legs and deflecting clear.
The Timbers extended their lead in a chaotic fashion in the 19th minute. After a Diego Valeri corner kick was cleared away by the Galaxy, the Timbers had a pair of chances to put the ball back into the box. First Villafaña fired a shot toward goal that was deflected back out of the box and fell to Pablo Bonilla. The Timbers’ other fullback took his opportunity to fire a second shot into the box. This time the ball into the box found the head of Niezgoda for a snap header on goal. Niezgoda’s quick reactions were enough to beat Klinsmann again, putting the ball into the net and the Timbers up 2-0.
Niezgoda had a chance to complete his hat-trick in the 30th minute when the Timbers were sent to the spot for a handball in the Galaxy box, but instead, it was Diego Valeri who stepped up for the Timbers. The Maestro left no doubt as to who should be taking the Timbers’ penalties, striding up to the ball and hitting a powerful and precise shot that tucked perfectly between the post and the outstretched fingertips of the Galaxy keeper.
Now up 3-0, the Timbers were firmly in control for the remainder of the first half.
After cruising into half-time, the Timbers were given a rude reminder that Pavón is very, very good in the first minute of the second period. Moments after the restart, Sebastian Lletget, a half-time substitution, played a diagonal ball into the Timbers box. González was the first man to the ball, but let it run through his legs and onto Pavón in space. With the Timbers stepping toward González, Pavón was left to line up his shot and slam a simple finish past Steve Clark to get the Galaxy on the board.
In the wake of the Galaxy goal, it still took the Timbers several minutes to shake off the lethargy that had infected the team. As the second half continued, however, the Timbers shook it off and more.
In the 60th minute, Eryk Williamson received the ball from Niezgoda at the top of the Galaxy box and went on the dribble. Artfully cutting around his defender, he was in one on one with Klinsmann and, as the Galaxy keeper rushed off his line, Williamson picked out a simple finish to regain the Timbers’ three-goal lead.
Then, in the 74th minute, Andy Polo looked to top Williamson’s effort with a stunning goal of his own. A long ball from Chará on the Timbers’ left found Polo wide on the right. As the long ball fell to him, Polo took its measure and lined up a volley, hitting a spinning, dipping ball that swerved perfectly around Klinsman and inside the far post for the Timbers’ fifth goal of the night.
Although the game was fully over, the Galaxy did manage to grab back a second goal in the first minute of stoppage time. After a no-angle shot from González was parried away by Clark, the rebound fell to Pavón in front of goal for an easy finish, putting the final scoreline at 5-2.
After leading their match against the Seattle Sounders for 83 minutes and not giving up a single shot on goal in regulation time, the Portland Timbers once again fell apart in the final minutes of Thursday night’s Cascadia rivalry match. Despite a flying start, the Timbers left Seattle with only a single point after drawing 1-1.
The Timbers started the match strong, playing through the Seattle press with short, quick touches and runs that pulled their opponents out of position.
In the 10th minute, the Timbers made their early success in moving the ball count. After breaking out of their own end, the Timbers found Jorge Villafana out wide on the left flank. Villafana curled a ball into the box, finding the chest of Felipe Mora who, with a defender on his back, controlled the ball and laid it off for Yimmi Chara, making the trailing run. Yimmi received the ball and shot from the top of the Sounders box, forcing Stefan Frei into his first save of the match. Off The ensuing rebound fell to Andres Flores and the Timbers utility man took it first-time, crushing a return ball back on goal, past Frei, and into the back of the net.
The Timbers had a chance to extend their lead in the 16th minute when they opened the sounders up with another series of quick passes through the heart of the Seattle defense. After finding Villfana on the wing with a short pass, Yimmi made a darting run forward through the Sounders back line and was rewarded with a return pass from the fullback. Carrying the ball to the end line, Yimmi cut a pass back into the path of Diego Valeri who was crashing toward the near post. Valeri got a boot to the ball, but could not steer it on goal and instead put it out for a goal kick.
Late in the first half, the home side was able to wrest control of the game from the Timbers and put their visitors under pressure. Sending in cross after cross, the Sounders held the ball in the Timbers end for much of the final fifteen minutes of the half but could not find a shot on target.
The Sounders continued their push into the second half, but remained stymied by the Timbers stout defending and ability to work the ball out of danger.
