I was hard on Karina LeBlanc earlier this season, but now I've got to walk that back. Müller, Obaze, Payne, Linnehan, and others have boosted our team, and KK deserves credit for that. Well done Karina!
The person to whom you really owe the credit, as regards the international signings, is Mike Smith. That's what I've been told directly by folks who know.
Did you see Gale’s postgame presser? He brought Mike Smith(?) with him to the podium- and the story he told will make you more of a fan of both men I think
Did not see it, no. And I don't know for sure about all the international signings. But I know for one that the credit really went to Smith and that KK *very nearly* screwed it up and it took some last-minute un-screwing by others to fix it.
All GMs have scouting teams, though. We can give KK credit for getting the deals done without giving her ALL the praise for talent ID. It's not even really her job to scout. Signing players is an organizational process, especially in soccer.
There are many great players on the Thorns, but there are only two that i can think of who have the type of talent to, at any time, pull off a move that makes you gasp- that's Smith, and Hina. In Saturday's game, Sugita's hook slide tackle/pop-up/take the ball upfield, without the ball ever leaving her feet, was one of those moves. Just so fortunate we get to regularly see such talented players in their primes.
Hina baiting the Orlando D into a double team and then splitting it w/ a backheel during last year's opener will always be one of my favorite athletic moves that I've witnessed in person. The delayed and stunned reaction of the crowd (not to mention JP Dellacamera) and the fact it lead to Soph assisting Michelle V. for a goal make that sequence especially memorable. I believe Hina has said that the freedom to make those sorts of moves is something that drew her to the Thorns.
Those things she does makes me laugh every time because she's just so, like, polite about it lol....she just kinda gets in there and gently scoops it up as if to say "excuse me, I'm just gonna grab this, thank you" before she's out and off to dish a lovely pass. I just love watching her so much!
One of my favorite YouTubes is Hina versus the USWNT at the 2019 She Believes Cup. Playing against the very best players in the NWSL: Julie Ertz, Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath (another Thorns player that made me gasp). No wonder they wanted to bring her here.
Hina is a futsal player playing outdoor soccer. So fun to watch, and can really put defenders on skates. And Smith is starting to really show her strength out there, as she has run through a number of attempts to bring her down. They are both so much fun to watch out there!
I’m very glad the Thorns now have a coach (even if interim) who recognizes Hina’s skills and uses her in ways that maximize her contributions to the team and is really enjoyable to watch.
There were so many players we could call POTM in this game. The biggest take away I have is Gale is a more dynamic coach willing to change tactics when they aren't working.
I also want to say that the Thorns have an excellent crew of FB's. I agree Müller might be the best in the league now Fox is gone and Payne may be the fastest and way more technical than I thought she would be. Reyes is lockdown smothering defender and Kling has lost a step, but is still a master dribbler and canny defender.
The backline really stood up in this game. The slow first half may have been a rope a dope, but in the second half they totally eclipsed the Reign.
One thing seems to be missing from this Thorns team is an enforcer like Rocky or Horan. The Reign needed to deserve the fouls.
Fast is fun! I have always enjoyed watching fast players: Raso, Carpenter, Smith, Weaver, Menges, Purse, and now Linnehan, Müller and Payne. A couple of times Payne just put on a speed show. I am pretty sure she is not Chawinga fast, but pretty close. Speaking of speed Beckie has always been a fast player, but now she seems to have and extra gear.
There are a lot of fast players in the NWSL now with so many new players from Africa. This league, that has always been known as fast and athletic, is going to be even faster. We are fortunate to have two fast fullbacks in Müller and Payne for defending these speed demons.
Sinclair isn’t getting much loving here, but go back to the start of the sequence which lead to the first goal. It was an epic battle between CS and two Reign players at midfield for control of the goal kick. Sinc wins the battle w a lovely flick on header to Smith’s feet which she carries forward to the box before cutting it back to OM. Unfortunately all the replays start at the point where SS cuts the ball back. None of that happens w/o Sinc winning the first ball. I also saw her drop back into the midfield and set several double teams forcing the Seattle player to pass back. Sometimes success is simply measured in getting the opponent to make a pass they don’t want to make.
The problem is that she NEEDS to have those direct goal contributions to make it even 50% worth it because she's so, so limiting everywhere else, including defensively. The Thorns were farrr below the level they should have been at against a team like Seattle until the 60th minute when Linnehan and Beckie came on and instantly changed the way the Thorns could press. Gale also had to rotate Soph and Liv across the front line constantly in the first half because Seattle was finding the open diagonal to whatever side of the field Sinc was supposed to be on.
I'm happy she's been better lately than then the actively damaging presence she's been for much of the last three seasons, but MAN this team is so good when they get the kids on the field and let them run. Might have been 6 or 7 if Linnehan starts and they run the high press from the get go.
Admit heartburn every time she starts but coach has sorted out capitalizing on her strengths and reducing the impact of her deficits. She remains crafty, field-aware, connected to her teammates, still helpfully tall and strong (underappreciated how strong), even scores. That goal vs Spirit? Only Hina could do that too, and it was the game-winner.
Just soooo frustrating when there's a ball to be collected and she's the only Thorn nearby.
I have to admit Gale is squeezing everything he can out of Sinclair. The situation might be that THIS team needs veteran leadership on the field. The best players on the team are really young and simply might not be ready to take the reigns at this moment. I think Sinclair has been effective in the games with Gale as HC.
Gale can say whatever he wants about keeping the old tactics yada yada, but teams rarely just *figure it out* like this without some real changes. Re-watch the 13 minutes of added time- They're just absolutely toying with Seattle (again, someone needed to bring out the olés!) and the movement/understanding is worlds apart from a month ago. Coffey, Moultrie, and Hina floating around off each other in the midfield. Linnehan and Beckie combining with Soph down the wings. Maybe some of it *is* actually just getting real time to play together, but this looks a totally different group.
Other notes:
- The team played excellently in the 2nd half, but playing Sinc and Moultrie together was a flat out mistake. Even with Weaver out, we have non-Sinc options. Beckie or Linnehan (or both) should be starting. If Seattle wasn't so impotent, that decision could have been much more detrimental. Angeli mentioned it throughout the first half on coms, but it was surprising to see them *not* press Seattle.....especially given how the Thorns lit them up with the second half press once Linnehan and Beckie came on. Also....just more Linnehan pls. Girl is electric.
- Müller's a freakin machine. There's a legitimate (non-homer!) argument to be made that she's the best all-around LB in the league already. I knew the technical stuff would translate, but she's taking it to the opposition physically as well. Gonna plan to do a deep dive on her once I'm back stateside.
- Payne has that RB spot locked up until further notice. Really impressive b2b against Rodman and King. The pace is obvious, but she's actually developing into a really smart technical defender too.
