Author: Jaiden Cirioli
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The Chicago Red Stars and the Portland Thorns could be two sides of the same coin. Both have young, brilliant, marquee forwards (Mal Swanson for Chicago and Sophia Smith for Portland), brilliant keepers (Alyssa Naeher and Bella Bixby, respectively), a long history making the NWSL playoffs, and both teams are currently for sale after a myriad of scandals and abuse were perpetrated and ignored by the teams’ front offices.
However, the Thorns have been able to maintain their status-quo performances on the field while the Red Stars have floundered greatly so far in the 2023 season. Granted, Swanson is out with an unfortunate knee injury, and Chicago lost most of their midfield during the league’s first free agency period while the Thorns have largely retained their roster. But the talent, particularly in Chicago’s back line, is far better than scorelines have reflected.
The Thorns, back at home after a two-game road stretch, desperately needed to bounce back to the dominance with which they started the season. After two consecutive 3-3 ties and a 2-1 loss to Houston, it was clear that the Thorns needed a mental reset. Their tactics and ability to score goals were clearly still on display throughout all three games, but the defensive mindset and ability to shake off mistakes and close out games effectively was noticeably absent.
While the resounding 4-0 win over Chicago at home—which marked the third time that the Thorns have scored three times in the first 16 minutes of a game—might not have been the team’s best performance of the season, it provided the mental reset that Portland so desperately needed and reminded them of the importance of playing with joy.
There is no one player who embodies this mantra better than Meghan Klingenberg, who is emphatic with her words and isn’t afraid to speak blatantly on her feelings with the team. Her pregame hype huddles are iconic, and the passion she has for the Thorns is palpable, so it is only right to look at the Thorns’ stomping of Chicago through her own words.
Kling began her overall thoughts by saying that, “It’s the first time in a couple games where I felt like we put together really good stretches of quality minutes, limited their opportunities and looked more like us. We looked like we are having fucking fun. When we look like that, we are at our best. I think we are pretty unstoppable when we are at our best.”
The Thorns had four different goal scorers against Chicago: Kelli Hubly, Crystal Dunn, Olivia Moultrie, and Natalia Kuikka. Half of those players are defenders for the club, while Dunn plays defense for the USWNT. If there’s one way for a shaky defense to have their confidence skyrocket, it would definitely be for them to outscore the entire forward line. The unexpected joy that Hubly exuded after she perfectly placed her volley into the far corner of the net set the ball in motion for how the rest of the game was going to go. The Thorns looked like they were having fun again.
Kling also referenced that it was the first time that the Thorns were “putting together really good stretches of quality minutes.” The Thorns put up absurd numbers. They had 12 shots on target out of 22 total, and limited Chicago to eight shots total, none on target. The Thorns had 124 passes in the final third and 43 touches in Chicago’s box—showcasing their relentlessness in their high press and creating numerous opportunities. Compare these numbers to the previous game against Houston, where the Thorns had 74 passes in the final third and only 12 entrances into their opponent’s box, and it’s clear that the Thorns had a more successful press.
When a team has been imbued with as much off field trauma as the Thorns have, it can become hard to focus on the on field successes. That is what I think is happening with the Chicago Red Stars. Throughout the ongoing sale of their club, they have lost investment and belief in the players, which in turn makes it harder for them to perform on field. The Thorns, on the other hand, have had consistent support from general manager Karina LeBlanc and the die-hard Riveters that has allowed them to keep up their desired level of performance on the field.
Kling, who is not a captain nominally but embodies the leadership and passion of one, is right when she says that the fun the team is having is directly correlated to their successes on the field. I hope that the Thorns are able to take this regained confidence after a rocky stretch and show San Diego who the best team on the west coast really is.
The Portland Thorns claimed sole possession of the top of the NWSL table with their 2-0 win over Racing Louisville on Saturday evening. All time against Louisville the Thorns are 5-0-0, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one. While the scoreline may suggest a dominant performance over Louisville, the game itself left fans nervous that the Thorns would concede a goal late—not closing out the game with the professionalism and deftness the team normally shows.
The largest reason the Thorns nearly threatened their dominant 2-0 first half lead was due to the sheer number of minutes that this roster has played recently. Portland was coming off of a stretch of three games in eight days that fell right on the end of an international break. Natalia Kuikka, Christine Sinclair, Adriana Leon, Hina Sugita, and Rocky Rodríguez played international matches in Europe, while Crystal Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Sophia Smith played in the United States.
Here are the minutes that each player played for their country during the week of April 6:
Kuikka: 180’ vs Slovakia
Sugita: 77’ vs. Portugal, 3’ vs Denmark
Rodríguez: 90’ vs Poland, 90’ vs Scotland
Sinclair: 63’ vs France
Leon: 76’ vs France
Dunn: 67’ vs Ireland
Smith: 135’ vs Ireland
Sauerbrunn: 120’ vs Ireland
Six of these eight players already seemed to be heavily favored in head coach Mike Norris’ preferred starting lineup (Leon, the new arrival, and Rodríguez, who consistently comes in around the 60’ mark in the midfield notwithstanding).
Norris’ starting XI against Houston on April 14 featured nine of 11 players that started against Louisville on April 22. This would not be much of a concern, if five of the players did not also start against San Diego midweek.
