Had to be awfully sweet for Sinc to back up the off-season "F@$% Seattle" trash-talk and come on to Pinoe's and Fishlock's home turf and give them a taste of their own medicine with that celebration.
- That's the platonic ideal of how the substitutions should be managed: Moultrie starts, Sinc finishes when we have a lead. Reyes brings the energy when the defenders start to flag a little.
- Coffey my WOTM. Nearly perfect and completely under control the entire second half. Helped that Seattle had to play Balcer at the ten with no Fishlock or Lavelle and thus really struggled with ball progression (seriously Harvey, Quinn AND Sonnett at home??), but still a really, really good performance.
- Soph back: Not just with the goal (shoulda been two, figure your shit out VAR!), but her touch was much more confident and precise than it has been over the past month. Defenders have to see Smith on the half turn in their nightmares.
- Reyes was flawless in her 20 minutes. Third straight really nice outing from her. Looks much more composed on the ball than in her first few appearances.
- Weaver's late game energy is a marvel, and she's noticeably better at composing herself in the box to find the last pass than in years past.
- FBs were still high for the most part, but dropped back much more than they have been. Seemed like Dunn held a slightly deeper starting position as well, but I'll wait to see the pass maps to know for sure. Both FBs had a case of the giveaways in the first half and Pinoe got the better of Kuikka a few times, but nothing too severe.
Great win! Now gotta do the business on the road against Chicago and Orlando and we'll be looking pretty good heading into July.
I thought so as well! Just has been light years better than her first couple games (which weren't that long ago) We reeeelly needed her to step up, without having ANY fully healthy players who are true FB's currently, so, good on her for making the jump quite quickly.
On Wenesday Sinclair assisted to Weaver for the scorpion kick winner. On Saturday Weaver assisted to Sinclair for the F- Seattle dagger. Soph is back to being Soph and Thorns keep top of the table this week. Good times.
Race for second place put on hold, as no one team seems set for dominance regardless of various flashes in the pan so far (who, for instance, had Gotham on their contenders list in March?)
The still gaudy PTFC goal differential could come in handy when tie-break time arrives. Let's do more shutouts.
A healthy Thorns squad (knock wood) seems to have few limitations now that the rookies are finding roles. WWC break looms.
I STILL am not sold on Gotham, honestly. I get the feeling they're kinda overperforming, though I don't have any data to back that up. I think the game against the Reign and the one following they looked really good. But otherwise, it's just been kinda meh when I watch them, despite where they are. Lynn Williams makes any mid-to-mediocre team have a chance (KC, you messed up.) They got Stoney'd last night lol. Both teams didn't look great, but Wave really go for the kill in the second half of games. We play Gotham during the WC break, so it won't really be indicative of what each team brings at full strength.
Yeah, going on the eye test, I'm not sold on Gotham either. No doubt they're good, and Williams has been their star, but overall they don't look quite as good as Reign/Thorns/Wave to me.
It's SO hard to predict what's going to happen during the WWC break, but I truly think Norris & Co. have done a good job leading up to it.
With the possible exception of Rocky,* as Costa Rica is in the Group of Death alongside Spain and Japan, our missing internationals are likely to go pretty deep in the tournament. We're going to need quality performances from our depth for multiple games. Players like Reyes are finding their stride at just the right moment.
Yeah, I'm very curious who (and what positions) KK will bring in as NTRP's. Seems like they'd be signing them very soon, so they have some time to train before possibly being thrown into games.
I was looking at the games we play over that WC period....we only have 2 league games during that period. 3 for the players on the teams that get to the final, but also 3rd and 4th place...that game is the day before the final on August 19th. Aug 20th is the WC final, and we also play NC at home that day. Even the WC semis are on the 15th or 16th, so still think a good amount of players will be out for our NC game (for both sides.)
1st of those is KC at home. Yes, they won't have Debinha, but it could be pretty tough because a lot of their starters will still be around. They looked a bit better in their last game, and could be more dangerous a month from now. Even if Franch still goes (I'm unsure she does), she hasn't been playing. Otherwise, the only starting player leaving is Debinha.
2nd is Gotham away. I think we get lucky with Gotham away while they'll be missing potentially a lot of their impact players. Lynn Williams, Bruninha, Sinead Farrelly, Ifeoma Onumonu, and also possibly Kristie Mewis and Kelly O'Hara. That's significant, and we should be able to pounce on that. We'll play them full strength later at home, which should swing back in our favor.
3rd is NC at home. They do have a lot of young talent, but they could be missing: Casey Murphy, Emily Fox, Narumi Miura, Denise O'Sullivan, Victoria Pickett, and Kerolin. Should be really interesting to see which players (if any) are back for that game. I imagine many will head home or take a vacation after, rather than rushing home to play a club game.