- Is it just me or has Sam decided to start carrying the ball forward a lot more over the past few weeks? If she adds a little explosive burst forward to go with her other tools.......!
- Soph's technical passing still ain't great, but her vision is improving game by game. 8 goals and 6 assists in NINE GAMES! What even is that?
- Hina remains the most important non-Soph Thorn. Brilliant, brilliant player.
- Gale seems beloved, but also legitimately in-game savvy in ways Norris certainly wasn't. How the coaching search dovetails with the season is going to be a realllly interesting subplot because while they won't just keep winning every match, it's going to be extremely hard to take the job from him if the success keeps up. He definitely plays up the positive Kenergy schtick a bit, but it all seems very earnest.
- I think I saw Obaze walking around with no brace or anything after the game? Can anyone confirm?
Hina is a masterpiece, Mueller gets my vote, so impt on both ends. My POTM goes to Coffey, her engine did not quit today when things looked so so she just kept popping up all over the field. connected everything.
Some notes for me also (but more long-winded lol):
I do think some of this is just the team being uber talented and finally gelling after a lot of changes from last season, but yeah there are definitely tweaks...like Hina as a pivot, Soph generally on the wings and involved in the buildup a lot more (and playing some defense!), and of course Sinc as a starting 9. I haven't scrolled through and read comments on STF yet to gauge the temp here re: Gale, but I feel like I might be in the minority in that I still wanna see more before declaring him saviour of the Thorns (like I see elsewhere on social media)...Norris also had the benefit of having a really good roster last year, and it damn well almost got him some silverware, but the play was never great and it got worse the second half of the season and into this one. His tactics with Houston's roster would've had much different results. I DO think Gale is a better coach than Norris, no doubt. I just don't wanna make the same mistake with Gale because, if I'm trying to be clear-eyed....our "get-right" game was against a Houston team that might just be their worst in franchise history, Chicago- pretty good game plan no notes, BFC- pretty lucky and looked pretty bad outside of those 2 early goals (also an expansion team), Spirit- solid first half but pretty poor second half reminiscent of the BFC game (but solid win!), and the Reign- really bad team (and yet, still a poor first half.) There's good improvements, don't get me wrong, but at this point I still feel like I want a new high-quality experienced coach with a clear plan for the long haul. Gale has been a nice change, but I'm not sure what his style is yet and I really don't like that we've sat back in multiple games now...we are a high-pressing team and I wanna see more of that, and not sitting back in a low block for 80 mins after we score a quick 2.
So, while the emotional response after a Seattle slaughter would be to just give him the keys, I want more than just the 5 game data set (against some bad teams.) Next game will be against Houston, again, and won't tell us much if we earn the W (although we DO tend to wilt in the southern cities.) And then Orlando away and Courage home after that..which WOULD both be true tests. I think most of his decisions have been mostly good and he does more in-game tweaks than Norris did, but he's started to do the prearranged 60' subs again that Norris did every game regardless of game state that makes me crazy lol. Sinc's minutes are now being stretched back to 60', and it's been a mistake in the past 2-3 games. I appreciated how he played her 45' and that was it, for the first couple games. She didn't do much last night (except a nice hockey-assist on the first goal) and really hampers any fast play style when she's on the field that long. Also, as you've mentioned....Sinc and Moultrie should def not be on the field at the same time. We had 1 F on the field and no wingers for 60 minutes lol. Not a lot of shots on goal or creation the first half. FB's were the only width...thankfully Seattle doesn't have the offense to take advantage of that on the wings. I was confused why we didn't come out hot for a rivalry game at home against a team vulnerable to a press and likely would've been unable to mount any comeback because of their schedule this week. And yet we still sat back and let them dictate play the first half. Some incredible play at the very end, but I thought the first half was slow and stale, besides Moultrie's goal. Linnehan should be starting at this point while Weaver is out (and I'd argue even when she's back.) Beckie is so hot and cold even in the same game. She's real fast and can carry the ball up field well, but she lacks creativity and seems to not know what to do when she gets into the final 3rd....she either gets her pocket picked pretty easily or she just blindly crosses it into the opposition. She's gotta learn some patience in the final 3rd and in her decision-making. She also still continues to be a turnover machine...
Lots to like about this game after Sinc and Fleming came out...the team just looked more coordinated and on the same page. The press was more effective. Speaking of Fleming...man I'm still just like waiting for more from her. I was hoping a coaching shift might help (it has some!), but I still just think her pedigree demands more. It's not that she isn't trying...she runs around a lot, but I literally forget she's out there every game. There's much cheaper midfielders out there doing the same or more/better work than she has so far in this league. She's gotta step it up and find the ball more.
I do wanna re-watch this one and watch the FB's more...I thought Müller had a great game, as you've mentioned and she seems like quite the steal. She seems like a wonderful person and teammate as well. I love Payne's speed and I can see the potential with her technique and defending as well....she does gotta work on her passing though. I remember both FB's gave the ball to the Reign a few times with poor passing (Müller mostly was later game...so she was prob just gassed.) Even having a fast player back there changes a lot, just because opposing teams will know if they can't just try and run in behind and will have to try a different game plan. But she is very young (basically a rookie in terms of pro-experience), so I'm hopeful she can be a real nice option. And if she can clean up her passing, she might take that starting spot! Good to have her and Reyna competing for it right now. (Also, might I suggest trying Payne on the wing as a late game winger sub, also?)
Re: Sam, I think I heard either her or coach say in a past presser that Sam was asked to get up more into the attack, so yeah def intentional (and I love that she gets to use some of those skills of hers as well!)
Soph's passing! Where are all those loud folks yelling about how she's selfish and never passes? While I don't love her pushed wide, I do love seeing her develop these other skills in real time. It's not perfect yet, but boy, the difference between last night and a game 3 years ago is wild. She's really becoming a more well-rounded teammate and she's even playing some defense! As a F who loved to play defense (I was kinda psycho and I hated to lose the ball lol), it made me crazy that she used to do like 0 defense...so I am so pleased, and I think it helps the team so much more. They're defending much more as a team, and everyone is responsible. Anyways, Soph is world-fucking-class holy cow.
Hina, no notes. Just, every game I watch I'm just in awe.
Obaze, I saw pictures and I didn't see any brace. I, too, was on the lookout lol.
Although I'd probably give him a little more credit tactically, I very much agree re: Gale and not getting over our skis after five matches. The big question for me, as I mentioned, is that the timing is going to make it a really hard choice if they're looking to hire during the season. Just practically speaking from an organizational perspective, are they really going to yank the team away from him after the Olympics if, say, they're top three, he's won over 75% of his games, and the vibes remain tremendous? That's a huge risk because if you do that and the team DON'T go on to be significantly better (i.e win trophies)...hoo boy. You better absolutely NAIL that managerial hire or the players (and fans) will be pissed.