Here are the minutes that the starting XI against Lousiville played during the three game stretch:
Bella Bixby: 180’
Meaghan Klingenberg: 180’
Becky Sauerbrunn: 148’
Kelli Hubly: 270’
Reyna Reyes: 158’
Sam Coffey: 180’
Crystal Dunn: 137’
Morgan Weaver: 202’
Christine Sinclair: 158’
Hina Sugita: 174’
Sophia Smith: 197’
Compounded with the minutes that these core players played during the international break, many were averaging over 300 minutes in a two-week time span.
I bring all this up because the Thorns lost the game against Louisville in a clinical sense. Racing did not play a midweek game, and many of their players did not get minutes internationally during the break either. The miles on players legs showed from the initial whistle, and it was both mental and physical fatigue that prevented the Thorns from closing out the game in a clinical sense. Every touch seemed a little heavy, and their passes seemed inches off or hit too hard, allowing Racing’s players to read and intercept them. Despite outshooting Racing 20-12, the Thorns did not outplay Louisville by any means.
While, like Norris commented on postgame, the Thorns “did not have a complete performance [and] were just a bit off in moments,” they still were able to persevere and that is a testament to the professionalism of the individual players.
However, across the highest levels of professional women’s soccer, it seems as though long term ACL, hamstring, and calf injuries are plaguing players. The schedule of women’s players have increased to match men’s sides with the introduction of things like midweek Challenge Cup games, but funding and research toward preventative care and the anatomical differences between different genders has not kept pace. The Thorns have already lost one player to a season-ending ACL injury and have yet to name a new head trainer after the firing of Pierre Soubrier. All the positive culture and fun that the Thorns have at trainings and games cannot combat the “big ask coming back from Wednesday, travel Thursday, manage players [Friday] and then put a performance in [Saturday] to get the three points,” in the words of Norris.
While the players, except Sauerbrunn, who went off around the 60th minute with an ankle injury that was being monitored all week, seemed to have made it through the three game stretch unscathed, a game against Louisville, a team the Thorns have a comprehensive history of victory against, would have been a good chance to give some of the players who typically come off the bench an opportunity to get regular season minutes.
The Thorns dropped their first points of 2023 campaign Friday night against the Houston Dash—but not without a myriad of close chances to earn the win. Since the Dash joined the NWSL in 2014, the Thorns have had an oddly hard time winning outright against Houston at home in Providence Park. In both 2021 and 2022, the Thorns won away in Texas, and lost at home in Portland, and they have already continued their non-winning streak in the 2023 season.
Luckily, Crystal Dunn seems to hate the Dash as much as I do; she scored her eighth career goal last night, making the Houston the team she has scored on the most in the NWSL.
Statistically, the Thorns were by far the better team on the night. They had 2.84 expected goals to Houston’s 1.47, which came from 22 shots, almost 500 passes, 133 passes inside the final third, and eight corners. So, how did the Thorns, who are currently sitting on a +7 goal differential after two games, only manage one goal?
The game was won and lost in the final third. An international break that saw Hina Sugita, Rocky Rodríguez, Christine Sinclair, and Natalia Kuikka all go to Europe for games while Sophia Smith, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Dunn played significant minutes in the U.S. was always going to produce a rocky first game back. Thorns fans got their first glimpse at what the team could look like during the World Cup as Reyna Reyes, Olivia Moultrie, and Michele Vasconcelos got their first starts of the season.
When a team scores as much as the Thorns do, their defense is usually overlooked. Against the Dash, who have one of the most threatening front-threes in the league, Portland’s defense was able to hold strong and only allow a combined 11 shots from Diana Ordóñez, Maria Sánchez, and Ebony Salmon. Reyes, this year’s fifth overall draft pick, got her first professional start as right back, placing her up against a fellow Mexican international in Sánchez. Reyes grew into the game during her 45 minutes, showing her quick feet and aggressive overlapping runs with Vasconcelos on the right flank.
Postgame, Kling complimented Reyes, saying that, “she is super tough and gets in there and tackles. She has a lot of potential, and it was nice to see her get some minutes and have some fun.”
Thorns head coach Mike Norris acknowledged Reyes’ role in the allowed Dash goal. “She wants that moment back,” he said, “but she’ll be good moving forward. I think the first 15, 20 minutes, how she started, she started positively, and she looked comfortable in the environment.”
With more minutes under her belt, Reyes will be hungry to show her talent and redeem herself for the missed interception.
For me, the player of the match was Kling. She was all over the place, and her link-ups with Morgan Weaver on the left side were incredibly productive at launching Weaver one-on-one against Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell. If Weaver can increase her shots on target, the partnership will become lethal. Additionally, Kling had 98 touches on the ball—nearly double what the highest Dash player had—seven crosses, and three chances created. She is also a leader, and her postgame analysis was an honest and unbiased reflection of the game.
“There were periods in the game where we lost ourselves a little bit, and when we do that, teams can compete with us,” she said. “I think Houston is a good team. They’re physical, and they’re high pressure. They’re direct, and that’s difficult to combat sometimes when you’re playing on your backfoot. The part that I was really proud of, though, was that the team didn’t stay on the backfoot. We kicked it into gear, got on the front foot again, and started getting after them, getting good chances. And it was a winnable game. We had chances that we could’ve won and put one away in the first half. The thing about us is that we’re never satisfied even when we win; we’re satisfied being unsatisfied. And I think that’s the story of this match.”