I chose to watch at home…and then got caught up in 1) my Bride’s gardening (grunt work double-digging) and then 2) making dinner, so I missed huge chunks of this one. S’okay…I will watch tomorrow to review tape.
What I did see was both impressive and occasionally nail-bitey. Lots of great passing…and the occasional scarey giveaway. Tons of great pressing and forechecking. Bixby coming up big several times.
From what I saw, this looked like an outstanding performance, and against a good opponent. I’m stoked to be able to sit and watch the whole thing, but even more to see a solid win where we’ve often struggled. Well played, Thorns!
Honestly, the first 30 or so minutes were a little hard to watch with how much they were giving the ball away. It was both teams, but the Thorns were cagey and did look a bit rattled by Reign's press. I think Kling gave the ball away 4 times in the first 5 minutes of the game. When they had the ball, they almost looked like they didn't know what to do with it. Their decision-making was slow and that extra thinking caused a lot of blocked passes and turnovers early-on.
Soph's goal really helped them be a little braver and not overthink so much. Soph said it in her post-game interview....she noticed they were taking too long to make decisions on the ball and huddled with the team and told them they need to know what they're going to do before they get the ball, and to have more urgency. Her pep-talk diagnosed the issue pretty well, and in combo with her goal they finally came out of it a bit more.
This is just my first-watch opinion, though, and usually I have a more generous one after watching a game a second time. I'm interested in what you see when you watch the full game!
The first 30 are what got me thinking about the potential for a Brun/Menges CB pairing. It felt like Hubly struggles to see the way out of the press and puts Kuikka, Dunn, and Coffey under pressure, often leading to turnovers that get blamed on the midfield. I mentioned it in the gameday thread, but part of this is that she really likes to play the way she's facing and is slow to open up the field to the left. It was really noticeable on rewatch, especially in comparison to Menges and Becky.
1) Yes, this was a good complete game from Portland, tho the first half hour was fairly lackluster other than the Smith goal (which was utterly freakish - try that against Tullis-Joyce again and watch her stop it 8 out of 10 time, I'll bet...) as Portland struggled to pass out of the high press.
2) I suspect that Smith's diagnosis helped as much as her goal, but what also helped is that a) the fullbacks stayed home a bit more and b) missing Fishlock and Lavelle and playing Sonnett meant that the Reign's midfield was choked off near the center circle.
3) Despite that OLR started to get back into the match after the half hour and got some terrific looks between that and the first quarter hour after the restart. We were lucky they were dire finishing (0.6 PSxG on an xG over 1.5? Ummm...).
4) Absolutely right on the Norris hour subs - both Sinc and 'Brunn helped settle things down and regain control. I'm still not on the Sauerbrunn-as-Miracle Train, but she was huge in this one.
5) Another thing that made a big difference was cutting down on giveaways. I list the turnovers in the first half over at Riveting!, but suffice to say that Kling was only one of the culprits (even Sugita, usually so tidy on the ball, coughed up twice!). Overall the Thorns turned over at least 12 times in the first half and of those three led to dangerous Seattle opportunities.
6) Bixby had an exceptionally solid match, which is great and will boost her confidence.
So...still pleased with what happened, tho I suspect that the meeting here may be quite different if Fishlock and Lavelle are back in midfield. Seattle isn't the same without them...
Sounds exactly right. Smith's goal, and apparently Smith's on-field coaching, really changed our play for the better. I didn't know Smith had that in her. Cool.
The other noticeable change was when Reign was going hard early in the second half and looking a lot like they were going to score... and then suddenly they weren't anymore and we were putting the game to bed. Did anyone see a tactical switch we made to make this happen, or was it just random variation? We did make a few energy subs there, so maybe that was it.
I'd say Becky's calmness really helped, but Sinc was also much more involved(!) than Liv was. Seattle also just looked tired and out of ideas, and are severely missing that creative presence with no Fishlock or Lavelle- Way too much reliance on Rapinoe.
Playing two defensive mids nearly the whole game was a weird choice- I would have started Olo over Sonnett if I were Harvey.
Yeah, I love that she really contributes in that way. We have a lot of leaders on this team!
I agree with kielbj- bringing Sinc, Becky, (and Reyes) in at about 60' literally just killed off all of the momentum Reign had at the beginning of the second half. They really showed the youngs how to close out a game and keep the boot on the neck of the opponent, even with a small lead (it was only 1-0.) Sinc was finding much better pockets than Liv was, and with Becky they really slowed down the passing and just maintained possession. Even Kling looked immediately more comfortable. Becky just brings calm to everyone on the defensive side to the field. The Reign press was gone at that point and they were able to just kinda toy with them at that point. Reyes also nuked anything on the right side...so much so that Pinoe swapped sides.
Maybe Reign watched Barca in the a.m. and thought "Hey, we're just like Barca, let's do that!" (Get mani-pedis in the first half, gut your opponent like a trout in the second.)