After struggling to find chances throughout the match, Seattle came close to equalizing in the 76th minute. A rare midfield missed touch from Diego Chara off a Timbers corner led to a break for the Sounders with Jordan Morris streaking down the pitch. As Morris rushed toward goal, youngster Marco Farfan made a heroic effort to run him down, doing just enough to steer the USMNT star away from goal. Pulling up, Morris squeezed a cross around Farfan and found the run of Nico Lodeiro. As he arrived in the box, Lodeiro took the ball on the bounce and fired off a shot, but once again the effort was not on target and flew out for a goal kick.
Finally, in the 4th minute of second-half stoppage time, the Sounders got their first shot on goal; naturally, it ended up in the net. On a mystifying corner kick given up by Dario Zuparic, who fell on the ball while trying to shield it out for a goal kick, Lodeiro served in an in-swinging ball that found the head of Yeimar Gomez for a flick on to the back post where Will Bruin was lurking. Bruin peeled off the back of his defender, Zuparic, and got into space for the easy finish as Gomez’s header fell to him, snatching back a point for his team and leaving the Timbers wondering what had gone wrong.
Unless you’ve had your head under a rock for the last six hours, you’ve likely heard the news: Crystal Dunn is a Thorn.
It’s not poppycock this time—thanks to OL Reign taking one for the team(s) and “facilitating” the trade. The 2019 World Cup Champion, two-time NWSL Champion, NWSL golden boot winner and MVP of the 2015 season’s move to Portland (finally) extends beyond the offseason.
In exchange, the Thorns sent the Reign $150,000, a 2021 international slot, and Portland’s natural first-round pick in the 2022 college draft. Here are a few of our takeaways about the big news:
[incoherent screaming]
With multiple expansion drafts on the horizon and no clear answer to whether soccer in the traditional sense will even be possible in 2021, the Thorns’ future—like that of many teams in this league—is uncertain (more on that in a minute). What looks pretty watertight at this juncture is that Portland’s midfield is going to involve all of Lindsey Horan, Crystal Dunn, and Christine Sinclair.
Those players aren’t going anywhere, which is, uh, crazy? It feels like cheating. Then again, when Dunn went to North Carolina, that also felt like cheating—so maybe what it boils down to is that having Crystal Dunn is cheating.
Dunn is one of the few players in the world who can genuinely bend a game to her will. She can score practically at will and is equally dangerous at both dribbling and passing. She’s a defensive threat, too. It’s hard to overstate how huge an acquisition she is for the Thorns, especially when you start to think about her connecting with oh, say, Sophia Smith.
What does this mean for the expansion draft?
This looks like a superteam for now, but not so fast. Three expansion drafts are looming in the next two years, with one—for Racing Louisville—happening in less than a month. Don’t expect this to be the last move Portland makes this offseason.
Assuming the rules are the same as they were in 2015, the Thorns will be able to protect nine players, including two USWNT-subsidized players. As things stand, the two protected subsidized players have to be Dunn and Horan. We’d already expected them to lose at least one keeper, likely AD Franch, but now she, Heath, and Sauerbrunn will all be on the chopping block. (Sophia Smith is blissfully saved by the fact that USWNT allocations won’t be announced until after the expansion draft.) Sauerbrunn probably doesn’t get taken—she’s 35 and has made it clear she wants to settle down in Portland. We think she tells any interested team she’ll retire rather than report.
Photo by Nikita Taparia
Heath? Harder to say. She also owns a home here and clearly likes playing for the Thorns. She also holds the same leverage as any elite player in this league: she can always decide to extend her time in Manchester rather than move to Louisville or Sacramento. However: it’s not hard to imagine, say, Louisville picking up her rights, her deciding to stay in England for 2021, and then forcing a trade to LA for 2022.
Of course, that’s assuming the Thorns can scam them into taking the rights of someone who probably doesn’t plan on playing for them, but the Thorns have a pretty solid track record when it comes to taking advantage of other teams (see: The Alex Morgan Trade). That’s also assuming Angel City wants Heath on their side, but it’s hard to imagine a team saying no to her if she asks.
The No. 10 problem, solved
We’ve all been dreading/denying the inevitable: that one day, sure as the cruel sea beats cliffs into sand, Christine Sinclair will have to retire. That she’s had an almost unbelievably long and consistent career doesn’t change how problematic this is for the Thorns in the long term.
