Hey Phuoc/STF folks- do y'all have any information about the club having any sort of media day? We never got a postmortem of 2024 season (and I'm guessing we never will.) But, will there be a media gathering to discuss this season? Is there a reason why they're delaying or not wanting to face the supporters? Releasing info about the training facility was nice, but it doesn't replace the need to still have other communication about what's going on with the club...
Will there be any more signings? Can we get an update on Sophia Wilson? There's a lot of ambiguity out there still and it would be nice to be going into the season with more answers than questions...
Yes, would love to know if they plan on any big signings this offseason, also? They didn't really make a splash this offseason....for like the 3rd offseason in a row now. And it doesn't look like this roster has gotten better than last season. If anything, it's a bit worse in the back.
It’s also curious because numerous times now when the gals have been somewhere training, Weaver has posted photos of being at home. I wonder if she’s hurt? Or just sitting out this tournament?
I noticed it when they were in Tucson also, she appeared to be home early before everyone else (though she was in an initial picture.)
Yeah hopefully there's a better reason for her staying home, but def not ideal if she's still struggling. Could you imagine starting the season without her or Soph? Lol rough.
It could be that they have other commitments that have been pre-approved or they may just want to give both a rest. Last year was particularly long for Sophia. In reality, I want to see other younger players get minutes.
Look I’m as misogynist as the next guy, but I’m genuinely surprised that high profile female athletes are still choosing to take their husbands’ last names mid-career.
Agreed, at least re: the name they use publicly- especially in an era where an athlete's name identity is their "brand" for marketing, endorsements, etc income outside their player contract salaries.
How stupid would it be, for example, for a studio to release the next installment of the "Fast&Furious" franchise, starring a buff bald guy named Mark Sinclair?
I'm not one to pay much mind to name changes and all, none of my business, but I do think Lindsey Heaps is kind of a silly name, it makes me giggle because I'm a complete child
Hey, I saw two other of my favorite soccer players in that add: Alexia Putellas and Morgan Weaver. Plus hoopers Sabrina, Sha kari and of course Caitlin. This is great for women’s sport and at a moment when they are being recognized and drawing crowds. Eventually the pay will improve for all the athletes.
I don’t believe Henderson watches all that much NWSL, but I like nitch he plays. Listening now. I’m not a huge fan of this podcasts take on Castellanos. I’d be surprised if we are paying half her contract. My guess is Bay City is paying in the $125 to $150k of her contract
Yeah, what he says is helpful in evaluating some of the college players coming in...but I don't really take much from his NWSL opinions. The lineup he put up for Portland was strange lol. Makes me wonder how much he actually watches. Still was an interesting conversation.
Echoing a lot of what has already been talked about here...here's an article talking about the misuse of Castellanos from her last two clubs, and how she'd be better utilized. Short but sweet, and there's a little bit about how she might find success in Portland:
Yeah I'm increasingly in favor of shifting to some sort of formation that gets her right up on the back of Soph in the types of false 9 positions she played in at FSU and still does for Venezuela- Could be a diamond 4-1-2-1-2 or a 3-5-2. The key point the writer makes is the same most of us have made: She's played in the same sort of rigid 4-3-3s throughout her pro career at City and Bay and she 100% cannot play as an eight. We've all been assuming she'll be deployed on the right, but who the hell knows what Gale intends to do. She might not even start.
(I do wish national writers would stop acting like the Thorns play with a 10 in literally the same article they talk about the Thorns going to a 4-3-3. They don't and haven't for a long while)
I had a long back-and-forth with Henderson about this, which mostly reminded me of Internet Tradition #8 ("There is nothing as futile as arguing with someone on the internet"). He seemed to believe that Ken will play a 4-3-3 with two dual 6/8's (Coffey and Fleming) and Moultrie as some sort of 8/10; his little diagram looked more like a 4-2-1-3 (with Hina as LW and Weaver as RW). His rationalization for starting Moultrie over Castellanos was that "she sucked at her last two gigs"...
Which kind of drove home the point that Henderson doesn't actually watch a lot of NWSL, but also that to use this roster effectively it's going to be a real "bash-to-fot-file-to-hide-paint-to-cover" assembly to make a 4-3-3 work well (assuming it can).
I guess my concern for a three-back is the lack of depth at CB (i.e. not convinced about Daiane...) and how Muller/Reyes/Payne would do as wingbacks. The diamond seems more useful, except I haaaaaate parking Coffey deep. She's such a good distributor.
Maybe Ken could run a sort of 4-2-3-1? Wilson top, Weaver-Castellanos-Fleming/Hina, Coffey/Fleming (if Hina is RAM, otherwise Hina), then Muller-Hiatt-Obaze-Reyes?