If they're waiting to hire until the end of the season, the process gets a little easier: See how Gale does results-wise through a full season and give him a fair shot through the interview process. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out, but if they are going to hire him permanently, they shouldn't remove the interim tag until after the season.
Agreed that Fleming needs to show a little more, though she's been much better lately. I don't really like thinking about it in terms of price tag because her style/roll is much more of a connector/energizer bunny, and I think she's done really well since Gale took over in that regard. I just don't think they can get away with playing all three of Hina, Fleming, and Moultrie at the same time- They're all players who want to get on the ball, are good distributors, and lack pace; and there's not enough ball for three of those players plus Sam. Two of the three with a real winger is the way to go. I think the uptick in pace was really just due to Sinc coming off the field for Linnehan and Liv getting to play central than anything else. I appreciate that everyone is happy to see Sinc not stink it up quite as bad as she usually does, but the fact that they've won five straight should not be a green light to start her. Correlation not equalling causation etc etc. Also! Soph on the wing is BAD! I'm glad both for the Thorns and her own personal development that she's evolved to where she can create from the wing a little bit, but you do not stick her wide to accommodate Sinc when there are good options behind her! You just don't!
Also agree that Payne has a ways to go technically with the ball, but her defensive positioning and tackling is light years ahead of where I thought it would be after the KC match. She's really good at tracking down runners with her speed and then getting her body between the opposition and the ball- She had a few excellent defensive plays on King called fouls that were just objectively incorrect decisions. Totally agree that they should push her high on the wing ahead of Reyes or Kling when the Thorns are protecting a lead.
Yeah, Obaze definitely joined the players lap around the stadium to thank the fans. In street clothes, but no brace and no noticeable limp. Was chatting with Muller most of the way and seemed in very good spirits from what I could tell. Very encouraging!
I know Seattle is not that good, but I still believe they have parts that are good. That ref last night was driving me mad accepting their diving as fouls, yet not doing the same on the other side.
Overall, the Thorns are getting better. My perspective is Norris was too predictable with his tactics, didn’t utilize the capable midfielders he has in the build up, and didn’t fully appreciate how good Hina is as distributor. He may be a smart tactical guy and a stubborn person who doesn’t deviate when teams adjust. Coming up with good tactics and not using them consistently enough to offset bad tactics is interesting. This roster is both deep and talented.
Muller was fantastic last night. Defensively sound dispossession machine with good offensive instincts. That might have been the best overall I’ve seen from a FB on the Thorns.
Payne is an eraser with her speed. Two plus games in a row against dangerous athletic players. Usually King gives us fits because of her speed. Not last night.
Side note, I thought Reyes played well in limited minutes.
The year away from soccer has made Beckie more aggressive and taken the tentativeness away. This is the best form I’ve seen from here at any of her stops since Texas Tech.
Linnehan doesn’t look like a rookie. She has been extremely impressive anytime she’s walked in. See real on field presence and chemistry with Smith. Before she scored, that one near miss kind of increased the energy level at the park.
Hina’s and Sam’s performances were very good.
All these great performances aside, WOTM is still Sophia Smith. Is it me or is she getting better at keeping the ball in crowded situations?
About Sophia, I tend to agree she has improved a bit in crowded situations. Most importantly she doesn’t rush headlong into them as much as she has in previous seasons. Nonetheless, she needs to continue working on dishing the ball to others before getting overwhelmed by crowds and losing the ball.
I actually think she's gotten a lot better at doing exactly that: She's been picking her head up for the cutback more often than not lately, hence all the assists. She's still going to dribble down the occasional rabbit hole because she's so talented that it's worth the occasional giveaway, but she's done that much less frequently this season.
The issue for me is still very much on the technical side where she needs to make her passes much more receiver friendly and make sure she focuses on where the ball goes. She tends to absolutely laser passes into feet- Both Hina and Linnehan's finishes were extremely difficult.
Those were two of the best and most difficult one-time finishes you could ask to see. The ball to Hina was a bouncing rocket onto her right foot and Linnehan's goal was one time across her body --one of the hardest techniques to pull off-- though you're right that the ball from Soph wasn't what made it difficult. Both were extremely challenging finishes with low xG probabilities.
Regardless, this is more of a commentary on her passing overall. She still struggles with her focus and passing in tight spaces- There were a few times in the first half alone where she over/under played simple passes that ended counterattacks. It's really just a nitpick because she's so damn good at everything else, but it's perfectly fair to point out elements of her game in need of work.
Smith can't be too bad at dishing the ball since she's leading the league in assists. Agreed that she has a tendency to try to dribble through trouble too much, but she's become much better about passing than, say, two years ago, and also sometimes she's so far ahead of everyone else that there's no one to pass to.
Had been under the impression she's getting hammered less this season but the raw #s don't agree. 2023, 27 fouls suffered in 18 games; '24, 17 fouls suffered in 9.
But there are fouls and there are fouls; maybe she's not being decked as often? (Plus the abundant no-calls.) Part of becoming an elite attacker is minimizing the physical abuse you draw, otherwise the career, it is short.
They opened up with a fairly static press due mainly to Sinc being the point of the spear. She was useless as a presser. She even poked the ball loose one time and didn't even bother to follow it up. It's no accident that possession turned once she came out. One goal with her in and three with her out. They are two different teams because of one player.
Being charitable I wonder how much of that was deliberate? Seattle’s coming off 2 hard matches in the last week, so the Thorns come out and play conservative, let the Reign run themselves out for a bit, then bring in the speed to hit them when they’re winded. I’m never a fan of the defensive minded approach, but giving a weary team the rope a dope has a nice sound to it
I don't know. It looked to me the Reign was playing the game the way they wanted to play up until Liv's goal. They came in hoping to sneak one past us or would have been very happy to come out with a 0-0 draw. They completely deflated after the PK. Agree with the comments above re Muller, Linneham, Payne. Muller is a great find, and Linneham might be the goal scoring complement to Smith that has been so sorely lacking. I just don't know about this turnaround. Apparently the players are willing to play for Gale in a way they would't play for Norris. Anyway, I'm giving myself an "attaboy" for being a vocal proponent (and others) for Norris out.
We had season tickets last season and I was not a fan of their game strategy. I chalked it up to too much organizational change in too short a time. However, they just looked disorganized. Happy Norris stepped in to stabilize stuff - and happy the Thorns didn’t can him outright - but he was the wrong guy for the job.
Gale said something similar in his presser. But also.....the Thorns were on more rest, are a much better team, and have been crushing teams with the early high press. As always, it's more tiring to play without the ball than with it, so gifting a tired team possession is counterintuitive imo.
Yeah, I mentioned this above...def agree. I was baffled why we started so slow. I was like "is it Sinc?" "is this deliberate?"