While the draw was won on the backline, it was lost in the front line. The majority of substitutions came through the front line, sans Reyes for Kuikka at half, and it was these changes that took the lethal sting out of the game for the Thorns. Olivia Moultrie has a real talent for seeing potential through-balls, but her actual delivery isn’t quite there yet. If she can get her 54% passing accuracy in the final third up, she will be able to fully put Smith, Sugita, and Weaver in on goal.
Vasconcelos will be Mike Norris’ first choice on the wing to fill in for Hina and Soph when they are gone on international duty, and she had flashes of brightness to show that she deserves a valid shot. However, she only had one shot over 64 minutes, which is not quite good enough for a forward. Both Weaver and Smith are high-volume shooters, which usually results in a goal or two for each of them. This tactic is embedded in the Thorns’ recent playing, which regularly sees the team put up over 20 shots. For Vasconcelos to more regularly get that starting position, she needs to start putting up similar numbers to Sugita or Weaver.
Like Leo said last week, the way the Thorns play during the World Cup will make or break the rest of the season. With more time, players like Moultrie and Reyes will become crucial to winning points during this period. In the meantime however, the Thorns need to practice on tightening up their passes in the final third. With three games this week, they will have plenty of time to try new techniques and improve their chemistry.
By the way, the new kits are incredibly sick.
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Takeaways: Thorns 4, Pride 0
The Portland Thorns’ 2023 NWSL campaign started with an absolute bang on Sunday at Providence Park against the Orlando Pride. Historically, the Thorns have dominated in games against the Pride since Orlando joined the league in 2016, putting more than four goals past them on four separate occasions.
This time was no different: The Thorns picked up right where they left off in 2022 and came out firing. In that victory, Portland emphatically told their fans that they need not worry about the mentality of the team and its off-field messes.
Inspired by the four goals that four different Thorns scored last weekend, here are four key takeaways about the first league game of the year.
Morgan Weaver, 16’: High pressure and following shots is key
In the pre-game press conference, head coach Mike Norris said that the Thorns were going to play a much more forward game. This new style of play was evident from the first whistle. The Thorns had 27 total shots, 16 of which were on target, compared to Orlando’s nine and one, respectively. The high volume of shots came from the high press the Thorns implemented. Every ball played out of the back was contested, and anytime a player took a shot, other players consistently flooded the goal, ready to put away any rebound or bobble by the keeper. This is exactly how Morgan Weaver got her first goal of the 2023 season from within the six yard box.
When asked about her goal, Weaver said, “I think it was something very special. Shot, save, and then I was right there.”
If the Thorns are able to keep up this intensity of play throughout the entire season, then their relentlessness will tire defenses out, forcing them to make more mistakes. Being able to see the fruits of their labor work against an admittedly young and weak Orlando defense will hopefully inspire them to continue to apply the same pressure for future games.
Sophia Smith, 22’: Christine Sinclair, you have proven yourself.
When Christine Sinclair was named in the starting lineup, I was skeptical. In the three open-door preseason matches, Sinc consistently seemed a step behind the rest of the team in terms of pace and passing precision. Luckily, Sinc seems to have taken personal offense to the RCR discord messages about her and came onto the pitch with something to prove. She was an absolute machine in the midfield, plowing through the Orlando defense and setting up dangerous opportunities for her teammates. Even when her goal from the top of the box was called back for a foul, you could see the drive emanating from her.
“I love seeing Sincy like that,” Weaver said when asked about the aggressiveness of Sinclair’s play. “It’s my favorite. She’s just someone very special to play with, and I’m very fortunate to be with her. It’s just so much fun because I can just look at her and she’ll just be like, ‘Let’s go. C’mon. Keep going.’ And it’s something that’s really refreshing for me, honestly, because if I’m down on myself or anything, I can just give her a look and she’ll be like, ‘You got this. Keep going.’ It’s very supportive and I enjoy it.”
Similarly, Norris said Sinclair “brought a calmness on the ball. She brought a different gear in terms of defending. Just being a bit more front-footed and we did that as a collective group.”
Going forward I will remember to not doubt Sinc’s abilities even in her twenty-plus season of professional soccer.
Hina Sugita, 49’: HINA HIVE ARE YOU READY??
I am a card-carrying member of the Hina Hive and am absolutely stoked to watch her play this year. She already had the sauce, the skills, and the swagger and has now fully embraced the speed and physicality of the NWSL. This combination is a guaranteed recipe for success, and Hina Sugita’s talent was on full display against the Pride.
Sugita had a 94% passing accuracy rate and won nine duels, an exceptionally strong number compared to her numbers last season. What continues to amaze me is Sugita’s ability to get out of tight spaces when there is heavy amounts of pressure being applied. Her skill and comfort on the ball has grown tremendously, and Norris recognized that.
“It’s what you see on the field there,” he said. “I mean, how she got out of that pocket in our half I’m not quite sure. I just turned to the bench like, ‘how did she do that?’ But, I mean, she does that in training. She just brings that energy every day, just a smile that she has and so I’m not sure about maturity. I just think it’s probably a comfort in our environments and being able to express herself.”