Yeah the 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 stuff is really annoying to me because some people like Henderson do just call that second 8 --the position Fleming and Moultrie played last season-- a ten, when it's not at all. Are there times when that 8 plays similarly to a ten in attacking phases? Sure. But the attacking 8 role has a totally different responsibility in a 4-3-3 than a 10 in 4-2-3-1. Like, watch how Washington uses Bethune, Orlando uses Marta, or KC uses DiBernardo compared to how Portland used Fleming, Bay used Castellanos, or Gotham used Yaz.
The reason the 3-back is vaguely appealing to me is because I think you could stick Reyes in there as the RCB (which I actually think suits her skillset perfectly) next to Obaze and Hiatt and run a pretty good group. Then you'd have versatility in the rest of the team while letting players play in more natural positions.
- Weaver and Muller at WB with Castellanos and Smith up top and Moultrie in the 10.
- Muller and Payne at WB with Weaver and Smith up top with either Castellanos or Moultrie at the 10.
- They could play more of a 3-4-3 with Muller and Payne at WB, Castellanos and Weaver on the wings, and Hina and Sam in the middle.
Don’t you think if he puts her on the RW, but more of an inverted F that she can kinda tuck in and find those pockets behind Soph and/or kinda between lines on the right side? I could see a way for her to exploit space in front of the defense if Soph can draw players away. That partnership will def need some time to grow, though. They’re both shoot first players (although, Soph is better than she was!) It won’t be helpful if Castellanos wants to kinda be the star also. I’m hoping they’ll be able to make it work together.
I do still worry about that R side, though. Jessie is the R side midfielder and she turned the ball over more than I liked last season, and I’m not sure we have the fullbacks for turnovers high up from her and Castellanos. Do you think Reyes (slower, worse on the ball, better 1v1 defender) or Müller (quicker, much better on the ball/passing, not as defensively solid) would be better on that R side?
Also agree about folks writing about the Thorns lol. It makes me wonder if they’ve watched this team the past two years? “Short passes” and “play through the middle” isn’t really how I would describe how we’ve played for a couple seasons now.
Yeah I think he'll keep the 4-3-3 and park her on the wing, I just don't think the structure supports it very well. There's an argument that Reyes is better because she's naturally more defensively inclined and can compensate for Castellanos' defensive weaknesses, but I think I'd prefer Muller because inverted wingers typically need overlapping FBs to fill the space and she's better suited to play that role. I do actually like Reyes better at RB than LB though....and we also don't have a Hershfelt-type 6 that can cover more ground in support. A confident year from Fleming would be big.
A 3-5-3 with Fleming as a wingback actually is intriguing with Reyes in the back. Does Fleming have enough speed to do it? I think so. It’s still a risk. Is it more than Castellanos as an inverted wing? Probably, but it’s interesting
Fleming looked to me to have an uptick in form late in 2024. I agree that early in the season she was making those unforced errors (not just turnovers but poor positioning and losing duels...). But in August and September she tidied up her game quite a bit, tho it was hard to focus on because Ken was shitting the bed and the squad as a whole looked all to pieces.
Hopefully Fleming has retained that late-season form if Ken runs her as a RW/RWB...
Yes but that's just because she's played mostly at the 8- We don't really know how well she'd play as an inverted winger cause it's mostly theoretical based on assumptions about her skillset. The only position we *know* she can play well is that super attacking 10/false 9.
All I’m saying is the concern that’s been flagged has been about her lack of a fit at the 8 and not an inverted wing where here skill set seems like a more natural fit. I don’t want to see people mix up the two.
I could easily see the appeal of her as a 10 or a false 9 in a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-5-2 or even a more traditional 4-3-3. All have flaws to them with a player in a not ideal position. Coffey at a destroyer, Hina up the field, or Weaver as a wingback all have some drawbacks. Some of those are more appealing to me than others
Time will tell and my guess is if one thing is not working, it can be tweaked even though I don’t believe Ken is the guy to do it. Nothing would make me happier than him to grow in the role.
There is another part of me that wants Reilyn Turner to have more of a role even if it comes at the expense of Fleming and Moultrie. In this scenario, Castellanos would be at a 10 in a 4-3-3 and Tordin would be Smith’s primary backup.
I do think that Castellanos has a skill set that projects well at the inverted forward and want to see how she looks there
The 4-4-2 is probably the cleanest fit, but using Coffey as a destroyer is probably not the best thing to do in her FA year
The 3-5-3 fits, but I completely disagree with you about putting Weaver in as a FB. See it as neutering the most dangerous part of her game. She creates a ton of space for Smith.