It was like thee perfect game to start hot and deflate your rivals as early as possible...really didn't like the gameplan. The first 60+ minutes weren't great...
Really it's going with Sinc AND Moultrie out wide- Can't really press with that lack of energy and pace! Liv had a fine game and scored a great goal, but I'd rather see her start in place of Fleming or come off the bench than play her on the wing. Force-feeding her minutes ain't it.
Yeah, it seems pretty clear that Sam and Hina have carved their names in stone as the pivot...with either Fleming or Moultrie being the additional advanced midfielder. The inverted winger thing does not work for Moultrie lol, and yes, you gotta just accept that she's a 10 and that's where you gotta play her.
I still think Beckie isn't starting material and wish we had better starting RW (instead of Izzy or Dias on the roster), but with Weaver out it should be those her and Linnehan + Soph starting.
I still just don't know how to work Sinc in. We've tried the first half/start...which has worked well to get some early goals. But it def shouldn't be longer than 45', and, it still pushes Soph to the wing for a whole half to accommodate that. But we can't put Sinc in the 10 at all....so, what do we dooo? Stick with the first half and Soph on the wing? Give her the end-game minutes to hold off a game in the 9? Can't really be if we're behind or tied, though, because we need all the spark we can get to get a goal (and Soph centrally) and she's not that...I honestly just don't know what's best.
Per Gale's post-game interview, that's exactly what he mentioned as the Thorns' strategy for that game- he said, knowing the Reign were on short rest and on the road, the plan was to control the ball, play through their press, and bring in "the longs," as he called them, late when the Reign had been chasing the game for awhile already. He also talked about emphasiing ball control (in a specific tactical way that i didn't understand) in the offensive end to make their CB's work harder, wear them out, for the same reason, while being careful not to allow easy counterattacks going the other way.
Hearing that explanaation made the starting lineup make a lot more sense, keeping the faster wingers in reserve, as well as the decision to have Payne shadow King (and to body Balcer, I noticed, on every set piece). And his plan seemed to work perfectly because after Beckie's and Linnehan's fresh legs came in, the game turned into a virtual shooting gallery for the Thorns late- the Reign were just (understandably) gassed.
Sam Coffey does appear to be pressing more (this is great), Payne appears to be pretty solid, and Hina is my ride-or-die on this team. Love the new game strategy.
Knowing that Hina is there to pick up the mess and that Müller and Payne have jets to help out probably frees up Coffey to get more aggressive and press harder. It was a much bigger risk when she was a lone 6.
Nothing technical to add. This team is playing with joy and have become a squad to behold. Can't WAIT for the KC rematch (6-23) but before that is a trip to Orlando (5-24).
How many of y'all are driving to Lumen on 6-16 to make pests of yourselves?
She seems like a pretty down-to-earth, well-adjusted person. She describes a topsy-turvy series of changes in her life with remarkable perspective and poise. Admirable in one so young, or indeed at any age.
An improbable sequence that led to her even finding out about it. The possibilities for discovering her condition the wrong way were limitless and bless her for trying to get the word out, now.
Great story! Thank you. One of her fellow countrymen almost died on the pitch from an undiagnosed cardio problem. Good for her to raise awareness. I hope she finds a career she loves.
LMAO Paige Nielsen last kick of the game winner against ACFC for Houston. Gotta imagine that feels damn good after they shipped her to Texas just to cut salary.
Kel's f-bomb at the presser, dressed as a quote, is epic.
Had herself a game, she did. Very happy for her.
ETA Remember Marc Skinner? His Man U squad won their first Women's FA Cup vs. Tottenham, today. IIUC first time since 2012 a team other than the three-headed Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool (or is it Man City?) beast has the crown.
What a game! Nice for the Thorns to get a big win over Seattle, and get a lot of really good performances as well. I have to say the pivotal moment was the goal line clearance sequence, with Hogan making a huge save followed up by Hubly making the clearance at the line. Just an amazing moment of the game to keep the 1-0 lead.
Smith has been so good this year, and her passing has definitely improved over the years. Even simple passes to open teammates will help her game a lot, and she is getting a lot better at those cut back passes that have led to a number of goals.
Payne had another nice game. She is playing a lot more conservative, and is staying focused on taking out the winger she is responsible for. Facing Rodman and then King isn't an easy task and she has done quite well. Its a big change from early in the season where she ran herself out of position trying to make plays. If she can continue to improve we might have a potential regular starter there. I still prefer Reyes, but Payne is making a good argument.
Finally, I do believe there is a lot of work to do on this team. We were only up 1 goal late in the game and then exploded for 3 late goals, and one on a questionable PK call. Its good to put teams to the sword late, but I'll be honest its better to do it early. The game against Orlando in a couple of weeks is going to be a great measuring stick. They seem to be playing really well, and the Thorns will have their work cut out for them. But this team is starting to round into form and its been a great run to date!
So, this match could have easily ended up quite differently than the 4-0 scoreline suggests. It was 1-0 until the 80th, and we had two great goal-line clearances by Hubs and Muller. The biggest problem I saw with Seattle is that they simply ran out of gas. Our three non PK goals all were freakin' gorgeous finishes, but they also were situations when the goal scorer was poorly marked, which I take to be a sign of opponent fatigue.
Yeah, Gale got the first half team wrong. I will say that Seattle generated almost nothing through open play- Almost all of their chances were from set pieces, many of which were extremely soft if not outright incorrect decisions. Seattle had more possession, but were hardly dangerous with it....which is really the story of their season.
Also saw that Mariona Caldentey is said to be headed to Arsenal from Barcelona....I saw maybe a week or two ago that she was linked to the Spirit (at least in the sense that the Spirit were interested), so I'm pleased to see she chose elsewhere.
I was hard on Karina LeBlanc earlier this season, but now I've got to walk that back. Müller, Obaze, Payne, Linnehan, and others have boosted our team, and KK deserves credit for that. Well done Karina!
The person to whom you really owe the credit, as regards the international signings, is Mike Smith. That's what I've been told directly by folks who know.
One of the positives of being the boss is you hire people who fill your gaps. If Mike Smith deserves credit, so does the person that hired Mike Smith
Not necessarily in all cases. One of the signings very nearly got screwed up by Karina. Won't say which one, but that's fact.
All I know is she is the GM of a team that looks like they brought in a lot of great talent and resigned Sophia to a 1 year contract
I know the player in question is Obaze.
If the org sees Smith as a viable option to replace Karina
Did you see Gale’s postgame presser? He brought Mike Smith(?) with him to the podium- and the story he told will make you more of a fan of both men I think
Did not see it, no. And I don't know for sure about all the international signings. But I know for one that the credit really went to Smith and that KK *very nearly* screwed it up and it took some last-minute un-screwing by others to fix it.
What happened?
