One of my favorite Kelli Hubly memories was the Brit Eckstrom game where the Thorns beat the Courage when they were really good. Brit was the major story the way she stood on her head practically in goal and kept denying Debinha. But Hubs also had a hell of a game and at the end just started crying because she knew it and she proved herself. I will miss her because she seems such a character and obviously a good teammate. Sometimes she reminded me of an Octopus the way she defended. It seemed like there were four long arms four long legs everywhere. Plus a ponytail!
For Kling 2016 and 2017 seemed to be rough years (back problems I think) and later she lost her Dad. But as she slowed down and worked through personal losses she learned to compensate for the speed she lost with lot more guile and some of that black belt agility. And Yes, those huddle speeches were a real gift. Thanks Kling and Kelli!
+1 That Covid Cup tourney was Kel's breakout moment and she got proper recognition for her gaudy defensive stats. Prior I think, she was primarily a developing bench-warmer.
We will always have the charming interview with Edie to remember her by.
Hubs was a reserve/spot starter in 2018 (11 games, 9 starts) and weirdly regressed to a DEEP depth piece in 2019 (3 games, 3 starts). The COVID Cup was her first long run of starts, all five games and the semi. Back to the bench for the goofy "Fall Series". After that she was regularly in the XI until her release.
Let’s not forget that Kling was named to the Best XI in the 2015 Women’s World Cup. The team surely missed her ability to deliver quality balls into the box this past season.
Not a favorite moment, but Kling was crying hard at the last home match and that made me wonder if she knew her time as a Thorn was ending. Kling's pre game talks were a real gift and they'll be missed along with her tenacity on the field.
Of those retiring this season, I'll miss Kling the most. She won everything worth winning. And most of all, kudos to her to know when she was done. The savvy; the grit; the ability and desire to improve in places where it was meaningful to make up for where there was decline. The discipline. A joy and a gift to we the fans.
An amazing about Kling is that she figured out how to compensate effectively for her declining physical gifts. I remember after the 2021 season (I think that was the year) wondering if she was washed up, but she came back as strong a player as ever but with a different playing style - less energetic but better at positioning and picking her spots in attack. Kudos for her for doing that, along with all the accomplishments in her amazing career. And thanks to her for her grit in games and fire in the huddle, as they were some of the things we all loved the most.
I'll miss Kling's manic huddle-rant energy. But I agree with kielbj; in themselves her and Sauerbrunn (and Hubly and D'Aquila...) moving on aren't grim death.
Here's the thing; I'm not sure how many of you remember September 2015, but that was a BAD time (and we had no idea how much worse it really was..!). Only time the Thorns finished below the red line. on September 4th. It really did look like grim death by October.
But.
On October 5th Parsons was hired. He and Gavin Wilkinson started to work, on the Orlando deal that pulled Kling in the November expansion draft, then the January 2016 college draft that picked up Emily Sonnet, then the Amandine Henry deal in March 2016.
We took the Shield in 2016 and short of getting shiked in the semifinal probably would have done the Double that season.
An aggressive, intelligent organization can turn a sick club around most quick smart.
I know, I know...by this point the Bhathals have earned the "benefit of skepticism"; it's not unreasonable to assume that they're NOT running an aggressive or intelligent organization.
Can they? There shouldn't be any reason why not.
I'd keep an eye on Sauerbrunn and Kling. If they take jobs here as assistants? That'd be a good sign to me.
The Bhathals lost me when LeBlanc was 'promoted' and next I heard was Karina was attending FIFA "General Manager School." It makes no "frekin'" sense. I comes off like some sort of mutual admiration society..."I like you; you like me...so let's stay together."
No heads have rolled and every day goes by that it's looking like there won't be.
I swear there is some sort of Canadian cabal running through Thorns front office. There's KK, Rhian Wilkinson, Norris (by way of Canada coaching), and Gale (by way of Canada coaching). Slooow moving hibernation.
I've sat on my feelings about all these "departures" for a few days now. I'm sad about all of them, but also glad that, with the exception of Becky, it was probably time for them all to move on. Some to retirement, some to other clubs. I'm fine with re-building the team and losing some of my favorites if it's really time. And it is. But I echo what others here have said: if they don't get the GM right, and consequently change the coach, this is going to be a rough season ahead. Probably one that ends with Sophia going to Europe. I certainly hope I'm wrong, but I don't trust them to get it right. It's been a while since I've gone into a new season dreading what's coming, but here we are...
Lots of emotions about Kling. The only Thorns merch my mom ever wanted was a t-shirt with Kling and she proudly wears it whenever she comes to a match. I understand the timing and the need to rebuild. Her spirit will absolutely be missed. Such a joy to have had her here with us as long as she's been.
