I noticed the copyright a few weeks ago. I guess it's OK for us to type "Christine Sinclair" and not be sued for copyright violation as long as we only use it in comments.
Yeah, I know Arnold has been injured, but she's off it this week. But my guess is you want some consistently (Arnold is also leaving for intl duty soon.) And, hey, *clean sheets!*
There's no chance she doesn't start all remaining matches.
Going into this season, I thought it would be "Sinclair's Swan Song Season," but I didn't think we'd be going into Week 25 in 7th place. I figured if she was playing as much as she has been, it would mean that things had gone sideways.
Welp. Sucks to be right. And I don't pin that on Sinc. I think she's done this as well, as gracefully, and as unassumingly as she can.
I just hope we end the regular season on a roll and then go out on our shield in the 1st round. Viking funeral and all that.
I would be prettty shocked if Weaver starts at the nine in a 4-3-3, and I kinda don't really want to see her there anyway. I hate to say it, but with Turner and Smith probably not ready to play more than 30 each, Sinc is probably the best option unless you'd rather have Izzy in there instead.
Look. Whipping the butts of the Vancouver Whitecaps is indicative of nothing. Beating the 2nd string of Orlando doesn't really say a lot either. On paper, the Thorns should beat Racing Louisville, but what I am expecting is a very difficult game for the Thorns. It would be a huge thing to see whether the Thorns can maintain the shape discipline in the midfield that it showed in the Orlando match.
I'm having a hard time imagining that Sinclair will not start as center forward. Gale seems 100% committed to that, regardless of what seems common sense to me...which is that "speed kills" the opponent. Sinclair is not a member of the speed team.
I mentioned in the other thread but I’m inclined to agree with the predicted lineup and Sinc not starting, between it being a short week with her having played so many minutes on Tuesday and next weekend being her final home game (so probably starting), she’ll need to rest up today. But also I wouldn’t bat an eye if she did because, well, look at the rest of this season
I'm more focused on the bottom the table. I thought it was absurd that announcers spent so much time talking about San Diego still having a chance to make the playoffs when we've all known for weeks that their goose was cooked.
1) Sinc and Moultrie start. Sinc is playing a "false 9" which I guess means (per my observation) Moultrie is very often in the "9" position well in front of Sinc (i.e. in the "10" position).
2) Smith subs in for Sinc. But nothing at all changed in terms of how Moultrie played. I would think that because Smith in fact a "real 9" type of player, Moultrie would became the "10" most of the time (i.e. much more than when Sinc was in the game).
3) Linnehan played a lot of mid-field. No change in the way Moultrie played when Smith was on the field meant Weaver had to play midfield.
Because KK brought Janine Beckie in to take that RW spot (which was confusing at the time bc Yaz was the better player) and so Yaz was unhappy, and because there were several reasons why she thought she'd lose her starting spot. Yaz was starting by the end of the season anyways, but the ask had already been asked. So, traded her to Gotham, essentially for the pick that was Reyes.
IIRC, Portland had too many players to protect in the expansion draft and likely would have lost Ryan for nothing if they hadn't traded her. I was sorry to see her go, but glad she's had the chance to develop. The expansion draft meant we were going to lose players we wanted to keep no matter what.
This is literally a blatant lie. Ryan played over Beckie the time they were both still here. Beckie wanted to leave, but the terms didn’t end up right, then Gotham offered Ryan a much better contract and she went, so Thorns had to block Beckie’s transfer.
I get you hate Beckie, but she’s not in Portland anymore, and she had nothing to do with Ryan going. Making stuff up is just odd.
I don't hate Beckie. Not even a little! I actually really enjoy her as a human. This is just what I've heard through folks around the team that I know. Granted, it was a long time ago, so maybe the details are off. You don't have to throw out ad hominem attacks, I'm not saying anything derogatory about Janine.
Ryan wasn't starting when Beckie first got here. By the end of the season (which I said), she was.
Well you should probably get some better sources. You’ve also spread lies about Beckie wanting out. Which she’s stated herself that she didn’t at the point she got traded without her consent. So either verify what you’re saying, or stop spreading things that are false.
Someone *on STF* was the person who said that about her wanting out. They said they knew her and knew about her contract status. I could probably go back and find that post where they said that, mentioning her fiance as the main reason. They had actually said it on multiple occasions, telling folks here that "she was on her way out" and mentioned Louisville as one possibility, way before that trade had ever happened. There was reason to believe what they were saying...I didn't just make shit up out of thin air. They don't really comment here much, but what they were saying seemed reasonable. I've only repeated what that person said...I'm not spreading any lies, jesus christ.
Fair enough, and I apologise if I came across too harsh. I will say that when a player is engaged etc, that speculation about their relationship is going to impact things - to various degrees of truth - and it’s entirely my bad to have been so accusatory. I know things can get lost in translation, have been there before myself.