All GMs have scouting teams, though. We can give KK credit for getting the deals done without giving her ALL the praise for talent ID. It's not even really her job to scout. Signing players is an organizational process, especially in soccer.
If true then his new jerb is the jerb he should have.
Think he'll attend next fall's College Cup? That could be a thing.
Which is what's weird about supposedly giving Norris the job that Smith was doing.
There are many great players on the Thorns, but there are only two that i can think of who have the type of talent to, at any time, pull off a move that makes you gasp- that's Smith, and Hina. In Saturday's game, Sugita's hook slide tackle/pop-up/take the ball upfield, without the ball ever leaving her feet, was one of those moves. Just so fortunate we get to regularly see such talented players in their primes.
Hina baiting the Orlando D into a double team and then splitting it w/ a backheel during last year's opener will always be one of my favorite athletic moves that I've witnessed in person. The delayed and stunned reaction of the crowd (not to mention JP Dellacamera) and the fact it lead to Soph assisting Michelle V. for a goal make that sequence especially memorable. I believe Hina has said that the freedom to make those sorts of moves is something that drew her to the Thorns.
I can watch that sequence on repeat for ridiculous lengths of time.
That was her "Hina-san, they have FAMILIES" move. My clip-o-the-season.
Those things she does makes me laugh every time because she's just so, like, polite about it lol....she just kinda gets in there and gently scoops it up as if to say "excuse me, I'm just gonna grab this, thank you" before she's out and off to dish a lovely pass. I just love watching her so much!
One of my favorite YouTubes is Hina versus the USWNT at the 2019 She Believes Cup. Playing against the very best players in the NWSL: Julie Ertz, Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath (another Thorns player that made me gasp). No wonder they wanted to bring her here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQJXGW8phIM
Hina is a futsal player playing outdoor soccer. So fun to watch, and can really put defenders on skates. And Smith is starting to really show her strength out there, as she has run through a number of attempts to bring her down. They are both so much fun to watch out there!
I’m very glad the Thorns now have a coach (even if interim) who recognizes Hina’s skills and uses her in ways that maximize her contributions to the team and is really enjoyable to watch.
There were so many players we could call POTM in this game. The biggest take away I have is Gale is a more dynamic coach willing to change tactics when they aren't working.
I also want to say that the Thorns have an excellent crew of FB's. I agree Müller might be the best in the league now Fox is gone and Payne may be the fastest and way more technical than I thought she would be. Reyes is lockdown smothering defender and Kling has lost a step, but is still a master dribbler and canny defender.
The backline really stood up in this game. The slow first half may have been a rope a dope, but in the second half they totally eclipsed the Reign.
One thing seems to be missing from this Thorns team is an enforcer like Rocky or Horan. The Reign needed to deserve the fouls.
Payne is kinda fun.
Fast is fun! I have always enjoyed watching fast players: Raso, Carpenter, Smith, Weaver, Menges, Purse, and now Linnehan, Müller and Payne. A couple of times Payne just put on a speed show. I am pretty sure she is not Chawinga fast, but pretty close. Speaking of speed Beckie has always been a fast player, but now she seems to have and extra gear.
There are a lot of fast players in the NWSL now with so many new players from Africa. This league, that has always been known as fast and athletic, is going to be even faster. We are fortunate to have two fast fullbacks in Müller and Payne for defending these speed demons.
I agree - Beckie seems faster now. Or perhaps there's more of a freedom to use it. Either way, it's good!
Sinclair isn’t getting much loving here, but go back to the start of the sequence which lead to the first goal. It was an epic battle between CS and two Reign players at midfield for control of the goal kick. Sinc wins the battle w a lovely flick on header to Smith’s feet which she carries forward to the box before cutting it back to OM. Unfortunately all the replays start at the point where SS cuts the ball back. None of that happens w/o Sinc winning the first ball. I also saw her drop back into the midfield and set several double teams forcing the Seattle player to pass back. Sometimes success is simply measured in getting the opponent to make a pass they don’t want to make.
The problem is that she NEEDS to have those direct goal contributions to make it even 50% worth it because she's so, so limiting everywhere else, including defensively. The Thorns were farrr below the level they should have been at against a team like Seattle until the 60th minute when Linnehan and Beckie came on and instantly changed the way the Thorns could press. Gale also had to rotate Soph and Liv across the front line constantly in the first half because Seattle was finding the open diagonal to whatever side of the field Sinc was supposed to be on.
I'm happy she's been better lately than then the actively damaging presence she's been for much of the last three seasons, but MAN this team is so good when they get the kids on the field and let them run. Might have been 6 or 7 if Linnehan starts and they run the high press from the get go.
^^^ This ^^^
Admit heartburn every time she starts but coach has sorted out capitalizing on her strengths and reducing the impact of her deficits. She remains crafty, field-aware, connected to her teammates, still helpfully tall and strong (underappreciated how strong), even scores. That goal vs Spirit? Only Hina could do that too, and it was the game-winner.
Just soooo frustrating when there's a ball to be collected and she's the only Thorn nearby.
Also when she came off and told Janine Beckie to "Fuck them up!" was hilarious.
I have to admit Gale is squeezing everything he can out of Sinclair. The situation might be that THIS team needs veteran leadership on the field. The best players on the team are really young and simply might not be ready to take the reigns at this moment. I think Sinclair has been effective in the games with Gale as HC.
Gale can say whatever he wants about keeping the old tactics yada yada, but teams rarely just *figure it out* like this without some real changes. Re-watch the 13 minutes of added time- They're just absolutely toying with Seattle (again, someone needed to bring out the olés!) and the movement/understanding is worlds apart from a month ago. Coffey, Moultrie, and Hina floating around off each other in the midfield. Linnehan and Beckie combining with Soph down the wings. Maybe some of it *is* actually just getting real time to play together, but this looks a totally different group.
Other notes:
- The team played excellently in the 2nd half, but playing Sinc and Moultrie together was a flat out mistake. Even with Weaver out, we have non-Sinc options. Beckie or Linnehan (or both) should be starting. If Seattle wasn't so impotent, that decision could have been much more detrimental. Angeli mentioned it throughout the first half on coms, but it was surprising to see them *not* press Seattle.....especially given how the Thorns lit them up with the second half press once Linnehan and Beckie came on. Also....just more Linnehan pls. Girl is electric.
- Müller's a freakin machine. There's a legitimate (non-homer!) argument to be made that she's the best all-around LB in the league already. I knew the technical stuff would translate, but she's taking it to the opposition physically as well. Gonna plan to do a deep dive on her once I'm back stateside.
- Payne has that RB spot locked up until further notice. Really impressive b2b against Rodman and King. The pace is obvious, but she's actually developing into a really smart technical defender too.
- Is it just me or has Sam decided to start carrying the ball forward a lot more over the past few weeks? If she adds a little explosive burst forward to go with her other tools.......!