Can't think of any individual on-field moments but Kling's willing herself into very difficult tackles against literally anybody was that marvelous combination of skill and fearlessness that personifies her. And she's a Dime Queen. Her vision and passing skill have always been marvelous.
A favorite comment was comparing herself to Marta when they were teammates in Sweden: "She's faster on the ball than I am just running."
Nothing but love and respect.
ETA Kling chewing out an opponent who needed chewing out. Never gets old.
Love the typically uproarious Kling quote re: Marta (although, lest we forget, Kling could dish it out too-remember how she juked Marta before diming Henry for the opening goal of the 2017 semi?).
And one of my most vivid memories of Kling chewing anyone out was w/ a teammate: in one of her first two seasons here when Allie Long absent-mindedly stepped over a ball going through the box, which, as it turned out, was the one in front of the Thorns' goal. Kling went ballistic over that one. I recall her still bawling out Long minutes later.
I often think of an IG post Kling made from the Women's March in DC, circa 2017. It was a pic w/ Crystal that was captioned "To the only member of the NT as down to earth as I am," making light of their relatively diminutive statures. When I remember watching Kling play over the years, my first thought is usually that although she might have been the shortest person on the pitch, she could fill PP to overflowing with her spirit. So here's to you Kling: it's been a thrill and a pleasure watching you work.
Leaving aside the quality of Shelby Hogan as a goalkeeper (though both Bella Bixby and Mackenzie Arnold lost their job to Shelby, yet she's the one traded), trading her AND 40k in allocation money for 10k in transfer money and an international roster spot is a hilariously bad deal. If you need the roster spot that badly, don't sign a second rate international player to be your backup centre back.
Or a backup keeper lol. Like, why not just get another CB that was a free agent rather than getting Daiane (or better yet just keep Hubly for depth lol.)
Also, yeah it's funny because Hogan won the starting spot over Arnold, who it appears we're stuck with. Best hope is that Bella can get back to her 2021 days, because Arnold is who she is. She's never gonna hit that high mark like she did for one tournament. Again, these are the decisions made with input from a GM who was fired for being terrible at her job. Why are they not allowing a new GM to remake the roster if this is the plan?
Right, one of the biggest issues here is you have made significant roster decisions for the upcoming season that have been made by people who are potentially not the GM or have anything to do with the job by the time the season starts.
The same people who got us to the worst season (or tied with) in club history are still making these future-looking club-reshaping decisions and that's v unsettling for me. And we will be saddled with whatever contracts they sign now for several years to come.
I think it can be argued they've had about a year to find someone. If they were on top of things from the get-go, they could have realized or been advised (or both) that KK is/was not up to the task and begun the search for a replacement.
Clearly the FO is executing a grand scheme to revolutionize the Thorns, which will be jeopardized if the slightest detail leaks out. I have inside info, though, that the key move will be trading Daiane to San Diego for Girma.
So is our keeper pool just Bixby and Arnold at this point? That's quite a change from the six keepers or something we had last summer!
My take on this deal is that the Thorns wanted to unload Hogan while her sale price was good, and the international slot and $10k cash was the best deal they could get. (Also what is the $40k in allocation money you mention? Since allo isn't tradeable any more, it must have been part of some prior deal, though not one that brought Hogan here since we hired her out of college. )
gotham certainly don't see her as a starter she will be a back up there. that she started here indicates it was an area of need. Maybelline coaches saw enough progress in Bella to move forward. Bella in prime better than Shelby imo
Yeah Bella hasn't been a decent keeper since 2021. She had a pretty big dropoff in 2022 (albeit, some p tragic family stuff), followed by a fall off a cliff to maybe the worst keeper in the league in 2023. I'm not super hopeful she can regain her '21 form. She's not good or quick with her feet from what I can remember, and it's now more important than it was in '21. Also not super hopeful Arnold will have a breakout season for the first time in her life lol (at almost 31 yo.) GK is still pretty nebulous for next season.
Here's a question: Do people no longer care about websites? Neither the Thorns website nor the NWSL one have anything about the departures of Hubly and Kling. I like having these websites as grounded, reliable sources where I can find the actual current roster after a bunch of changes get announced on socials - but not if they're not going to update it. Am I the only one who still uses websites this way? Hubly's departure was four days ago now and Kling's has been out there all day today....
I use official team websites for checking rosters, player and team stats, and schedules. I don't use them for community...because basically no one else does, either.
Kling's Instagram post is a bit cryptic. Lots about "closing" and "ending", sounding like she might be hanging 'em up. But the "wherever I end up"..? That sounds less final.