A traditional 4-3-3 works if they use a 10, which the Thorns haven’t done for years. It puts more of a reliance on either Turner or Linnehan. I’m ok with it if Gale uses Castellanos as a 10. I don’t have faith in that especially considering he’s one of the people that doesn’t view Hina as a 10.
I don’t have access, but it came up as the whole article. Sounds like they want Castellanos mirroring the Weaver role. Interesting enough they suggested Sugita or Moultrie as the 10. Part of me things it will be Fleming or Moultrie as one of the dual 8s with Sugita
Hey Phuoc/STF folks- do y'all have any information about the club having any sort of media day? We never got a postmortem of 2024 season (and I'm guessing we never will.) But, will there be a media gathering to discuss this season? Is there a reason why they're delaying or not wanting to face the supporters? Releasing info about the training facility was nice, but it doesn't replace the need to still have other communication about what's going on with the club...
Will there be any more signings? Can we get an update on Sophia Wilson? There's a lot of ambiguity out there still and it would be nice to be going into the season with more answers than questions...
I expect this to happen when they're back from Coachella. Will keep everyone in the loop once I get an exact date.
Yes, definitely a lot of questions and we'll get those answers.
Yes, would love to know if they plan on any big signings this offseason, also? They didn't really make a splash this offseason....for like the 3rd offseason in a row now. And it doesn't look like this roster has gotten better than last season. If anything, it's a bit worse in the back.
It’s also curious because numerous times now when the gals have been somewhere training, Weaver has posted photos of being at home. I wonder if she’s hurt? Or just sitting out this tournament?
I noticed it when they were in Tucson also, she appeared to be home early before everyone else (though she was in an initial picture.)
That would probably be an injury. Or they’re taking it slow with her after the knee.
Yeah hopefully there's a better reason for her staying home, but def not ideal if she's still struggling. Could you imagine starting the season without her or Soph? Lol rough.
weeks of excuses for Rob Gale
Lol so real
It could be that they have other commitments that have been pre-approved or they may just want to give both a rest. Last year was particularly long for Sophia. In reality, I want to see other younger players get minutes.
Gale playing a non winger as a winger. This should be a game . Take a shot of any drink every time Rob plays someone out of position
Couple of "season previews" of prospective opponents: starting with the bottom five from 0202: https://rivetingpdx.com/2025/02/06/2025-s-2-briefings-the-bottom-five/
Then four in mid-table - https://rivetingpdx.com/2025/02/11/2025-s-2-briefings-middle-ground/
Enjoy!
Andi Sullivan is pregnant! Due in July.
Look I’m as misogynist as the next guy, but I’m genuinely surprised that high profile female athletes are still choosing to take their husbands’ last names mid-career.
https://bsky.app/profile/scoutripley.bsky.social/post/3lhvzvrcm7k2b
Thank you!
Agreed, at least re: the name they use publicly- especially in an era where an athlete's name identity is their "brand" for marketing, endorsements, etc income outside their player contract salaries.
How stupid would it be, for example, for a studio to release the next installment of the "Fast&Furious" franchise, starring a buff bald guy named Mark Sinclair?
Thornando, are we leaning toward Heapran or Horheaps?
I'm not one to pay much mind to name changes and all, none of my business, but I do think Lindsey Heaps is kind of a silly name, it makes me giggle because I'm a complete child
Hey, I saw two other of my favorite soccer players in that add: Alexia Putellas and Morgan Weaver. Plus hoopers Sabrina, Sha kari and of course Caitlin. This is great for women’s sport and at a moment when they are being recognized and drawing crowds. Eventually the pay will improve for all the athletes.
Everyone’s knows this but Hina is a class above everyone else. If only we had a few Hinas. Work rate unmatched
"Claire Emslie's already in regular season form."
So is Rob Gale, Mr. ACFC commentator. I'm already nervous.
Haven’t listened as of yet but a podcast with Henderson on rookies is up
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/expected-own-goals/id1698924172?i=1000691054161
Oh! I listed to this one...def some good stuff in there.
Also recommend the one they had the week prior with Jen Cooper and Arielle Dror talking about analytics in the NWSL: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/xog-live-in-houston-with-arielle-dror-jen-cooper/id1698924172?i=1000688995561
I don’t believe Henderson watches all that much NWSL, but I like nitch he plays. Listening now. I’m not a huge fan of this podcasts take on Castellanos. I’d be surprised if we are paying half her contract. My guess is Bay City is paying in the $125 to $150k of her contract
Yeah, what he says is helpful in evaluating some of the college players coming in...but I don't really take much from his NWSL opinions. The lineup he put up for Portland was strange lol. Makes me wonder how much he actually watches. Still was an interesting conversation.