Now being asked to play winger in Janine Beckie’s absence, Sugita will continue to grow into that role over the course of the season.
Michele Vasconcelos, 76’: Substitutes carry the same quality and drive as starters
The Thorns included new nomenclature on their starting XI graphic this season. Instead of just a bench displayed in small print underneath the starting lineup, the Thorns’ have chosen to call the players their “finishers” in order to underscore their importance to playing a cohesive game. Michele Vasconcelos was one of those finishers against the Pride, coming on for Weaver in the 63rd minute. Vasconcelos is poised for a lot of time this year, as it is understood that she is likely going to be one of Norris’ first choices off the bench for the forward line. Being able to maintain the same level of quality and pressure that the three starting forwards bring is a high ask. Luckily, Vasconcelos was able to meet it.
“Whether we’re playing well or down, just trying to always come in with that same mentality of bringing energy and fire,” Vasconcelos said. “Hoping to always come in that way.”
Her statement encapsulates the drive that all Thorns players must have, whether or not that see many minutes on the field. The Thorns’ advantage in the NWSL is their deep bench and squad mentality, and in order to make a convincing run for that fourth star, all players must fully embrace it.
The Thorns met with the USWNT U-23 team Wednesday night and came away with a sound 4-1 victory. Still, the game was not as comprehensively dominant for the Thorns as the scoreline would suggest.
The U-23s got on the scoreboard early, in the 13th minute, with a chipped ball from inside the box that sailed into the side netting. The Thorns wouldn’t score their first goal until nearly an hour later.
Portland’s starting XI was heavily rotated from Sunday night’s game against Racing Louisville:
Hogan
Nally- Menges – Provenzano – Beckman
Sinc – Porter – Rodríguez
Beckie – Bedfort – Vasconcelos
Here is a quick breakdown of how these starters played:
Players I want to see more from
Hannah Betfort: Betfort is the definition of a player who doesn’t quit. She is often taken to the ground and is unlucky to not be rewarded with more fouls. However, for the amount of chances she had on Wednesday alone, she should have had more positive output. There was one moment in particular when a loose ball made its way to her feet within the six yard box, the U-23 keeper caught off her line. Instead of tapping it in, Betfort ended up completely skying the ball, unable to tie the score. Before Betfort can compete for a starting spot in the Thorns, her scoring and shooting needs to be much more consistent.
Michelle Vasconcelos: Vasconcelos was one of the only players to start both preseason games so far. Unfortunately, neither performance has been that convincing. She played on the left wing on Wednesday, but was often caught losing the physical battles to the U-23 defenders, getting the ball poked out from under her, or unable to round the corner to get off a cross. With the forward pool so deep for the Thorns, I don’t foresee Vasconcelos getting many minutes, but it does seem that Mike Norris rates her and is giving her plenty of opportunities to show her skills.
Christine Sinclair: Sinc is an absolute legend of the game; that I cannot deny. However, watching her play, especially against a team of entirely college students, her age and speed are on full display. While her soccer IQ is still undoubtedly high, her body seems to be moving much slower than her mind is. Her first touch was often off, and she played the ball backwards more frequently than she did forwards—a problematic distinction for an attacking midfielder. She had a shot or two on goal, but both were tame, rolling straight at the U-23 keeper. Unless Sinc can show she can keep up with the pace of the game, she is much more adept in a role of mentor and supersub for the Thorns.
Players I thought played well
Izzy D’Aquilla: The newly-signed Thorn was subbed on in the 20th minute after Janine Beckie was injured. From the moment she stepped on the field, which is always more difficult when you’re coming on at the last minute to replace an injured player, D’Aquilla showed her pace and nose for goal. In only her second preseason game, she has shown her quality and her readiness for the league. With Beckie’s devastating injury, I would expect her to immediately get deserved minutes.
Natalie Beckman and Gabby Provenzano: The two 2022 draft picks have been showing consistent growth as they begin their second year in the NWSL. The two played next to one another on the left side of the backline and had good chemistry and communication. Provenzano has the necessary calm presence of a veteran center back, and Beckman’s high press on the wing caused frequent turnovers and created dangerous opportunities in the box.
Taylor Porter: Porter is starting her first full year under contract with the Thorns strong. She is a solid back-up No. 6, and in the second half, was able to show her talents alongside Sam Coffey in a double-pivot. Against the U-23d, she was able to dictate play forward toward Rocky Rodríguez and D’Aquilla. I would like to see her get minutes with the likes of Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver up front in the next games.
The goals
One of the largest takeaways from the night was that the Thorns’ starting XI, largely comprised of players who got limited minutes in the 2022 championship campaign, are just as strong as the super team of the best college players in the country. In a year where depth will be paramount to success, seeing all the Thorns players put on a strong showing provides reasons for optimism. However, it must be said that all four of the Thorns’ goals came after their starting players from the championship game took the pitch. Sam Coffey and Natalia Kuikka came on in the 64th minute, while Smith, Weaver, Crystal Dunn, and Reyna Reyes came on in the 72nd minute.