- Soph's technical passing still ain't great, but her vision is improving game by game. 8 goals and 6 assists in NINE GAMES! What even is that?
- Hina remains the most important non-Soph Thorn. Brilliant, brilliant player.
- Gale seems beloved, but also legitimately in-game savvy in ways Norris certainly wasn't. How the coaching search dovetails with the season is going to be a realllly interesting subplot because while they won't just keep winning every match, it's going to be extremely hard to take the job from him if the success keeps up. He definitely plays up the positive Kenergy schtick a bit, but it all seems very earnest.
- I think I saw Obaze walking around with no brace or anything after the game? Can anyone confirm?
Hina is a masterpiece, Mueller gets my vote, so impt on both ends. My POTM goes to Coffey, her engine did not quit today when things looked so so she just kept popping up all over the field. connected everything.
Some notes for me also (but more long-winded lol):
I do think some of this is just the team being uber talented and finally gelling after a lot of changes from last season, but yeah there are definitely tweaks...like Hina as a pivot, Soph generally on the wings and involved in the buildup a lot more (and playing some defense!), and of course Sinc as a starting 9. I haven't scrolled through and read comments on STF yet to gauge the temp here re: Gale, but I feel like I might be in the minority in that I still wanna see more before declaring him saviour of the Thorns (like I see elsewhere on social media)...Norris also had the benefit of having a really good roster last year, and it damn well almost got him some silverware, but the play was never great and it got worse the second half of the season and into this one. His tactics with Houston's roster would've had much different results. I DO think Gale is a better coach than Norris, no doubt. I just don't wanna make the same mistake with Gale because, if I'm trying to be clear-eyed....our "get-right" game was against a Houston team that might just be their worst in franchise history, Chicago- pretty good game plan no notes, BFC- pretty lucky and looked pretty bad outside of those 2 early goals (also an expansion team), Spirit- solid first half but pretty poor second half reminiscent of the BFC game (but solid win!), and the Reign- really bad team (and yet, still a poor first half.) There's good improvements, don't get me wrong, but at this point I still feel like I want a new high-quality experienced coach with a clear plan for the long haul. Gale has been a nice change, but I'm not sure what his style is yet and I really don't like that we've sat back in multiple games now...we are a high-pressing team and I wanna see more of that, and not sitting back in a low block for 80 mins after we score a quick 2.
So, while the emotional response after a Seattle slaughter would be to just give him the keys, I want more than just the 5 game data set (against some bad teams.) Next game will be against Houston, again, and won't tell us much if we earn the W (although we DO tend to wilt in the southern cities.) And then Orlando away and Courage home after that..which WOULD both be true tests. I think most of his decisions have been mostly good and he does more in-game tweaks than Norris did, but he's started to do the prearranged 60' subs again that Norris did every game regardless of game state that makes me crazy lol. Sinc's minutes are now being stretched back to 60', and it's been a mistake in the past 2-3 games. I appreciated how he played her 45' and that was it, for the first couple games. She didn't do much last night (except a nice hockey-assist on the first goal) and really hampers any fast play style when she's on the field that long. Also, as you've mentioned....Sinc and Moultrie should def not be on the field at the same time. We had 1 F on the field and no wingers for 60 minutes lol. Not a lot of shots on goal or creation the first half. FB's were the only width...thankfully Seattle doesn't have the offense to take advantage of that on the wings. I was confused why we didn't come out hot for a rivalry game at home against a team vulnerable to a press and likely would've been unable to mount any comeback because of their schedule this week. And yet we still sat back and let them dictate play the first half. Some incredible play at the very end, but I thought the first half was slow and stale, besides Moultrie's goal. Linnehan should be starting at this point while Weaver is out (and I'd argue even when she's back.) Beckie is so hot and cold even in the same game. She's real fast and can carry the ball up field well, but she lacks creativity and seems to not know what to do when she gets into the final 3rd....she either gets her pocket picked pretty easily or she just blindly crosses it into the opposition. She's gotta learn some patience in the final 3rd and in her decision-making. She also still continues to be a turnover machine...
Lots to like about this game after Sinc and Fleming came out...the team just looked more coordinated and on the same page. The press was more effective. Speaking of Fleming...man I'm still just like waiting for more from her. I was hoping a coaching shift might help (it has some!), but I still just think her pedigree demands more. It's not that she isn't trying...she runs around a lot, but I literally forget she's out there every game. There's much cheaper midfielders out there doing the same or more/better work than she has so far in this league. She's gotta step it up and find the ball more.
I do wanna re-watch this one and watch the FB's more...I thought Müller had a great game, as you've mentioned and she seems like quite the steal. She seems like a wonderful person and teammate as well. I love Payne's speed and I can see the potential with her technique and defending as well....she does gotta work on her passing though. I remember both FB's gave the ball to the Reign a few times with poor passing (Müller mostly was later game...so she was prob just gassed.) Even having a fast player back there changes a lot, just because opposing teams will know if they can't just try and run in behind and will have to try a different game plan. But she is very young (basically a rookie in terms of pro-experience), so I'm hopeful she can be a real nice option. And if she can clean up her passing, she might take that starting spot! Good to have her and Reyna competing for it right now. (Also, might I suggest trying Payne on the wing as a late game winger sub, also?)
Re: Sam, I think I heard either her or coach say in a past presser that Sam was asked to get up more into the attack, so yeah def intentional (and I love that she gets to use some of those skills of hers as well!)
Soph's passing! Where are all those loud folks yelling about how she's selfish and never passes? While I don't love her pushed wide, I do love seeing her develop these other skills in real time. It's not perfect yet, but boy, the difference between last night and a game 3 years ago is wild. She's really becoming a more well-rounded teammate and she's even playing some defense! As a F who loved to play defense (I was kinda psycho and I hated to lose the ball lol), it made me crazy that she used to do like 0 defense...so I am so pleased, and I think it helps the team so much more. They're defending much more as a team, and everyone is responsible. Anyways, Soph is world-fucking-class holy cow.
Hina, no notes. Just, every game I watch I'm just in awe.
Obaze, I saw pictures and I didn't see any brace. I, too, was on the lookout lol.
Although I'd probably give him a little more credit tactically, I very much agree re: Gale and not getting over our skis after five matches. The big question for me, as I mentioned, is that the timing is going to make it a really hard choice if they're looking to hire during the season. Just practically speaking from an organizational perspective, are they really going to yank the team away from him after the Olympics if, say, they're top three, he's won over 75% of his games, and the vibes remain tremendous? That's a huge risk because if you do that and the team DON'T go on to be significantly better (i.e win trophies)...hoo boy. You better absolutely NAIL that managerial hire or the players (and fans) will be pissed.
If they're waiting to hire until the end of the season, the process gets a little easier: See how Gale does results-wise through a full season and give him a fair shot through the interview process. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out, but if they are going to hire him permanently, they shouldn't remove the interim tag until after the season.