A situation that we think epitomizes this pretty well was last year, when the Thorns tried three different players at the No. 10 while Sinclair was away for the World Cup. Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, Ana Crnogorčević, and Andressinha—may she be free forevermore—are all good players, but the team’s reliance on an all-time great in that position showed in her absence.
Dunn is the answer to that, positionally at least. As far as Sinclair’s importance to the locker room, there’s of course no real replacement, but Mark Parsons seems to think Dunn has some of the same qualities as a leader, too. “She has such a contagious energy about her that just wants to make you be better when you’re around her,” he said in an interview released by the team today. “But what she doesn’t get praise enough for is her leadership, and the way that she leads. By example, and by being positive, and by being driven. She’s had a lot of success, and it’s not by luck.”
In a back-and-forth affair against LAFC on Sunday night, it was only fair that the Portland Timbers split the points with the visitors. Although the Timbers were able to grab the lead early in the second half, they faded late in the match and could not match the energy of LA in the final moments of the 1-1 draw.
The visitors set a frantic pace to start the match, pressing the Timbers all over the field and giving them little time to work their way into the game. With their passing so disrupted, the Timbers struggled to find chances on their home turf.
Instead, it was LAFC who came close to opening the scoring in the 10th minute, through none other than Bradley Wright-Phillips. A long ball down the middle of the pitch from Eduard Atuesta dropped perfectly into the path of BWP’s run behind the Timbers backline. Sticking a boot out, Wright-Phillips got a touch on the ball to help it toward goal, but the veteran goal-scorer could only direct it toward Steve Clark, who held the ground and made the required save.
The close call marked the Timbers’ entrance into the game as LAFC’s press faded and the home side found their footing.
Thus emboldened, the Timbers managed a chance of their own in the 15th minute as they nearly made the most of a series of passes around the LA box. Working the ball around the attacking end and moving the LAFC defense from one side of the pitch to the other, the Timbers finally found Felipe Mora just inside the box in a patch of space. As the recovering LA defenders scrambled toward him, Mora got off a shot just a moment too late, having it blocked off his boot.
As the half wore on, the Timbers took control of the match, keeping the visitors from making regular moves forward and, in the final minutes of the half, finding another series of chances for themselves.
In the 38th minute, the Timbers found Diego Valeri out wide on the right side of the LA box. Valeri quickly turned on the ball and clipped a curling ball across the face of goal. Valeri’s ball found a surging run into the center of the box from Mora, and the Timbers forward threw himself toward the ball, making solid contact and sending a powerful header on goal that Pablo Sisniega was forced to parry away.
Two minutes later the Timbers came even closer. A ball over the LA backline from Yimmi Chará dropped into Mora’s path and the Chilean controlled the ball with his head and pressed forward. With a defender pulling at his shirt, Mora stayed on his feet in the LAFC box and managed to get a shot off, but Sisniega, given time by the foul on Mora, was able to rush off his line and make the save.
Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
Valeri managed a final first-half chance for the Timbers in the 43rd minute when he received the ball in space outside the LA box. Striding on to the ball, Valeri hammered a dipping shot on goal, but Sisniega was able to make a diving save to push the ball away.
The Timbers kept the momentum going into the second half and, just two minutes in, they found the opener. The chance started with a darting run toward the box from Chará, who checked his run and hit a square ball to Mora. Receiving the ball at the top of the box, Mora turned and continued its progress, finding Jeremy Ebobisse arriving on the right. Ebobisse took the ball in, touched it forward, and smashed a low shot on goal that Sisniega was able to get a touch on, but could not keep from splashing into the back of the net.
Now trailing, LAFC caught their breath and looked to fight their way back into the match.
Putting the Timbers on the back foot, LA got their first real chance to pull the match even in the 60th minute. After Mohamed El-Munir got around Jorge Villafaña on a driving run to the end line, the LA fullback cut a low ball back into the box for the run of Danny Musovski. As Musovski met the ball in the center of the Timbers box, he hit it first time, sending a shot through traffic that forced Clark to get low in order to parry the ball away. The rebound fell to winger Kwadwo Opoku, but the Ghanaian teen could not steer it on goal.