But genuinely, Beckie was additionally suffering from clinical exhaustion for half of the 2022 season (I think it was Meg Linnehan’s podcast she mentioned this on?) so realistically actually wasn’t the kind of asset Thorns had high on their list to keep, as they weren’t sure how she’d recover from it. Some European teams with greater depth were willing to take the risk, but it’s more difficult for a team like Thorns. But that deprecated her trade value and Ryan ended up worth more. As it happens, she did her ACL and then came back completely fine to the point Beckie ended up a trade asset. I also think Thorns mismanaged the whole thing, but I think that was more to do with advertising the project to Ryan, rather than anything to do with Beckie, who they’d half accepted may have stunted her stamina long term due to Canada over-playing her.
Thorns kinda control their own destiny here... as to whether they face guillotine, firing squad, or electric chair in the first round.
Which offers the best odds of survival?
"whether they face guillotine, firing squad, or electric chair in the first round"
------------------------
:-D :-D :-D
I'm 100% certain that it will be one of these.
Thorns fans have suffered enough this season. The sooner the suffering is ended, the better.
LET THE DRINKING AWAY OF THE DAY BEGIN!!!
Nice to see that Sinclair is copyrighted.
I hope to God we come with a ton of speed and size in the 2nd half. Weaver, Smith, Spaanstra, Turner, Muller. BRING IT!!!
But it expires when she's subbed out.
Does she enter the public domain? She's been around long enough.
:-D :-D :-D
I noticed the copyright a few weeks ago. I guess it's OK for us to type "Christine Sinclair" and not be sued for copyright violation as long as we only use it in comments.
:-)
Would think that our graphics folks could spring for a proper C
https://x.com/ThornsFC/status/1847769591881355439/photo/1
Sigh, he will never learn. Izzy/Sinc combo, with no Weaver. Up to Linnehan to do it on her own, I guess? At least he's starting Obaze/Brunn now.
Hey! Izzy scored a brace against the kindergartners. Give her some credit.
Ken would think that was a big win
I wonder if Hogan is the assumed #1 for the rest of the season
I think she has to be. Even if Arnold is fully healthy, it's not good for the team overall to keep yo-yo-ing between keepers.
Yep. Having a yo-yo for a coach isn't good either.
Yeah, I know Arnold has been injured, but she's off it this week. But my guess is you want some consistently (Arnold is also leaving for intl duty soon.) And, hey, *clean sheets!*
I'll take clean sheets over shitting the bed every day of the week, and twice on Sunday!
ROFL
DIDN'T I TELL YOU ALL SINCLAIR WOULD START?!?!?!
Two, count it, two hours ago.
(Hitting my head on my desk multiple times.)
There's no chance she doesn't start all remaining matches.
Going into this season, I thought it would be "Sinclair's Swan Song Season," but I didn't think we'd be going into Week 25 in 7th place. I figured if she was playing as much as she has been, it would mean that things had gone sideways.
Welp. Sucks to be right. And I don't pin that on Sinc. I think she's done this as well, as gracefully, and as unassumingly as she can.
I just hope we end the regular season on a roll and then go out on our shield in the 1st round. Viking funeral and all that.
I would be prettty shocked if Weaver starts at the nine in a 4-3-3, and I kinda don't really want to see her there anyway. I hate to say it, but with Turner and Smith probably not ready to play more than 30 each, Sinc is probably the best option unless you'd rather have Izzy in there instead.
I was hoping for 45 each from Soph and Reilyn, but you're prob right.
Yeah, I think y'all are right. 20-30 minutes.
Look. Whipping the butts of the Vancouver Whitecaps is indicative of nothing. Beating the 2nd string of Orlando doesn't really say a lot either. On paper, the Thorns should beat Racing Louisville, but what I am expecting is a very difficult game for the Thorns. It would be a huge thing to see whether the Thorns can maintain the shape discipline in the midfield that it showed in the Orlando match.
I'm having a hard time imagining that Sinclair will not start as center forward. Gale seems 100% committed to that, regardless of what seems common sense to me...which is that "speed kills" the opponent. Sinclair is not a member of the speed team.
I mentioned in the other thread but I’m inclined to agree with the predicted lineup and Sinc not starting, between it being a short week with her having played so many minutes on Tuesday and next weekend being her final home game (so probably starting), she’ll need to rest up today. But also I wouldn’t bat an eye if she did because, well, look at the rest of this season
Here in Week 25, the only positions on the table that are locked in are #1 and #5. That's wild(er)!
I'm more focused on the bottom the table. I thought it was absurd that announcers spent so much time talking about San Diego still having a chance to make the playoffs when we've all known for weeks that their goose was cooked.