Agreed that Fleming needs to show a little more, though she's been much better lately. I don't really like thinking about it in terms of price tag because her style/roll is much more of a connector/energizer bunny, and I think she's done really well since Gale took over in that regard. I just don't think they can get away with playing all three of Hina, Fleming, and Moultrie at the same time- They're all players who want to get on the ball, are good distributors, and lack pace; and there's not enough ball for three of those players plus Sam. Two of the three with a real winger is the way to go. I think the uptick in pace was really just due to Sinc coming off the field for Linnehan and Liv getting to play central than anything else. I appreciate that everyone is happy to see Sinc not stink it up quite as bad as she usually does, but the fact that they've won five straight should not be a green light to start her. Correlation not equalling causation etc etc. Also! Soph on the wing is BAD! I'm glad both for the Thorns and her own personal development that she's evolved to where she can create from the wing a little bit, but you do not stick her wide to accommodate Sinc when there are good options behind her! You just don't!
Also agree that Payne has a ways to go technically with the ball, but her defensive positioning and tackling is light years ahead of where I thought it would be after the KC match. She's really good at tracking down runners with her speed and then getting her body between the opposition and the ball- She had a few excellent defensive plays on King called fouls that were just objectively incorrect decisions. Totally agree that they should push her high on the wing ahead of Reyes or Kling when the Thorns are protecting a lead.
Yeah, Obaze definitely joined the players lap around the stadium to thank the fans. In street clothes, but no brace and no noticeable limp. Was chatting with Muller most of the way and seemed in very good spirits from what I could tell. Very encouraging!
I know Seattle is not that good, but I still believe they have parts that are good. That ref last night was driving me mad accepting their diving as fouls, yet not doing the same on the other side.
Overall, the Thorns are getting better. My perspective is Norris was too predictable with his tactics, didn’t utilize the capable midfielders he has in the build up, and didn’t fully appreciate how good Hina is as distributor. He may be a smart tactical guy and a stubborn person who doesn’t deviate when teams adjust. Coming up with good tactics and not using them consistently enough to offset bad tactics is interesting. This roster is both deep and talented.
Muller was fantastic last night. Defensively sound dispossession machine with good offensive instincts. That might have been the best overall I’ve seen from a FB on the Thorns.
Payne is an eraser with her speed. Two plus games in a row against dangerous athletic players. Usually King gives us fits because of her speed. Not last night.
Side note, I thought Reyes played well in limited minutes.
The year away from soccer has made Beckie more aggressive and taken the tentativeness away. This is the best form I’ve seen from here at any of her stops since Texas Tech.
Linnehan doesn’t look like a rookie. She has been extremely impressive anytime she’s walked in. See real on field presence and chemistry with Smith. Before she scored, that one near miss kind of increased the energy level at the park.
Hina’s and Sam’s performances were very good.
All these great performances aside, WOTM is still Sophia Smith. Is it me or is she getting better at keeping the ball in crowded situations?
About Sophia, I tend to agree she has improved a bit in crowded situations. Most importantly she doesn’t rush headlong into them as much as she has in previous seasons. Nonetheless, she needs to continue working on dishing the ball to others before getting overwhelmed by crowds and losing the ball.
I actually think she's gotten a lot better at doing exactly that: She's been picking her head up for the cutback more often than not lately, hence all the assists. She's still going to dribble down the occasional rabbit hole because she's so talented that it's worth the occasional giveaway, but she's done that much less frequently this season.
The issue for me is still very much on the technical side where she needs to make her passes much more receiver friendly and make sure she focuses on where the ball goes. She tends to absolutely laser passes into feet- Both Hina and Linnehan's finishes were extremely difficult.
This is an odd game to bring that up. Not sure id label either of those finishes difficult
Hina's finish was insane. She's totally off balance, yet one times it and put it right where the keeper has no chance.
Those were two of the best and most difficult one-time finishes you could ask to see. The ball to Hina was a bouncing rocket onto her right foot and Linnehan's goal was one time across her body --one of the hardest techniques to pull off-- though you're right that the ball from Soph wasn't what made it difficult. Both were extremely challenging finishes with low xG probabilities.
Regardless, this is more of a commentary on her passing overall. She still struggles with her focus and passing in tight spaces- There were a few times in the first half alone where she over/under played simple passes that ended counterattacks. It's really just a nitpick because she's so damn good at everything else, but it's perfectly fair to point out elements of her game in need of work.
Smith can't be too bad at dishing the ball since she's leading the league in assists. Agreed that she has a tendency to try to dribble through trouble too much, but she's become much better about passing than, say, two years ago, and also sometimes she's so far ahead of everyone else that there's no one to pass to.
Had been under the impression she's getting hammered less this season but the raw #s don't agree. 2023, 27 fouls suffered in 18 games; '24, 17 fouls suffered in 9.
But there are fouls and there are fouls; maybe she's not being decked as often? (Plus the abundant no-calls.) Part of becoming an elite attacker is minimizing the physical abuse you draw, otherwise the career, it is short.
They opened up with a fairly static press due mainly to Sinc being the point of the spear. She was useless as a presser. She even poked the ball loose one time and didn't even bother to follow it up. It's no accident that possession turned once she came out. One goal with her in and three with her out. They are two different teams because of one player.
Being charitable I wonder how much of that was deliberate? Seattle’s coming off 2 hard matches in the last week, so the Thorns come out and play conservative, let the Reign run themselves out for a bit, then bring in the speed to hit them when they’re winded. I’m never a fan of the defensive minded approach, but giving a weary team the rope a dope has a nice sound to it
I don't know. It looked to me the Reign was playing the game the way they wanted to play up until Liv's goal. They came in hoping to sneak one past us or would have been very happy to come out with a 0-0 draw. They completely deflated after the PK. Agree with the comments above re Muller, Linneham, Payne. Muller is a great find, and Linneham might be the goal scoring complement to Smith that has been so sorely lacking. I just don't know about this turnaround. Apparently the players are willing to play for Gale in a way they would't play for Norris. Anyway, I'm giving myself an "attaboy" for being a vocal proponent (and others) for Norris out.
We had season tickets last season and I was not a fan of their game strategy. I chalked it up to too much organizational change in too short a time. However, they just looked disorganized. Happy Norris stepped in to stabilize stuff - and happy the Thorns didn’t can him outright - but he was the wrong guy for the job.
Gale said something similar in his presser. But also.....the Thorns were on more rest, are a much better team, and have been crushing teams with the early high press. As always, it's more tiring to play without the ball than with it, so gifting a tired team possession is counterintuitive imo.
Yeah, I mentioned this above...def agree. I was baffled why we started so slow. I was like "is it Sinc?" "is this deliberate?"