Last opponent preview: https://rivetingpdx.com/2025/02/13/2925-s-2-briefings-tabletop/
Echoing a lot of what has already been talked about here...here's an article talking about the misuse of Castellanos from her last two clubs, and how she'd be better utilized. Short but sweet, and there's a little bit about how she might find success in Portland:
https://equalizersoccer.com/2025/02/12/how-the-thorns-can-get-deyna-castellanos-back-to-her-goalscoring-ways/
If y'all don't have access or can't see it, I can post the text too...
Yeah I'm increasingly in favor of shifting to some sort of formation that gets her right up on the back of Soph in the types of false 9 positions she played in at FSU and still does for Venezuela- Could be a diamond 4-1-2-1-2 or a 3-5-2. The key point the writer makes is the same most of us have made: She's played in the same sort of rigid 4-3-3s throughout her pro career at City and Bay and she 100% cannot play as an eight. We've all been assuming she'll be deployed on the right, but who the hell knows what Gale intends to do. She might not even start.
(I do wish national writers would stop acting like the Thorns play with a 10 in literally the same article they talk about the Thorns going to a 4-3-3. They don't and haven't for a long while)
I had a long back-and-forth with Henderson about this, which mostly reminded me of Internet Tradition #8 ("There is nothing as futile as arguing with someone on the internet"). He seemed to believe that Ken will play a 4-3-3 with two dual 6/8's (Coffey and Fleming) and Moultrie as some sort of 8/10; his little diagram looked more like a 4-2-1-3 (with Hina as LW and Weaver as RW). His rationalization for starting Moultrie over Castellanos was that "she sucked at her last two gigs"...
Which kind of drove home the point that Henderson doesn't actually watch a lot of NWSL, but also that to use this roster effectively it's going to be a real "bash-to-fot-file-to-hide-paint-to-cover" assembly to make a 4-3-3 work well (assuming it can).
I guess my concern for a three-back is the lack of depth at CB (i.e. not convinced about Daiane...) and how Muller/Reyes/Payne would do as wingbacks. The diamond seems more useful, except I haaaaaate parking Coffey deep. She's such a good distributor.
Maybe Ken could run a sort of 4-2-3-1? Wilson top, Weaver-Castellanos-Fleming/Hina, Coffey/Fleming (if Hina is RAM, otherwise Hina), then Muller-Hiatt-Obaze-Reyes?
Yeah the 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 stuff is really annoying to me because some people like Henderson do just call that second 8 --the position Fleming and Moultrie played last season-- a ten, when it's not at all. Are there times when that 8 plays similarly to a ten in attacking phases? Sure. But the attacking 8 role has a totally different responsibility in a 4-3-3 than a 10 in 4-2-3-1. Like, watch how Washington uses Bethune, Orlando uses Marta, or KC uses DiBernardo compared to how Portland used Fleming, Bay used Castellanos, or Gotham used Yaz.
The reason the 3-back is vaguely appealing to me is because I think you could stick Reyes in there as the RCB (which I actually think suits her skillset perfectly) next to Obaze and Hiatt and run a pretty good group. Then you'd have versatility in the rest of the team while letting players play in more natural positions.
- Weaver and Muller at WB with Castellanos and Smith up top and Moultrie in the 10.
- Muller and Payne at WB with Weaver and Smith up top with either Castellanos or Moultrie at the 10.
- They could play more of a 3-4-3 with Muller and Payne at WB, Castellanos and Weaver on the wings, and Hina and Sam in the middle.
I could see Reyes working at CB. She's shockingly good in the air for a FB, too (won 72% of 47 challenges, 98th percentile in the league)
Don’t you think if he puts her on the RW, but more of an inverted F that she can kinda tuck in and find those pockets behind Soph and/or kinda between lines on the right side? I could see a way for her to exploit space in front of the defense if Soph can draw players away. That partnership will def need some time to grow, though. They’re both shoot first players (although, Soph is better than she was!) It won’t be helpful if Castellanos wants to kinda be the star also. I’m hoping they’ll be able to make it work together.
I do still worry about that R side, though. Jessie is the R side midfielder and she turned the ball over more than I liked last season, and I’m not sure we have the fullbacks for turnovers high up from her and Castellanos. Do you think Reyes (slower, worse on the ball, better 1v1 defender) or Müller (quicker, much better on the ball/passing, not as defensively solid) would be better on that R side?