Yeah, 6 teams have already clinched playoff berths, and 3 teams are already eliminated, before Thorns kickoff today.
So, what, 5 teams technically still alive vying for 2 spots?
If Thorns win or draw, then there's only 1 spot remaining and 4 teams at the most that are still alive going into the rest of Week 25.
Not much suspense for Decision Day weekend, huh?
Question:
1) Sinc and Moultrie start. Sinc is playing a "false 9" which I guess means (per my observation) Moultrie is very often in the "9" position well in front of Sinc (i.e. in the "10" position).
2) Smith subs in for Sinc. But nothing at all changed in terms of how Moultrie played. I would think that because Smith in fact a "real 9" type of player, Moultrie would became the "10" most of the time (i.e. much more than when Sinc was in the game).
3) Linnehan played a lot of mid-field. No change in the way Moultrie played when Smith was on the field meant Weaver had to play midfield.
I don't get it. Perhaps someone can explain it.
"Real" Nine substitute for "False" Nine.
:-D :-D :-D
Thanks to the announcer who reminded me about how bad the Thorns defense was last season. I thought I'd just imagined it.
A question unrelated to this article: Can someone tell me why the Torns let go of Yazmeen Ryan? She's one of the latest new invites to the USWNT camp.
Because KK brought Janine Beckie in to take that RW spot (which was confusing at the time bc Yaz was the better player) and so Yaz was unhappy, and because there were several reasons why she thought she'd lose her starting spot. Yaz was starting by the end of the season anyways, but the ask had already been asked. So, traded her to Gotham, essentially for the pick that was Reyes.
I'm still sad about it.
IIRC, Portland had too many players to protect in the expansion draft and likely would have lost Ryan for nothing if they hadn't traded her. I was sorry to see her go, but glad she's had the chance to develop. The expansion draft meant we were going to lose players we wanted to keep no matter what.
This is literally a blatant lie. Ryan played over Beckie the time they were both still here. Beckie wanted to leave, but the terms didn’t end up right, then Gotham offered Ryan a much better contract and she went, so Thorns had to block Beckie’s transfer.
I get you hate Beckie, but she’s not in Portland anymore, and she had nothing to do with Ryan going. Making stuff up is just odd.
Whoawhoawhoa....jesus.
I don't hate Beckie. Not even a little! I actually really enjoy her as a human. This is just what I've heard through folks around the team that I know. Granted, it was a long time ago, so maybe the details are off. You don't have to throw out ad hominem attacks, I'm not saying anything derogatory about Janine.
Ryan wasn't starting when Beckie first got here. By the end of the season (which I said), she was.
Well you should probably get some better sources. You’ve also spread lies about Beckie wanting out. Which she’s stated herself that she didn’t at the point she got traded without her consent. So either verify what you’re saying, or stop spreading things that are false.
Someone *on STF* was the person who said that about her wanting out. They said they knew her and knew about her contract status. I could probably go back and find that post where they said that, mentioning her fiance as the main reason. They had actually said it on multiple occasions, telling folks here that "she was on her way out" and mentioned Louisville as one possibility, way before that trade had ever happened. There was reason to believe what they were saying...I didn't just make shit up out of thin air. They don't really comment here much, but what they were saying seemed reasonable. I've only repeated what that person said...I'm not spreading any lies, jesus christ.
Fair enough, and I apologise if I came across too harsh. I will say that when a player is engaged etc, that speculation about their relationship is going to impact things - to various degrees of truth - and it’s entirely my bad to have been so accusatory. I know things can get lost in translation, have been there before myself.
But genuinely, Beckie was additionally suffering from clinical exhaustion for half of the 2022 season (I think it was Meg Linnehan’s podcast she mentioned this on?) so realistically actually wasn’t the kind of asset Thorns had high on their list to keep, as they weren’t sure how she’d recover from it. Some European teams with greater depth were willing to take the risk, but it’s more difficult for a team like Thorns. But that deprecated her trade value and Ryan ended up worth more. As it happens, she did her ACL and then came back completely fine to the point Beckie ended up a trade asset. I also think Thorns mismanaged the whole thing, but I think that was more to do with advertising the project to Ryan, rather than anything to do with Beckie, who they’d half accepted may have stunted her stamina long term due to Canada over-playing her.
If I recall we did a 3 way trade that resulted in us getting the draft pick that we used for Reyes?
Yaz wanted more time, Karina was gathering money to pay Dunn, and we acquired the pick used on Reyes, as you say.
I do like your proposed lineup Wilder. Sinclair has played a lot in the last two games. What about Soph, does she get 15 second half minutes?
Kanu, Sears and Beckie give them some real speed and Balcer is a classic poacher and always a threat on set pieces.
Kanu is out this game, so at least she won't score a brace on us this time!
If she does, then we're REALLY disorganized.