The Timbers came close to extending their lead in the 84th minute. With Eryk Williamson carrying the ball toward the LA box, Chará made a cutting run toward goal. Williamson saw Chará go and slipped a perfectly weighted pass into his path. Bringing the ball in with a defender hanging off his back, Chará got off a quick shot from close range, but Sisniega was able to get down and make the stop.
Sisniega’s saves would turn out to be the difference between three points and just one for the Timbers, as LAFC were able to find a stoppage-time equalizer in the 93rd minute. After a giveaway from the Timbers in the center of the pitch, Eddie Segura got on the ball in an advanced position and played a quick pass toward Opoku at the top of the box. Opoku spun on the ball, giving it a touch forward in the process and putting it into the path of Christian Torres. Running onto the ball and in on goal, Torres was able to finish one on one with Clark and draw the sides even at the last possible second.
The Portland Timbers may have come into Wednesday night’s match at Rio Tinto Stadium riding a five-game winning streak, but after ninety minutes that streak was broken. Despite a late fightback, the Timbers were unable to overcome conceding a pair of goals in the first half as they lost 2-1 to Real Salt Lake.
The Portland Timbers grabbed their fifth win in a row on Sunday night, taking down the San Jose Earthquakes 3-0 at Providence Park. Snapping the Quakes’ three-game winning streak was enough for the Timbers to maintain control of second place in the West and move even on points with the Seattle Sounders once again—after their Cascadian rivals stumbled against LAFC earlier in the night.
So, there have been four soccer games, and the Thorns won three quarters of them, which puts them ahead of the Houston Dash to win the Verizon Community Shield in the NWSL Fall Series.
That doesn’t mean a third star—it wasn’t a real season, after all—but it sounds like Portland has other ideas. “We were joking maybe we could get a little ghost, or maybe a mask to put on our jerseys,” Christine Sinclair said tonight, “but we’ll figure that out in the offseason.”
The thorns did, however, win a $25,000 grant
Even with the notable lack of a star, the winners of the Shield aren’t leaving Cheney Stadium empty-handed. The 2–1 victory secured them the first place prize for the fall season: a $25,000 grant to a local business. For the Thorns, that’s Mimi’s Fresh Tees, a “woman owned social justice t-shirt company,” according to the company’s Instagram.
The Thorns wore Mimi’s Tees to their home game on September 30—what would turn into a 4–1 win over OL Reign.
“It’s great to have something to play for,” said Becky Sauerbrunn after tonight’s match. “As a team we’ve really dug deep into, okay, how can we help, especially our community […] To be able to give an independent business in Portland this amount of money, we’re really proud, and we’re really happy that we get to contribute to the community.”
The game itself? Not particularly fun soccer
While that’s wonderful to see, I have to say I’m not sure I took all that much from the game from a soccer perspective. OL Reign came out of the gate strong, with the likes of Bethany Balcer and Jasmyne Spencer putting Portland’s defense under a decent amount of pressure. As Sauerbrunn pointed out, though, the Thorns did a fantastic job of defending as a team and were able to both weather the storm and steal a penalty kick goal to give them the lead before halftime.
Tacoma lost their edge after the first half hour of the match, although they did sneak one past the Thorns’ defense off a 46th-minute free kick. And then there was another buried penalty that allowed Portland to regain their lead.
But besides the goals and the Thorns absorbing that initial run of Reign offense, I can’t say it was a particularly fun match. Tacoma decided to play a tightly-marked game and tackle hard when Portland had the ball, and the Thorns, for their part, weren’t able to play out of that pressure for longer than a few passes.
Yeah, maybe Portland being a little sharper on the attack could’ve earned them a few points—they looked marginally better than they did on three day’s rest at Utah last weekend. And maybe they would have beat Casey Murphy, who was playing incredibly high off her line, if that had been the case. But they didn’t, and the match was a tricky one as a result, with the exception of a few plays.
So… Amber Brooks?
The thing about Amber Brooks is that silly—some might say bad—defending isn’t anything new for her. Nine times out of ten, though, that manifests itself in getting caught too far up the field (something that isn’t super ideal for a center back), or ball-watching as her mark makes a relatively unimpeded run to the goal.
Rarely does it mean that she’s involved in all three of a game’s goals, fouling two different Thorns in the box to create Portland’s penalties and directing a weirdly-deflected ball on frame for OL Reign’s lone goal of the night.