Portland’s first goal was a pinpoint cross from Dunn to D’Aquilla, which was deftly redirected away from the keeper. The second, third, and fourth goals—all of which were scored after the 84th minute—came from recycled balls that the veterans preyed upon. Smith, Weaver, and Hina Sugita, respectively, were able to settle rebounded balls and calmly slot them home. To me, this is one of the most positive takeaways of the night, as it showed a linear improvement from last season, where the team often almost immediately lost set pieces and recycled balls.
With very few offseason moves from the Thorns after their championship winning 2022 season, creating The best Starting XI for the 2023 season is rather easy.
My ideal starting XI is a 3-2-3-2. Early in the 2022 season, Portland deployed a three-back, and it was effective. Having traded Yazmeen Ryan, the Thorns’ strongest pure-winger, I think it would be to the Thorns’ tactical advantage to use their outside backs as true wingbacks, playing the length of the field to send in crosses and dropping back provide cover. This will free up the attacking midfield and forward four players to creatively interchange through the center of the park.
Here’s why that works on a player-by-player basis.
Bella Bixby, goalkeeper
You can’t go wrong putting any Nadine Angerer-trained keeper in goal, but Bixby has earned her spot as the Thorns’ first-choice keeper. In her 22 games last season, she had 10 clean sheets and recorded a 75% save record. She conceded only 21 goals, making her tied for least number conceded for players with over 22 games played. She has a commanding presence in goal and ensures that her backline is in the right place to make her job easier. One of the skills that sets her apart from other keepers is her ability to not only save the ball, but catch it so that there are no easy rebounds for the opposition. Her calm demeanor gives a sense of security for fans and players alike.
Becky Sauerbrunn, center back
Despite her years of experience, Sauerbrunn has shown no signs of slowing down. Her ability to pinpoint sliding tackles and deftly clear the ball are intangible skills that have not diminished. In the 2022 season, Sauerbrunn had an 88.1% passing success rate, an incredibly high number for someone who plays under so much direct pressure from NWSL forwards. Of those passes, 46% were forward and only 5% backwards. Having Sauerbrunn has the stalwart of the backline will help to ensure that play will build from the back accurately and quickly. And you cannot forget that she scores goals as well, having a 50% conversion rate. She truly does it all.
Kelli Hubly, center back
The Thorns’ 2022 Ironwoman has more than earned her spot in the starting lineup since joining the team as a discovery player in 2018. She had 110 clearances and 35 interceptions last season and won nearly 60% of her duels. Hubly is a gritty player who consistently puts her body on the line in order to protect her goal. Working alongside Sauerbrunn at the back has increased her ball awareness exponentially, and when Sauerbrunn is absent for the Women’s World Cup, Hubly will be an excellent leader of the backline. Plus, her TikTok skills have increased her swagger tenfold—and, hopefully, that will translate to the pitch this season.
Meaghan Nally, center back
Nally is one player that I really wish had gotten more game time than she did last season. She started the season running, with both Menges and Sauerbrunn out with injury, and she handled the starting role with grace and confidence. In her 12 games played for the Thorns in 2022, she had 11 starts, recording an 82% passing success rate and winning 75% of her duels. Having only played 19 minutes in her rookie season the year prior, Nally showed how much she is capable of growing during an offseason—and hasn’t even hit her ceiling yet. With the opportunity to get more time at the back, she has the ability to become a pillar of the Thorns’ backline, much like Hubly.
Meghan Klingenberg, left wing back
Reyna Reyes will be hot on Kling’s heels to win that LWB starting position, but for now, Kling has put in the time and the heart to show that she deserves her place. She made 17 appearances (16 starts) for the Thorns last season, controlling the left zone of the field. While technically a defender, Kling’s biggest asset is her ability to win the ball and carry it up the field to send off a cross. Without Ryan on the left this season, the chance creator role will fall more heavily on Kling’s shoulders. She had 29 open play crosses last season, 25 of which were key passes. If she can keep those numbers up, she will be threatening in her final few seasons as a Thorn.
Natalia Kuikka, right wing back
Kuikka has been one of the Thorns’ best international signings in recent years. While her passing rate sits at a 75% accuracy, her invaluable nature comes from the tenacity of her tackles. She is 10th in the league for her number of progressive carries and eighth in the league for successful tackles of dribblers. As the Thorns’ right wing back she consistently is able to get into the attacking third and play a dangerous ball in. Kuikka also has the ability to track back and stop attackers mid-stride. The ability to be deadly on both sides of the ball will make her a strong asset for the Thorns yet again.
Sam Coffey, defensive midfield
Coffey had one of the strongest debut seasons in the NWSL, ever. She transitioned to defensive midfield—a role that she had not played before—with ease and learned on the job extremely quickly. She ranked second in the league for passes into the final third with 113 and fourth overall for progressive passes with 121. Her confidence on the ball is incredibly high, as is her IQ of the game itself. Only 24 and coming off her rookie year, Coffey’s ceiling is sky-high, and her value to the team will continue to grow exponentially. Despite her being more than deserving of a spot on the USWNT’s WWC roster, I would not complain if she stayed with the Thorns for an entire season.
Hina Sugita, center midfield
It took Sugita a few games to adjust to the speed and tempo of the NWSL, as well as its physicality. She started 20 of the 23 games she appeared in in her first season with the Thorns, scoring five goals and providing four assists. Sugita’s ability to turn out of dangerous situations is uncanny, and her left foot has some killer power behind it. Giving her the ability to play interchangeably up the middle with Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver will give her the freedom to both drive the ball forward herself and make dangerous runs to the top of the box, where she has proven to be a threat. Hina Hive sound off!!!
