Match Details & Discussion Thread: Thorns vs. KC Current

Good morning! Who's up for an NWSL Championship rematch with their coffee?

Apr 01, 2023

A week removed from a season-opening demolition, the Portland Thorns are back in action. This time, the defending champs face the foes they felled in the 2022 NWSL championship game: the Kansas City Current.

Storylines so far

Four goals, a clean sheet, all of the big name players scoring. Decent start for the Thornies, eh?

Portland’s runaway 4-0 win over the Orlando Pride set the perfect tone for the start of the their title defense season. Their relentless pressure in particular was a high point, as it left the Pride with no answers with or without the ball.

Portland Thorns FC @ThornsFC

Send it in the group chat… the Thorns are in KC on business 😏 #BAONPDX

On the other side of the pitch, a team that has similarly high expectations has wobbled out of the gate, dropping their first game. KC took their loss in the final last year to heart, and went out and revamped their squad. They made the marquee signing of free agency by signing Debinha, and also added NWSL veterans Morgan Gautrat and Vanessa DiBernardo to reinforce a bevy of other signings. Add in a strong class featuring second overall pick Michelle Cooper, and Kansas City looks to be a more formidable side than the one the Thorns ran over last October.

That is, if they’re healthy. Many of their key pieces are still injured or just working their way back from injury, and so Kansas City may not quite be at 100% against the Thorns.