And while we’re here: christine sinclair
Obviously I want to contextualize it with the fact that three of them were penalties, but Christine Sinclair scored six goals in the last three games at the age of 37, and I feel like we should talk about that.
She’s also very clearly living her best life right now, which she deserves:
After an unexpectedly long break, the Portland Timbers were back in action on Wednesday night and were clearly determined to make up for lost time against the LA Galaxy. Despite a Galaxy side who were up for a fight, the Timbers went off, beating LA 6-3 on the road.
Seattle-based photographer and Rose City Review contributor Nikita Taparia has something in common with Thorns midfielder Gabby Seiler: they’re both huge tennis fans. Taparia sat down (via Zoom) with Seiler for a wide-ranging conversation touching on female athletes, tennis fashion, and the similarities between the two sports. The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity; the full audio is available on our Patreon for $10 subscribers.
Nikita Taparia: What is your tennis origin story? Like, how did you become a fan, and at this point, how hardcore do you think you are?
Gabby Seiler: So, it actually started with my boyfriend. He played tennis at Florida, and I met him at Florida, and I remember going to my first tennis match and being like, what the hell is going on? I knew absolutely nothing, and I never watched tennis growing up. So I went to my boyfriend’s, McClain’s, tennis match at Florida, and I was just like flabbergasted, like I was obsessed. I would go to his tennis tournaments or his matches. I just started to love it, and then I started watching majors.
NT: Do you have a favorite player that you absolutely love watching?
GS: So since I started playing tennis, I think the player that I would like to play like is probably someone who mimics me too, kind of on the soccer field, is [Angie] Kerber.
NT: Ooh, yes!
GS: We have similar body types, and I feel like she’s super powerful, muscular, and she’s super quick, agile, athletic, can kind of cover all the bases on the court. Obviously, I love Serena. I mean, how can you not? She’s an absolute legend and I mean, she’s amazing. Those two are probably my favorite players. Obviously, Osaka is really talented and so fun to watch, and she’s amazing. I feel like there’s just a lot of women that I just love to watch.
NT: I’m right there with you. So of those players and of women’s tennis, if you could take one attribute from them, like strength, or flexibility, or mentality, or endurance, or whatever, and use it towards soccer, what would it be?
GS: Honestly, so I never was the biggest fan of Azarenka—like she’s amazing, but I didn’t really know her that well since I’m new to tennis—so once I knew her background, and hearing her story, I think she has a really cool story. I really like her energy. I think she has this mentality about her, and like, nothing really phases her and she stays really composed. I said that to McClain, and he said, Gabby, you haven’t seen her in previous matches.
NT: Yeah, I feel like there definitely has been an evolution in her game.
GS: And one thing I really like is how calm Osaka is, like even in the final, I was really amazed with her composure, and I think with soccer you need that. And I think, for me, I have a lot of energy, but I think adding that composure and just being able to settle things down, or just like not let things affect you, is really amazing and kind of compartmentalized.
Photo by Nikita Taparia
NT: Yeah, we saw that on the women’s side for the US Open, where it was first Vika who was coming back after that first set [against Serena], and then we saw Naomi do literally the same scoreline to Vika, but it was this idea that, I think she literally said, I didn’t want to lose this way. It was like a switch that turned on all of a sudden.
GS: Yeah, and I think that’s so cool, and I really appreciate that. What was cool about Vika is that she went straight to play the next tournament like nothing [happened], and she was absolutely crushing it. I think that’s so cool!
I think I have grown to like her and kind of root for her, just from hearing her story. And I think whenever you hear someone’s background and story, it kind of changes, too. I think that’s the cool thing about tennis in the sense of, it’s not a team sport, so everyone has this really unique story.
NT: You are hitting it right on the nail. I feel like in the beginning, I was pretty equal in my watching of men’s and women’s tennis, but over the years, I have very much gravitated towards women’s tennis because I just love the way all of them play. They all have their different styles, strategies, and whatnot. And I mean, that’s not to say that the men’s side doesn’t have that, but—I don’t know, I just haven’t had as much inspiration.
