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.