Rocky Rodríguez, center midfield
Rodríguez has quietly been one of the most consistent Thorns for years, and I think that last year was when people began to realize that. Not only is she regularly scoring bangers, like in the semi-final game against San Diego, but she is one of the best progressive dribblers in the league. Her control in the middle of the field is second to none, and with her impressive performances with Costa Rica over the offseason, she is coming into the 2023 season in incredible form.
Morgan Weaver, forward
In some ways, it has felt as though Weaver has been living in Smith’s shadow since she joined the Thorns. Being picked second overall behind her and playing the same position, it is easy to see why the two players are constantly being compared. But in 2022, Weaver showed how different of a player she is from Smith. She had the second most goals on the team last season with seven, showing that her accuracy and consistency in front of net—something that she has been criticized for and is actively working on—is rapidly improving. Weaver has an engine that never quits and some of the best celebrations on the team. If her finishing numbers continue to increase, as they have every other season, she will be a force to be reckoned with.
Sophia Smith, Forward
Do I really need to elaborate here? Smith is the best soccer player in the world, currently. Of course she will start for the Thorns.
The National Women’s Soccer League officially began preseason Jan. 23. Across the league, players returned back to their markets and began holding meetings and beginning fitness testing. College players drafted earlier in the month had their first impressions of their new homes.
The Portland Thorns’ first day of the new year started differently than the 11 other NWSL teams. The league (there is still no official statement from the club itself) broke the news that head athletic trainer Pierre Soubrier and assistant coach Sophie Clough were fired as the result of two independent investigations into Soubrier’s and Clough’s conduct at the end of the 2022 season.
While the roster of players who said they wanted to “run it back” at their Championship Homecoming Celebration at Providence Park in November are, for the most part, still playing in Portland, the staff has undergone a complete overhaul.
On Oct. 29, 2022, the Thorns won their historic third star with their NWSL Championship win.
Since then, there has been an avalanche of investigative results coming out of the club:
- On Dec. 1, 2022, Merritt Paulson announced his decision to sell only the Thorns organization, while maintaining ownership of the Portland Timbers.
- Head Coach Rhian Wilkinson, after just one year in the league, announced her resignation on Dec. 2, 2022, after a self-reported attempted relationship with a player.
- On Jan. 9, the Thorns officially promoted former assistant Mike Norris to the head coach position.
- On Jan. 24, the results of two more investigations were released, both self-reported by players to the league. Clough was reported to the league by a player stating that Clough had kissed her neck without consent during the Championship celebrations in Washington DC. The NWSL said she was also accused of bullying behavior during her time as an assistant coach in Portland. Soubrier was reported by team doctor Breanne Brown to have given two separate players medication that contained codeine before the team’s home semifinal game in October 2022. According to the NWSL, Soubrier did this without a prescription or the players’ knowing consent. The league found that Soubrier violated state and federal laws by giving players codeine-encoded medications without a prescription.
These are only the results of investigations that have reached their conclusions. There is no record of how many more reports are currently being looked at that have not been made public.
As I sit here and look at the collated list, I feel sick. I cannot imagine how the players are feeling in such an unstable work environment. Many of these players have no control over where they live or play, with the majority not qualifying for free agency under the new NWSL CBA, and have no way to leave the league if they feel unsafe. For many athletes, the only options are to literally leave the country or retire.
Since Kaiya McCollough, Sinead Farrelly, and Mana Shim sparked the NWSL’s league-wide reckoning in 2021 with their own accounts of facing systemic abuse, fans and followers have been finding out exactly what that means. The seeming onslaught of coaching and staffing terminations over the past two years has been hard to watch. But while it seems that these horrific reports are coming more frequently, it is important to remember that no matter how hard they are to read, they are a sign that the systems in are place working. The emotional, physical, and sexual abuse that players have experienced over the 10 years of the NWSL and the prior American professional women’s soccer league are not new problems. Players are finally getting the support they need to report these problems, and the NWSL is building an infrastructure to enforce legal repercussions on the perpetrators. For a systemic problem to be eradicated, all of the existing figureheads need to be ousted.
The inherent close proximity of players, coaches, staff, and assistants creates blurred boundaries. When boundaries aren’t clearly defined, it becomes hard for a person to know that they are being taken advantage of. The Thorns, in particular, have a held strong culture of silence, where staff are discouraged from speaking out. Being told to stay silent is an active encouragement of harm, and it allows abusers to continue abusing ad infinitum. The fact that we are seeing so many reports in the recent months means that this culture is changing, and it’s changing for the better. Players and other staff members feel as though they have more power. They know how to identify, name, and examine the harm being caused to them.
I often find it hard to retain the necessary perspective when looking at the NWSL. I see the reports and get discouraged, feeling empathy toward the players for all that they have had to endure. At times, it feels as though it is never ending, or that it will never get better. But I have to remind myself that that is not the case. The swift repercussions are the sign of a better future for the NWSL. Abusers are being held accountable for their actions; they are suspended and banned from the league, preventing them from being quietly hired by a different team where they can continue their abusive behavior. But it’s so hard.
