Sunday’s game against Angel City was world’s apart from the Thorns’ first game against them. After beating Los Angeles last time around, the Thorns bowed out of the Challenge Cup in the group stage with a 1-0 loss.
It’s impossible to analyze this game without talking about the five players and head coach Rhian Wilkinson’s absences due to COVID-19 protocols. Sophia Smith, Meaghan Nally, Hina Sugita, and Sam Coffey had all solidified their spots on the Thorns’ starting eleven. A preseason tournament is the ideal time to test out and formulate a consistent starting roster, especially after the turnover the Thorns experienced in the offseason. In the postgame presser, Meghan Klingenberg said that “COVID has been disrupting the world for two years, and now it’s closer to home than it has been. It’s been great to see players on the field who don’t normally start.”
As COVID-19 policies begin to relax nationwide—despite us still being in the midst of a deadly viral pandemic—NWSL teams are going to be caught in the crossfire. This is especially prevalent in the lifting of the federal mask mandate on transportation, as NWSL players do not fly chartered planes. With the country deciding that COVID-19 has ended, long lists of COVID-protocol related absences for teams could become more commonplace, no matter how tight the teams bubble is or how diligent they are in their masking.
Despite the absences, the Thorns were able to put out a great starting eleven, showcasing the depth and quality of their team. Young Olivia Moultrie got her first start of the calendar year, and Janine Beckie played a full 90 minutes on her debut game for the Thorns. Acting coach Mike Norris said after the defeat that the “challenging week” was “no excuse for the team’s poor performance.”
Last year, the theme of the Thorns was about building a strong culture. With a new head coach, it’s inevitable that the culture will shift, and a new one needs to be created. In the final game of the Challenge Cup, the Thorns were forced to test the strength of that new mentality.
During the tournament, the Thorns debuted two primary formations, a 3-5-2 and a 4-3-3. With the change of formation and change of head coach comes a change of principles. Unfortunately, it seems as though the Thorns have lost their way in recent games. The second half of the game against San Diego and all 90 minutes of play against Angel City felt uninspired and lacked urgency. The Thorns were unable to score in those 135 minutes and allowed three goals.
With eight shots total against Lost Angeles, three of which were on target, the Thorns didn’t look nearly as threatening as they normally do.
At no point after Angel City scored their penalty kick did I believe that the Thorns were going to score an equalizer. The midfield was nonexistent, and the forwards were not making the necessary runs in the box when the ball was crossed. The game was a must-win if the team wanted to move onto the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup and defend their title, yet it felt as though there were no stakes. Going down in the first half of a must-win game needed to turn on a fire for the Thorns, but it didn’t. Like Kling said postgame, “the team got away from their principles.”
While the league itself is making the Challenge Cup seem more like a joke with each announcement (Reign having to host their semi-final game at Segra Field, anyone?), the Thorns needed to use the tournament to try and gain chemistry, especially between pairings. Unfortunately, they ended the tournament poorly.
Still, it’s important to remember the extenuating circumstances. The stress of playing sports in the middle of a (still ongoing) global pandemic is hard enough when there aren’t national or league-wide safety procedures in place to help protect players and staff. Emotions are high, and it’s important to remember that the athletes on the field are people. The Thorns didn’t play with intensity or drive like they normally do, but they are still the Portland Thorns, and there is always another game for them to play.