It was like thee perfect game to start hot and deflate your rivals as early as possible...really didn't like the gameplan. The first 60+ minutes weren't great...
Really it's going with Sinc AND Moultrie out wide- Can't really press with that lack of energy and pace! Liv had a fine game and scored a great goal, but I'd rather see her start in place of Fleming or come off the bench than play her on the wing. Force-feeding her minutes ain't it.
Yeah, it seems pretty clear that Sam and Hina have carved their names in stone as the pivot...with either Fleming or Moultrie being the additional advanced midfielder. The inverted winger thing does not work for Moultrie lol, and yes, you gotta just accept that she's a 10 and that's where you gotta play her.
I still think Beckie isn't starting material and wish we had better starting RW (instead of Izzy or Dias on the roster), but with Weaver out it should be those her and Linnehan + Soph starting.
I still just don't know how to work Sinc in. We've tried the first half/start...which has worked well to get some early goals. But it def shouldn't be longer than 45', and, it still pushes Soph to the wing for a whole half to accommodate that. But we can't put Sinc in the 10 at all....so, what do we dooo? Stick with the first half and Soph on the wing? Give her the end-game minutes to hold off a game in the 9? Can't really be if we're behind or tied, though, because we need all the spark we can get to get a goal (and Soph centrally) and she's not that...I honestly just don't know what's best.
Per Gale's post-game interview, that's exactly what he mentioned as the Thorns' strategy for that game- he said, knowing the Reign were on short rest and on the road, the plan was to control the ball, play through their press, and bring in "the longs," as he called them, late when the Reign had been chasing the game for awhile already. He also talked about emphasiing ball control (in a specific tactical way that i didn't understand) in the offensive end to make their CB's work harder, wear them out, for the same reason, while being careful not to allow easy counterattacks going the other way.
Hearing that explanaation made the starting lineup make a lot more sense, keeping the faster wingers in reserve, as well as the decision to have Payne shadow King (and to body Balcer, I noticed, on every set piece). And his plan seemed to work perfectly because after Beckie's and Linnehan's fresh legs came in, the game turned into a virtual shooting gallery for the Thorns late- the Reign were just (understandably) gassed.
Sam Coffey does appear to be pressing more (this is great), Payne appears to be pretty solid, and Hina is my ride-or-die on this team. Love the new game strategy.
Knowing that Hina is there to pick up the mess and that Müller and Payne have jets to help out probably frees up Coffey to get more aggressive and press harder. It was a much bigger risk when she was a lone 6.
Nothing technical to add. This team is playing with joy and have become a squad to behold. Can't WAIT for the KC rematch (6-23) but before that is a trip to Orlando (5-24).
How many of y'all are driving to Lumen on 6-16 to make pests of yourselves?
OT Rikke Sevecke has an article in The Guardian's column, Moving the Goalposts about her heart condition and the end of her pro career.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/may/14/rikke-sevecke-heart-condition-denmark-football-moving-the-goalposts
She seems like a pretty down-to-earth, well-adjusted person. She describes a topsy-turvy series of changes in her life with remarkable perspective and poise. Admirable in one so young, or indeed at any age.
Very moving read, thanks.
An improbable sequence that led to her even finding out about it. The possibilities for discovering her condition the wrong way were limitless and bless her for trying to get the word out, now.
Great story! Thank you. One of her fellow countrymen almost died on the pitch from an undiagnosed cardio problem. Good for her to raise awareness. I hope she finds a career she loves.
Taylor Porter has signed with Carolina Ascent FC. Good for her!
Personally, I prefer the term "Gale Force Wins," but this works too:
https://equalizersoccer.com/2024/05/13/lauletta-is-the-rob-gale-effect-real/
LMAO Paige Nielsen last kick of the game winner against ACFC for Houston. Gotta imagine that feels damn good after they shipped her to Texas just to cut salary.
And in LA as well. I tell ya-basking in the wake of what I'll assume is AC's increasingly irritated investors is like having a spa day.
Kel's f-bomb at the presser, dressed as a quote, is epic.
Had herself a game, she did. Very happy for her.
ETA Remember Marc Skinner? His Man U squad won their first Women's FA Cup vs. Tottenham, today. IIUC first time since 2012 a team other than the three-headed Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool (or is it Man City?) beast has the crown.
Haha, Thorns *academy* is playing Wrexham Women in July at PP. is this the first paid Thorns Academy game?
And with Ryan be there drinking gin with Kelli Hubly?
What a game! Nice for the Thorns to get a big win over Seattle, and get a lot of really good performances as well. I have to say the pivotal moment was the goal line clearance sequence, with Hogan making a huge save followed up by Hubly making the clearance at the line. Just an amazing moment of the game to keep the 1-0 lead.
Smith has been so good this year, and her passing has definitely improved over the years. Even simple passes to open teammates will help her game a lot, and she is getting a lot better at those cut back passes that have led to a number of goals.
Payne had another nice game. She is playing a lot more conservative, and is staying focused on taking out the winger she is responsible for. Facing Rodman and then King isn't an easy task and she has done quite well. Its a big change from early in the season where she ran herself out of position trying to make plays. If she can continue to improve we might have a potential regular starter there. I still prefer Reyes, but Payne is making a good argument.
Finally, I do believe there is a lot of work to do on this team. We were only up 1 goal late in the game and then exploded for 3 late goals, and one on a questionable PK call. Its good to put teams to the sword late, but I'll be honest its better to do it early. The game against Orlando in a couple of weeks is going to be a great measuring stick. They seem to be playing really well, and the Thorns will have their work cut out for them. But this team is starting to round into form and its been a great run to date!
So, this match could have easily ended up quite differently than the 4-0 scoreline suggests. It was 1-0 until the 80th, and we had two great goal-line clearances by Hubs and Muller. The biggest problem I saw with Seattle is that they simply ran out of gas. Our three non PK goals all were freakin' gorgeous finishes, but they also were situations when the goal scorer was poorly marked, which I take to be a sign of opponent fatigue.
Yeah, Gale got the first half team wrong. I will say that Seattle generated almost nothing through open play- Almost all of their chances were from set pieces, many of which were extremely soft if not outright incorrect decisions. Seattle had more possession, but were hardly dangerous with it....which is really the story of their season.
I imagine their open play xG was *very* small, yeah
In the "better late than never" file: match report from Seattle - https://rivetingpdx.com/2024/05/17/thorns-fc-lit/
Was there any doubt? Save o' the week goes to Kel.
https://twitter.com/NWSL/status/1790480258707108274
OT: Miedema is leaving Arsenal for Man City.
Also saw that Mariona Caldentey is said to be headed to Arsenal from Barcelona....I saw maybe a week or two ago that she was linked to the Spirit (at least in the sense that the Spirit were interested), so I'm pleased to see she chose elsewhere.