IIRC Kling was routinely left unprotected in the later expansion drafts because she'd been pretty definite that she WOULD retire if picked away from here. I wonder if that's changed.
One possibility out of this is the club could offer one or both assistant coach jobs. Working as AC for Ken is kinda like being sous-chef for Chef Boy-ar-dee...but it's a start up the coaching ladder, assuming either is interested in that.
One of my favorite Kelli Hubly memories was the Brit Eckstrom game where the Thorns beat the Courage when they were really good. Brit was the major story the way she stood on her head practically in goal and kept denying Debinha. But Hubs also had a hell of a game and at the end just started crying because she knew it and she proved herself. I will miss her because she seems such a character and obviously a good teammate. Sometimes she reminded me of an Octopus the way she defended. It seemed like there were four long arms four long legs everywhere. Plus a ponytail!
For Kling 2016 and 2017 seemed to be rough years (back problems I think) and later she lost her Dad. But as she slowed down and worked through personal losses she learned to compensate for the speed she lost with lot more guile and some of that black belt agility. And Yes, those huddle speeches were a real gift. Thanks Kling and Kelli!
+1 That Covid Cup tourney was Kel's breakout moment and she got proper recognition for her gaudy defensive stats. Prior I think, she was primarily a developing bench-warmer.
We will always have the charming interview with Edie to remember her by.
https://youtu.be/Cx4QT3jdZKA?si=vfuNQ6wUXLWI_jFZ
Hubs was a reserve/spot starter in 2018 (11 games, 9 starts) and weirdly regressed to a DEEP depth piece in 2019 (3 games, 3 starts). The COVID Cup was her first long run of starts, all five games and the semi. Back to the bench for the goofy "Fall Series". After that she was regularly in the XI until her release.
My favorite picture of her was this one, from 2018: https://i0.wp.com/rivetingpdx.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Hubly_WTF.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1
She was just a rook and is clearly overwhelmed. But she figured it out...
Let’s not forget that Kling was named to the Best XI in the 2015 Women’s World Cup. The team surely missed her ability to deliver quality balls into the box this past season.
Kling exiting makes me much more emotional than any of the other exits. I love Kling
Quote from below - "As a leader and sparkplug, she can't be replaced nor replicated."
Luv ya', Kling.
Not a favorite moment, but Kling was crying hard at the last home match and that made me wonder if she knew her time as a Thorn was ending. Kling's pre game talks were a real gift and they'll be missed along with her tenacity on the field.
Of those retiring this season, I'll miss Kling the most. She won everything worth winning. And most of all, kudos to her to know when she was done. The savvy; the grit; the ability and desire to improve in places where it was meaningful to make up for where there was decline. The discipline. A joy and a gift to we the fans.
Honestly, a WWC gold medal and two NWSL trophies mean she retires among the best of the best. Amazing career.
Yep!
An amazing about Kling is that she figured out how to compensate effectively for her declining physical gifts. I remember after the 2021 season (I think that was the year) wondering if she was washed up, but she came back as strong a player as ever but with a different playing style - less energetic but better at positioning and picking her spots in attack. Kudos for her for doing that, along with all the accomplishments in her amazing career. And thanks to her for her grit in games and fire in the huddle, as they were some of the things we all loved the most.
So...
I'll miss Kling's manic huddle-rant energy. But I agree with kielbj; in themselves her and Sauerbrunn (and Hubly and D'Aquila...) moving on aren't grim death.
Here's the thing; I'm not sure how many of you remember September 2015, but that was a BAD time (and we had no idea how much worse it really was..!). Only time the Thorns finished below the red line. on September 4th. It really did look like grim death by October.
But.
On October 5th Parsons was hired. He and Gavin Wilkinson started to work, on the Orlando deal that pulled Kling in the November expansion draft, then the January 2016 college draft that picked up Emily Sonnet, then the Amandine Henry deal in March 2016.
We took the Shield in 2016 and short of getting shiked in the semifinal probably would have done the Double that season.
An aggressive, intelligent organization can turn a sick club around most quick smart.
I know, I know...by this point the Bhathals have earned the "benefit of skepticism"; it's not unreasonable to assume that they're NOT running an aggressive or intelligent organization.
Can they? There shouldn't be any reason why not.
I'd keep an eye on Sauerbrunn and Kling. If they take jobs here as assistants? That'd be a good sign to me.
If they go elsewhere? Well...
The Bhathals lost me when LeBlanc was 'promoted' and next I heard was Karina was attending FIFA "General Manager School." It makes no "frekin'" sense. I comes off like some sort of mutual admiration society..."I like you; you like me...so let's stay together."