Also agree about folks writing about the Thorns lol. It makes me wonder if they’ve watched this team the past two years? “Short passes” and “play through the middle” isn’t really how I would describe how we’ve played for a couple seasons now.
Yeah I think he'll keep the 4-3-3 and park her on the wing, I just don't think the structure supports it very well. There's an argument that Reyes is better because she's naturally more defensively inclined and can compensate for Castellanos' defensive weaknesses, but I think I'd prefer Muller because inverted wingers typically need overlapping FBs to fill the space and she's better suited to play that role. I do actually like Reyes better at RB than LB though....and we also don't have a Hershfelt-type 6 that can cover more ground in support. A confident year from Fleming would be big.
A 3-5-3 with Fleming as a wingback actually is intriguing with Reyes in the back. Does Fleming have enough speed to do it? I think so. It’s still a risk. Is it more than Castellanos as an inverted wing? Probably, but it’s interesting
Weaver - Smith - Turner
Castellanos
Sugita - Coffey
Mueller- Fleming
Obaze - Hiatt - Reyes
No, Fleming cannot play wingback. I wouldn't mind seeing what McKenzie looks like there though, I've been intrigued with her when she's gotten time.
I think you are going to see McKenzie as a backup FB. She’s versatile enough, but my guess is she’s a squad player / good depth
Fleming looked to me to have an uptick in form late in 2024. I agree that early in the season she was making those unforced errors (not just turnovers but poor positioning and losing duels...). But in August and September she tidied up her game quite a bit, tho it was hard to focus on because Ken was shitting the bed and the squad as a whole looked all to pieces.
Hopefully Fleming has retained that late-season form if Ken runs her as a RW/RWB...
Just a hunch, but I have a feeling the change in national team coach had something to do with it.
But technically hasn’t she struggled as a dual 8 instead of an inverted wing?
Yes but that's just because she's played mostly at the 8- We don't really know how well she'd play as an inverted winger cause it's mostly theoretical based on assumptions about her skillset. The only position we *know* she can play well is that super attacking 10/false 9.
All I’m saying is the concern that’s been flagged has been about her lack of a fit at the 8 and not an inverted wing where here skill set seems like a more natural fit. I don’t want to see people mix up the two.
I could easily see the appeal of her as a 10 or a false 9 in a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-5-2 or even a more traditional 4-3-3. All have flaws to them with a player in a not ideal position. Coffey at a destroyer, Hina up the field, or Weaver as a wingback all have some drawbacks. Some of those are more appealing to me than others
Time will tell and my guess is if one thing is not working, it can be tweaked even though I don’t believe Ken is the guy to do it. Nothing would make me happier than him to grow in the role.
There is another part of me that wants Reilyn Turner to have more of a role even if it comes at the expense of Fleming and Moultrie. In this scenario, Castellanos would be at a 10 in a 4-3-3 and Tordin would be Smith’s primary backup.
I do think that Castellanos has a skill set that projects well at the inverted forward and want to see how she looks there
I have concerns about her fit at both eight AND inverted winger, just *more* concern about her at the eight.
The 4-4-2 is probably the cleanest fit, but using Coffey as a destroyer is probably not the best thing to do in her FA year
The 3-5-3 fits, but I completely disagree with you about putting Weaver in as a FB. See it as neutering the most dangerous part of her game. She creates a ton of space for Smith.
A traditional 4-3-3 works if they use a 10, which the Thorns haven’t done for years. It puts more of a reliance on either Turner or Linnehan. I’m ok with it if Gale uses Castellanos as a 10. I don’t have faith in that especially considering he’s one of the people that doesn’t view Hina as a 10.
I don’t have access, but it came up as the whole article. Sounds like they want Castellanos mirroring the Weaver role. Interesting enough they suggested Sugita or Moultrie as the 10. Part of me things it will be Fleming or Moultrie as one of the dual 8s with Sugita
Happy for her securing the type of global stardom that she deserves while doing it in the country she wants to live in
They had a few set pieces attempts but like last year nothing really worked. They need to hire a set piece coach. Gk coach isn’t working
Quick observations…Hiiinnnna!!!
She looks like she hasn’t skipped a beat.
Not much happening up top.
I’d like to see Hiatt come in with Obaze. Or Daiane.
Also, watching Bella warm up during this break and thinking that it’ll prob still be a while until she’s up to speed.
Also, just saw that the Thorns have two academy players there on the bench. Julia Joseph and Sophia Stiles.
The exact same system as last year, lol
I don't think so, this looks like a diamond to me.
Hearing thru my grapevine there will be pre-season games on 3/2 and 3/7. No announcement yet from the club. Maybe closed to public? Anyone have deets?