GS: Yeah, I agree with you, and I think we can kind of relate to them a little bit more. I just have so much respect for them. I have respect, you know, for the fact that they get paid the same and things like that. I just think that’s cool for the women who did that before them, so that they have what they have now. I think for me too, I just relate to their stories, like you said. Not that I don’t really like the men’s—I just feel more connected to it.
And you know, sorry, but females also have babies! So I have a lot of respect for people like Serena, and girls who are moms, and Vika. I think that’s so cool, and I can’t even imagine what’s that like, but even for soccer players who do that, that is actually amazing. And those women are superheroes.
NT: Absolutely. I feel like we’ve been gravitating towards this: on the women’s side of the game, what lessons do you think NWSL can learn from tennis?
GS: Ooh, that’s a good question! I think that something we can learn from tennis is obviously what Billie Jean King did—she took a huge risk, and that’s definitely not easy, and she kept pushing for more and pushing for more. I think like we as women shouldn’t have to do that, but I think we keep having to do the same, whether that’s us supporting the WNBA, or whether that’s the WNBA supporting NWSL.
I just think we have a unique opportunity as females and as athletes to use our platform, and I think even like, what Osaka did in the US Open, I think that’s something we can all continue to learn from. I think that NWSL’s definitely getting there. I know at least on our team, we’re having those conversations and we’re trying to push for more. But I think there’s always room for improvement.
And then secondly, I think we as players, the thing I love about tennis is I feel like all those women are so unique and they use their strengths, and I think sometimes when you’re on a team you can become a little bit monotonous, or kind of be a robot. I think we all have unique abilities, and I think the more that we can bring that to the women’s game and show those unique qualities in games, it’ll make the women’s game more fun.
NT: Yeah, for me that’s a number one thing, and it’s interesting because I think on my side, as a photographer, I start to kind of pick up on habits of players while they’re playing. Like I was having this discussion earlier about how I’ve noticed how players run.
GS: Oh, yeah, I believe it!
NT: Literally how they run. And in terms of, because I photograph it so often, and I edit it so often that I’ve picked up on how they run and when they’ll run where. And I think, again, that uniqueness does come out, but, yeah, I’m all for everybody doing whatever trick shots you want to do, any tricks you want to pull off!
GS: Yes, it’s true! No, I think one thing that I know like, our coaches try to—they want you to do, obviously, what’s best for the team, but we obviously are all here for a unique reason and we all have different strengths, and I think like, you want to try to bring those out too within the team environment. Even today when we were watching the Reign game, when Sofia Huerta let it go through her legs for Bethany [Balcer]. I think the more we can do things like that—because the women’s game is really fun to watch, and I think people don’t realize that, because, one, it’s not on TV, but. I think the more we can do that, the better, and the more people will want to watch.
NT: One aspect that I often think about as a tennis fan, and it’s part of football culture as well, is fashion is a big thing. I’m wondering, are there any particular tennis looks that you’ve started to notice and that you’ve liked?
Photo provided by Gabby Seiler
GS: Yeah! I, one, fell in love with tennis because of my boyfriend, but then, the outfits are really what drew me in. Because I love the cute tennis skirt, the cute tennis dress. You know, there’s been some unique ones. The US Open ones, I didn’t particularly love them this year. I think you have to find a balance, but I’m also not into, I know it’s been a tradition and I think it’s kind of cool, but—
NT: The white?
GS: Yes. The whole white thing. I don’t know, I personally like the uniqueness too. But I’m trying to think—I don’t know how you feel about Sharapova, but I do kind of like her outfits. I actually really liked Serena’s US Open outfit. But I think I definitely like the dresses. I wore one once for tennis and it’s so comfortable and so great. But I think the cool thing about tennis is they’re all unique and all different, and you can kind of show your fashion sense through whatever brand you’re wearing.
I love team sports, but I love the individuality within tennis, you know? Obviously there’s a lot of pros to team sports, too, like I have a million best friends.
NT: I also think individuality, we see this in the WNBA, where they’ll have different shoes on, and a lot of it is because they want to share a message with the world. So I feel like there is room where you can have players bring out whatever it is. I forget who it was, but there was actually a tennis player that, if I remember, was wearing rainbow laces, and I thought that was a pretty cool thing, because when it comes to tennis I don’t normally see a lot of outspokenness.
GS: Activism, yeah. It’s very true.
NT: So even the gesture of wearing rainbow laces, I appreciated.