No heads have rolled and every day goes by that it's looking like there won't be.
Well, really our goalies haven't been the same since some time before she left.
I swear there is some sort of Canadian cabal running through Thorns front office. There's KK, Rhian Wilkinson, Norris (by way of Canada coaching), and Gale (by way of Canada coaching). Slooow moving hibernation.
Wishing Nadine was back? Absolutely!
I've sat on my feelings about all these "departures" for a few days now. I'm sad about all of them, but also glad that, with the exception of Becky, it was probably time for them all to move on. Some to retirement, some to other clubs. I'm fine with re-building the team and losing some of my favorites if it's really time. And it is. But I echo what others here have said: if they don't get the GM right, and consequently change the coach, this is going to be a rough season ahead. Probably one that ends with Sophia going to Europe. I certainly hope I'm wrong, but I don't trust them to get it right. It's been a while since I've gone into a new season dreading what's coming, but here we are...
Lots of emotions about Kling. The only Thorns merch my mom ever wanted was a t-shirt with Kling and she proudly wears it whenever she comes to a match. I understand the timing and the need to rebuild. Her spirit will absolutely be missed. Such a joy to have had her here with us as long as she's been.
Can't think of any individual on-field moments but Kling's willing herself into very difficult tackles against literally anybody was that marvelous combination of skill and fearlessness that personifies her. And she's a Dime Queen. Her vision and passing skill have always been marvelous.
A favorite comment was comparing herself to Marta when they were teammates in Sweden: "She's faster on the ball than I am just running."
Nothing but love and respect.
ETA Kling chewing out an opponent who needed chewing out. Never gets old.
Love the typically uproarious Kling quote re: Marta (although, lest we forget, Kling could dish it out too-remember how she juked Marta before diming Henry for the opening goal of the 2017 semi?).
And one of my most vivid memories of Kling chewing anyone out was w/ a teammate: in one of her first two seasons here when Allie Long absent-mindedly stepped over a ball going through the box, which, as it turned out, was the one in front of the Thorns' goal. Kling went ballistic over that one. I recall her still bawling out Long minutes later.
I often think of an IG post Kling made from the Women's March in DC, circa 2017. It was a pic w/ Crystal that was captioned "To the only member of the NT as down to earth as I am," making light of their relatively diminutive statures. When I remember watching Kling play over the years, my first thought is usually that although she might have been the shortest person on the pitch, she could fill PP to overflowing with her spirit. So here's to you Kling: it's been a thrill and a pleasure watching you work.
Leaving aside the quality of Shelby Hogan as a goalkeeper (though both Bella Bixby and Mackenzie Arnold lost their job to Shelby, yet she's the one traded), trading her AND 40k in allocation money for 10k in transfer money and an international roster spot is a hilariously bad deal. If you need the roster spot that badly, don't sign a second rate international player to be your backup centre back.
Or a backup keeper lol. Like, why not just get another CB that was a free agent rather than getting Daiane (or better yet just keep Hubly for depth lol.)
Also, yeah it's funny because Hogan won the starting spot over Arnold, who it appears we're stuck with. Best hope is that Bella can get back to her 2021 days, because Arnold is who she is. She's never gonna hit that high mark like she did for one tournament. Again, these are the decisions made with input from a GM who was fired for being terrible at her job. Why are they not allowing a new GM to remake the roster if this is the plan?
Right, one of the biggest issues here is you have made significant roster decisions for the upcoming season that have been made by people who are potentially not the GM or have anything to do with the job by the time the season starts.
They’ve had over two months to find someone.
The same people who got us to the worst season (or tied with) in club history are still making these future-looking club-reshaping decisions and that's v unsettling for me. And we will be saddled with whatever contracts they sign now for several years to come.
I think it can be argued they've had about a year to find someone. If they were on top of things from the get-go, they could have realized or been advised (or both) that KK is/was not up to the task and begun the search for a replacement.
Clearly the FO is executing a grand scheme to revolutionize the Thorns, which will be jeopardized if the slightest detail leaks out. I have inside info, though, that the key move will be trading Daiane to San Diego for Girma.
Are you joking? Please tell me this is real…. 😩😩😩
He's joking Naomi Girma is not coming here lol
I'd love to, but unfortunately . . . I omitted the /s.
Seriously? This just happened? We traded our starting keeper and $40K for $10K and an international spot?
Lots of moving pieces here, but Arnold was 0-1-4 (WDL) last season.
So is our keeper pool just Bixby and Arnold at this point? That's quite a change from the six keepers or something we had last summer!