I’ve always been a fan of the Thorns, not because of the staff, but because of the players. I will continue to stand by them until they are backed by an organization that recognizes and helps cultivate their greatness. Right now, the club is consistently letting down its players and fans, and Portland soccer isn’t the shining example of a city dedicated to its women’s sports that it once was. The players deserve better. I sincerely hope that one day, they will get the support and healthy environments that they so deserve.
Newly appointed Thorns head coach Mike Norris had his first big test of the 2023 season at the NWSL draft on Thursday night in Philadelphia. The Thorns desperately needed to redeem their credibility in vetting players after drafting a fascist last year. Fortunately, both Norris and general manager Karina LeBlanc emphasized that it was important that the players they were looking at fit in the locker room.
In my opinion, Norris and LeBlanc had a very successful draft night, and I’m going to explain why.
The Thorns’ approach to the 2023 season seems to largely be to “run it back” and maintain the vast majority of players from their 2022 Championship-winning season. Marissa Everett retired from professional soccer, and free agent Abby Smith chose to sign with Gotham FC, but the Thorns spent much of the early offseason signing key players like Morgan Weaver, Rocky Rodríguez, and Sam Coffey to long-term contracts. Then, the Thorns went silent: coachless and for sale.
It wasn’t until a few days before the draft that a three-team bombshell trade hit, leaving the Thorns without Yazmeen Ryan, who is set to play for Gotham FC. In exchange, the Thorns received $200k in allocation money and the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Losing Ryan, who had a breakout 2022 season on the wing, is not ideal—especially during a World Cup year. But the Thorns have a plethora of quality options to slot into her place, including Janine Beckie and new draftees Izzy D’Aquila and Laruen DeBeau.
Norris and LeBlanc were tight-lipped about their strategy heading into the draft, but the goal seems clearin retrospect: with nearly the entire starting XI expected to represent their countries during the 2023 WWC, the Thorns need quality depth players who are ready for the speed and physicality of the NWSL. With the four picks in the 2023 draft, the Thorns succeeded in meeting that goal.
Reyna Reyes, University of Alabama, LB
Reyna Reyes is without a doubt the future of the Thorns’ defense. With Meghan Klingenberg, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Emily Menges all reaching the twilight of their careers, Reyes is the team’s long-term option at left back. Already capped with the Mexican senior national team, Reyes put up ridiculously high passing, crossing, and dribbling numbers during her time in Alabama. The 2022 SEC Defender of the Year is able to put players on skates and should be able to match Kling and Natalia Kuikka’s aggression going forward if the Thorns choose to continue using their wingbacks as playmakers in the box. Reyes’ boasts a long list of accolades; she was a 2022 Mac Hermann semi-finalist, 2022 USC All-American first team selection, and Honda Award finalist. She helped Alabama reach the semifinals of the College Cup for the first time in program history, capping a college career of 79 starts, 15 goals, and five assists over four years. Fortunately for the Thorns and unfortunately for her national team, Mexico won’t be at this year’s WWC, so Portland will have Reyes for the full 2023 season.
Izzy D’Aquila, Santa Clara University, FW
Izzy D’Aquila is one of the most clutch forwards in the college game. In the 2022 season alone, she scored 19 goals and had five assists in 21 games, bringing her tally up to 50 career goals. Of those 19, six were game winners. D’Aquila has a conversion rate of 29% across her four years as a Bronco. She was a national-championship winner with Santa Clara in 2020, scoring the game-winning penalty kick against Florida State. D’Aquila also helped the Broncos to the 2021 College Cup, where they fell short in the semi-finals, and helped captain the team to winning the WCC three years in a row. She is a three time WCC first team recipient. With Sophia Smith headed to New Zealand and Australia, D’Aquila will have plenty of time to show off her scoring skills with both feet and her head, especially if her unbelievable run of form transfers to the professional game.
Lauren DeBeau, Michigan State University, FW
Lauren DeBeau is another incredibly prolific goalscorer who should get playing time this season. DeBeau had a conversion rate of 41% in 2022, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists in 22 games, five of which were game winners. She was the first ever athlete to take home the Big 10 Forward of the Year award for MSU, and her 2022 season earned her second-team All American honors. DeBeau is both a savvy play-maker and a clinical goal scorer. She helped send MSU to the Big 10 Championship game with a game-winning goal—and to the second round of the NCAA tournament with the game-winning assist. She is a confident dribbler, completing nearly four a game, and wins over 50% of her aerial duels.
Lauren Kozal, Michigan State University, GK
If Nadine Angerer selects a goalkeeper, you can be assured that they are incredibly talented. Lauren Kozal earned first-team All American honors in 2022, and was the first Spartan to be a Mac Hermann Trophy semi-finalist. After taking one redshirt year as a freshman, Kozal started every remaining game for Michigan State over the next three years, giving her plenty of time to hone her skills in goal. Over 23 games her senior season, she allowed only 15 goals and had 63 saves— giving her a save percentage of 0.81%—alongside ten shutouts. Under the tutelage of Angerer, Kozal should become a force to be reckoned with over the coming years.
It is clear that the Thorns have found players who can not only make an immediate impact in a year in which they will have a lot of playing time, but also players who have the potential to become longtime stalwarts of the club.
Give the Thorn’s draft class an A+.