GS: Yeah, I agree with that, and you don’t see that as much within tennis. I think that’s why it’s cool what Naomi Osaka did. I think she’s kind of been the leader in that and I think that’s been really cool, and it’s been unique to tennis. Some of the announcers during the tennis were kind of killing me, but—you know, she started a conversation and I think that’s the first step sometimes. But I love that the WNBA and NBA—I love the shoes! I think that is so cool, and I know like Adidas did, they had a Black Lives Matter cleat, but it wasn’t so much a unique—like it would be cool having your own message. That would be really neat. I feel like we’ll start to see that more, though.
NT: Yeah, I think it will grow as the women’s game grows, you’ll see more unique kits, you’ll see more individuality.
GS: Yeah, I love our kits.
NT: I can’t wait to photograph it.
GS: They’re really, really amazing. The detailing’s really amazing. I’m like, blown away. I can’t wait for you to photograph them.
NT: From afar, but it’ll happen. So, you mention you’ve played tennis, and I’m wondering, is there anyone else on the Thorns that have played tennis? Have you played tennis with them?
GS: Yes, so we’ve given—a lot of my teammates are very interested. Emily Menges is very interested. She wants to get some lessons. But actually, McClain’s given Britt a few lessons, and she’s actually, like, really good. She’s just super athletic, and she’s amazing, so it’s not shocking. But it was funny because McClain served to her a few times, like actually served to her, and she was like, “oh my GOSH!” She couldn’t believe how fast it was! I think it’s cool when us as soccer athletes can appreciate other sports. I even think after that lesson, she had a new fascination for [tennis].
I played a little tennis when I was coming back from my ACL, and it kind of helped me get my cutting back. I didn’t do anything super reactive, but just kind of getting that cutting and that agility down, I would do some drills with McClain, and it was really nice, because it kind of gave me the confidence to cut again, and it was a good stepping stone into getting into reactive cutting in soccer. My boyfriend says I would have been a really good tennis player because I have really good footwork, and I didn’t realize how important that was in tennis either. He’s like, sometimes amazed at how good I can move with my feet, and I’m like, see, there’s benefits to playing multiple sports! So that was cool, seeing the difference and kind of the crossover.
NT: Yeah, I think footwork is actually one of my favorite things to watch for a tennis player and a soccer player.
GS: Same here.
NT: I never share these a lot, but I’ll often end up photographing [soccer players’] footwork when you’re doing something. Especially in one-v-one situations, because it’s fun to watch you like, problem solve out of it. And I get a front view of it.
GS: Yeah, it’s really cool, and I think like, a lot more goes into footwork than what you would think from the outside. For example, Kling, she has the best feet I’ve ever seen when it comes to her one-v-one defending and just how good she is with her feet, defending. She’s amazing and I have such an appreciation for it.
NT: I feel like I’ve heard that people play ping pong, so I would love—
GS: Oh, yes, Britt is amazing at ping pong! So, her hand-eye coordination obviously is so good. She’s so good at ping pong.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9AeIVyhGM2/
NT: So I don’t know where I came up with this idea but I’m really excited for it. I’m going to present you with a tennis situation, and I want you to give me the soccer equivalent.I’ll do an easy one: an ace on match point.
GS: Ooh, an ace on match point. What’s the score? Is it like 6–0, 5–0? Like, I need to know the score, because then—
NT: Okay, let’s say it was a long deuce point, at like, 5–4 where the person serving is trying to finish the set, and the receiver is trying to level it, and then suddenly ace, match point, boom, it’s over.
GS: Ooh, that would be a goal in like the 92nd minute. Don’t you think? But like, not just a goal—like I feel like, if it was off a corner kick or something.
NT: Ooh, set piece goal in the 92nd minute, and the score is tied and you finish it.
GS: Yes, and you put it away. It’s a header.
NT: Okay, here’s one. So my friend often calls this, in tennis, a golazo: having a dropshot followed by a lob winner in tennis. And really it could just be the lob winner.
GS: I love this. What would I—hmm, okay. I feel like that would equate to like, a really good possession by [one] team, and they almost score, but then the other team counters and scores.
NT: And I feel like it would have to be a lob goal, like a chip—chip the goalkeeper.
GS: Yeah, like you win it, and chip the keeper or something, right?