My take on this deal is that the Thorns wanted to unload Hogan while her sale price was good, and the international slot and $10k cash was the best deal they could get. (Also what is the $40k in allocation money you mention? Since allo isn't tradeable any more, it must have been part of some prior deal, though not one that brought Hogan here since we hired her out of college. )
No, it’s still tradable. Gotham got 300k of it for Ryan.
This is not a good deal from the thorns perspective!
Oh okay. I read somewhere that it wasn't tradeable anymore, but that's what I get for reading the internet.
It’s being phased out and teams aren’t getting more of
It but it is still an asset
And we're down to 20 players under contract.
The must-pass-physical clause seems unresolved still, as she's not listed as of today's press release.
Goalkeepers (2): Mackenzie Arnold (INTL), Bella Bixby
Defenders (6): Sam Hiatt, Mallie McKenzie, Marie Müller (INTL), Nicole Payne, Isabella Obaze (INTL), Reyna Reyes
Midfielders (6): Sam Coffey, Jessie Fleming (INTL), Sophie Hirst, Olivia Moultrie, Hina Sugita (INTL), Olivia Wade-Katoa
Hands of anybody who thought by New Year we'd have a keeper deficit?
How is OWK's rehab going?
It’s about utilizing resources well. This is not a good use of resources. They’re getting absolutely nothing for a starting level goalkeeper.
gotham certainly don't see her as a starter she will be a back up there. that she started here indicates it was an area of need. Maybelline coaches saw enough progress in Bella to move forward. Bella in prime better than Shelby imo
Bella lost her job multiple times in 2023 to Hogan.
Yeah Bella hasn't been a decent keeper since 2021. She had a pretty big dropoff in 2022 (albeit, some p tragic family stuff), followed by a fall off a cliff to maybe the worst keeper in the league in 2023. I'm not super hopeful she can regain her '21 form. She's not good or quick with her feet from what I can remember, and it's now more important than it was in '21. Also not super hopeful Arnold will have a breakout season for the first time in her life lol (at almost 31 yo.) GK is still pretty nebulous for next season.
If you were actually projecting who might be the better goalkeeper in 3 years, it's probably Shelby Hogan.
well for one thing, Hogan wasn’t preventing that because they had a vacant slot.
But secondly, sure in this specific instance you can care less but it’s about a holistic approach to building a roster.
"It’s been difficult for fans to have a clear idea of the new direction the club is heading under the ownership of the Bhathals."
---------------------------------
No sh@$@! You don't say.
Now we know why Phuoc chose the Disenchantment gif.
Favorite Kling memory: https://www.instagram.com/thornsfc/p/C2QhMlivwbS/
Reyna Reyes longest serving defender on the squad now lol. Isa Obaze longest serving CB. Crazy.
That doesn't even seem possible. Wow.
🤯
Here's a question: Do people no longer care about websites? Neither the Thorns website nor the NWSL one have anything about the departures of Hubly and Kling. I like having these websites as grounded, reliable sources where I can find the actual current roster after a bunch of changes get announced on socials - but not if they're not going to update it. Am I the only one who still uses websites this way? Hubly's departure was four days ago now and Kling's has been out there all day today....
Jen Cooper (KeeperNotes) has a Google Docs spreadsheet of all the teams' rosters. It's not official, but she does a good job of keeping it up to date.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1C-J_G5JRJxBbAaU0UtHOkmb4kt4QgJBY3aWfJ60n4Vo/edit?gid=548937126#gid=548937126
I use official team websites for checking rosters, player and team stats, and schedules. I don't use them for community...because basically no one else does, either.
I agree with you. That outs us both as "olds" I suppose.
I’m with you.
why do you think we come here?
other than this is a great site with a lot of collective knowledge of the game.
Kling's Instagram post is a bit cryptic. Lots about "closing" and "ending", sounding like she might be hanging 'em up. But the "wherever I end up"..? That sounds less final.
IIRC Kling was routinely left unprotected in the later expansion drafts because she'd been pretty definite that she WOULD retire if picked away from here. I wonder if that's changed.
One possibility out of this is the club could offer one or both assistant coach jobs. Working as AC for Ken is kinda like being sous-chef for Chef Boy-ar-dee...but it's a start up the coaching ladder, assuming either is interested in that.
Working as AC for Ken is kinda like being sous-chef for Chef Boy-ar-dee.
-----------------------
Not good for ones rep, though.
Depends. Good people sometimes have to start under poor bosses. But I'll bet that IF they're good word gets out, they get better offers...
Like I said; it's just a start, if either is interested. If both take jobs elsewhere? That's a pretty big Bhathal-red-flag for me...