From the moment the first whistle blew, the Thorns dominated the 2022 NWSL Championship game. Despite the fact that this unique group of players had never taken the field together for a final, they looked as though they did so every week. The pressure was high—not only to cap off their successful 2022 campaign with a victory, but also to make a name for themselves as people, not just an agglomeration of players marred by the abuse and scandal in the fabric of their club. The victory cannot erase the history of abuse in the club, nor can it force Merritt Paulson to sell both teams once and for all, but the overwhelming joy the players exude makes you feel that, for a second, it could be possible.
I distinctly remember the end of the 2021 season. It was sad and unceremonious, a home defeat in the playoffs and a silent goodbye to those players. It wasn’t the sendoff they deserved, and it reflected the confusion and fractured nature of the league at the time. This year was an entirely different narrative.
The Thorns had several X-factors when coming to DC that propelled them to a comfortable victory over Kansas City. The first, of course, is Sophia Smith.
In the fourth minute, Smith proved to the world why she was deserving of the league’s MVP title. Capitalizing on the mistake of the KC backline, she took a deft touch around AD Franch and calmly slotted the ball into the open net. It wasn’t arrogance; it was confidence to take on one of the best keepers in the world one-on-one and make her look silly.
To celebrate, Smith just shrugged.
After the game, when asked about her celebration, Smith said, “There’s been a lot of people who think I don’t deserve to win MVP, so that’s a little bit of… that’s that.”
Every day we get to watch Sophia Smith play for the Portland Thorns is incredible. Her talents and composure on the pitch are not to be taken for granted, and watching her play is pure joy. Head coach Rhian Wilkinson put it best when she said that, “Soph is one of the best players this country has produced.” Absolute legend behavior, and she’s only 22.
The league’s youngest MVP and Championship MVP kept the same pressure up the entire game.
“Not every game is that fun,” Smith said, and she was right.
Despite all the trauma in the wake of the Yate’s investigation report, the Thorns seemed to come together to weather the storm. The chemistry between all 27 players who made the trip—a fully healthy roster—was evidence that they leaned on one another during difficult times and really wanted to work for one another. After all, soccer is a team sport.
Wilkinson pointed out that the players had the right to collapse after the release of the report, but they chose not to—largely thanks to the leaders on the team.
The Thorns didn’t collapse. Instead, they flourished. They cruised to a victory and made it look easy. When Christine Sinclair was subbed off to let Crystal Dunn close out the game, the passion as she screamed “let’s go!” was palpable. The players knew how well they were playing, and it allowed them to unlock new heights.
Yazmeen Ryan, in only her second year in the league, showed why she was a starter in the Championship game with her dynamic runs on the right wing. Natalia Kuikka shut down every attack down the right flank. Becky Sauerbrunn and Sam Coffey rarely misplaced a pass down the center of the field. Morgan Weaver’s high press was relentless. Each and every player was having fun, and thus, were playing in ways that showcased their full abilities.
Meghan Klingenberg is the epitome of the Portland Thorns. Since joining the team in 2016, her pregame huddle speeches have become iconic, and her spunk and exuberant personality have helped to bring younger players into the fold. While she doesn’t wear the captain’s armband or receive a lot of press, she silently retains her position as a rock at the core of the Thorns.
Kling’s work ethic and love of the game is infectious, but so is her sadness. Watching her cry as she crossed the podium to receive her medal, knowing the tsunami of off-field events that her and the rest of the team had to endure was emotional. For me, crying is cathartic. It’s a release of so many pent up emotions that I feel I cannot share. Watching and loving the Thorns over the 2022 season has been hard. It’s been hard to reconcile my admiration of the players themselves with my hatred for the front office, and I’m not even directly involved with the FO.
But, I also know how hard it can be to find joy in the things you love when so many external factors are collapsing in on you. During a traumatic experience at my job in Montana, I couldn’t find the energy to watch or care about the Thorns, something that I have relied on as an outlet each week for the past ten years of my life. As cliche as it sounds, moving back to Portland and returning to Providence Park helped me reinvigorate my love for the team. Watching them achieve an incredible milestone, three stars, in such a fun and dominant manner, was incredible. It felt like a rush of relief, that everything the players have been playing for mattered. Kling’s raw emotion felt like a dam bursting; these players have the ability to celebrate this milestone, despite the lack of support from their employers and without those who they have lost over the past year. The players deserve to feel all the emotions—positive and negative—but so do the fans.
The Welcome Home Rally at Portland International Airport on Sunday felt intimate. The players and the fans were connecting on the same level, with no on-field barriers or front office to divide them. The pure joy as Smith lifted Dunn’s baby Marcel in the air, wearing a Championship medal and starting the crowd in a “Marcel” chant was contagious. Players took turns hoisting the trophy in the air, cheering one another on. Shelby Hogan was wearing a space helmet. Everything felt perfect.
Bella Bixby put it best when she said that, “our connection to our supporters was integral. The Riveters have been with us this whole year and stuck by us, and that’s really all we can ask for.”
Riveters, the trophy is for all of us. It’s for the players and the supporters and the coaches. It’s not Merritt Paulson’s trophy. We can celebrate this incredible achievement, and continue to pressure sponsors tomorrow.
The trophy is home. We have our third star. It’s time to keep building a constellation.