NT: Yeah, that feels right. Well, okay, on a similar idea, netcord winner. We saw a bunch of them [at the US Open]. I like to call it the tennis gods at the net.
GS: Ok, ok, I have a good one. I have a good one. I know what you’re going to say. And yes, I agree with that, but I think about when you are up 1–0, and somebody ties the game in the 89th or 90th minute. But you absolutely dominated them, the score could have been [2–0] or 3–0, but then they score to tie it, and then you don’t get three points. I think that’s what I would feel with a netcord.
NT: What! That’s pretty extreme. I mean, usually netcord winners are just random winners….
GS: I know! But that’s how I feel when that happens sometimes, especially if it is against me.
NT: Netcord winner on match point, I guess that would make sense.
GS: I feel some type of way though. I’m like, you gotta be kidding me. Especially when the netcord winner is a very, very huge winner.
NT: Okay, this is the complete opposite thing now: it’s a 40-shot rally, a crazy rally that ends with both players diving to the ground to keep the ball in play, and of course, one fails in the end and one prevails.
GS: Ooh, that’s a little bit harder. That one has me a little stumped. You know what actually, I feel like those kind of remind me of a lot of the games that we have with Reign. In the sense that it’s a battle, and it can be so back and forth, you know, it kind of can be a bloodbath sometimes. Super physical and really exciting, but it’s tough and a grind, but then someone pulls through. That’s kind of what I would compare it to, NWSL speaking. What do you think?
NT: I like that comparison. I was thinking, it’s this battle that is in the midfield that’s constantly in the midfield, and then eventually, someone breaks through.
GS: Yes. I like that. That is good too. I totally see it. I feel like a lot of times that happens in are games with Reign too. It’s like very much a midfield battle. Like, there’s a bunch of headers. The ball’s in the air a lot more than it should be. It’s physical and it is a grind, but someone pulls through in the end. I like that.
NT: Okay, this will be a simple one: a failed smash winner. Like you’re going for the smash winner—
GS: Like you’re pissed?
NT: No, like you are going for the winner and you smash it, and have you ever watched Djokovic play, where he tries to smash it and it actually goes into the net?
GS: That is actually the worst. Ooh, what would I compare that too? I feel like it could be someone has like, a one-v-one with the goalkeeper, and you did all this hard work, and all you have to do is just place it into the goal, and you miss like crazy over the bar, or wide or something insane.
Photo by Nikita Taparia
NT: Another fun question: if you could pick five tennis players for a five-a-side soccer game, who would it be, and what positions would they play?
GS: Ooh. So I would definitely would pick Serena. Position, a striker, because I feel like I would compare someone who could strike the ball well, [with her] amazing serve.
We need some defenders. Ooh, this could get kind of crazy! Obviously I would pick Kerber, because I love her as a player, but I would pick her as a midfielder, because I feel like she would cover a lot of ground. Let’s see, who else? Definitely Osaka, because I just need her calmness and composure, so I would actually pick her as a midfielder too, so that’s three. And then I would pick myself—no I’m just kidding.
NT: No, you could put yourself in this!
GS: No, no. Okay, and then, I would need a goalie. Who would you pick as a goalie? That’s kind of hard. I feel like they would all have good strengths, because they can see the ball well.
NT: Who has the quickest reflexes maybe?
GS: Yeah, what are we thinking here?
NT: Or who strikes the ball early, I guess.
GS: True. That one’s up for debate. I’m not sure who I would choose, actually. I feel like you need a good goalie for your five-a-side team. Let me tell you, it’s a game changer. I’m trying to think! You know what, I don’t know. I need to think about that one.
NT: Okay, who would you have as a defender then, because you have a striker, two midfielders—would you have a defender?
GS: I don’t know. You know what, I would maybe pick Wozniacki.Only because I feel like she is a fighter to the end of time. And she will, no matter how tired she is, she will literally go to the end and like you need that person on your five-v-five team.
NT: I like that! I see it.
GS: That’s a ballin’ five-v-five team if you ask me.
NT: Well you picked four! You need one more!
GS: Yeah, but then myself.
NT: Oh okay, you’re in this. How about you play goalkeeper?
GS: Yeah, that would be the best actually. Actually five-v-five is my favorite thing ever, so I’m really glad you asked that. We’re going to win the tennis NWSL cup!