Sinc did what Sinc has been doing. In hockey terms, she's skating into the high end of the slot and looking for one-timers when she's not marked. Today, some poor defending by PSWST made that strategy work.
I mean...how many times in her career has she had that shot teed up? She may not run a 4.1 40yds anymore, but give her that much time and that good a look and she sinks it 9 times out of 10.
The one she buried and the one curling one to the far post that she missed. That's totally what they're hoping to be able to do with her -- hoping she can get into those spaces unmarked and then take a crack. So, it probably make sense to use her late in the match when the legs are tired and see if she can skate in unmarked like that for a one-timer, or even do what she did the other night in flipping something to Weaver to redirect.
I thought yesterday's starting line up was excellent, and I think this is exactly what Sinc's role should be moving forward. Super sub around the 70 minute mark where she can come in without worrying about pacing herself, and use her incredible soccer acumen to move around into space and make things happen. Whether the Thorn's are winning or losing, Sinc can cause big issues for teams late game (as also shown on her assist to Weaver's goal).
And tip of the hat to Weaver for hustle and being a pest and knowing exactly where to put the ball for Sinc to score. That was an incredible sequence.
I don't believe pre-2023 Weaver sees and makes that pass, but rather tries to achieve the Weaver Angle on her own.
She talked of specialized coaching during the offseason and if this improved field vision and passing precision are products of that, then Morgan is entering the elite striker category. Lord knows, we now know Hina has been teaching her to stretch.
It is really great having players leading the line that are very willing to pass, as well as shoot, as that just leads to more chaos for the backline of opposing teams. And, just as important, having players laying in the weeds ready to make late runs like Sinc did. Once Weaver was back near the goal, all eyes were on her.
This players on this team are incredible, and it speaks highly of the players and coaches to continue learn and be unselfish. And it is great fun to watch!
It's not just her patience, either- Her quality, especially on those early wrapped left-footed back post balls (like the one Hina couldn't quiteee convert) is so, so much better. She's still prone to getting a little wild when she cuts inside, but she's improved massively this season in every aspect.
And what a great thing to have a 17-year-old who is ready to command the starting role and create a situation where the wily veteran can, and should, be used that way.
For real. Loved hearing the one goal beyond chant clearly on the TV. My wife was distracted but in the same room and said "wait I thought they were in Seattle today?" It was awesome.
Our next run of games are road games, but we shouldn't come home with less than 6 pts. Orlando this weekend...though it'll be hot Orlando weather. But, Orlando has to travel to Gotham for a mid-week CC game, whereas we don't.
After that, Chicago away.
Grab those 6 points and let's be on a good run for Spirit at home before everyone leaves for WC. Would love to go for all 9 pts in the next 3 weeks!
I wanted to elaborate on the good games everyone had:
Bixby made a bunch of great saves to preserve our lead, and also did well on claiming crosses.
Coffey was everywhere doing everything in midfield. Aside from a few stray passes early on, what a game on both sides of the ball. WOTM for me.
Dunn was her usual stellar self in midfield, pressuring and winning balls, advancing the attack, popping off the occasional shot, more or less doing everything.
Hubly, Menges, and Sauerbrunn generally kept the Reign away from goal, limiting quality looks to a few. I think the xG chart is going to show what a good game they had.
Klingenberg did a fine job controlling the ball and getting it up to Weaver & co., like for the second goal. And she did her job defending just fine, thank you very much.
Kuikka did a great job shutting down Rapinoe and also advancing the attack up the right. IMO she's the most underappreciated player on the team, and maybe in the league.
Moultrie controlled play well, especially early on. Her soccer brain is remarkable for a 17-year-old, and her on-field ability seems to grow every game.
Reyes looked like the #5 draft pick she is, defending well, winning balls, and even getting into the attack. If she keeps this up we'll all forget she's a rookie.
Sinclair brought her sharpshooter boots and used them to good effect, with two excellent shots, including the clinching goal, in her 25' of action. She also combined well up the left.
Smith did Smith things all game long, and the fact that we all know what "Smith things" are speaks to her ability to terrorize a defense. "Smith things" includes goals, and, well, ....
Sugita was her usual ball-control self, squeezing out of jams like it was nothing and nearly scoring twice.
Vasconcelos in her short minutes did well pressing and even had a shot or two.
Weaver was her usual fast and energetic self, but more than that her game has matured and she's become a whole lot more dangerous because she finds good passes now. Like that one to Sinclair!
- We beat Reign in their house! First time since 2017!
- We got a clean sheet! First time in 6 games against a non-cellar-dweller.
- We're in first place! At least until Gotham plays.
- Sam Coffey. That is all.
- Damn near every Thorn had a good game. The only ones who I didn't notice having good games were the centerbacks, and it's a Very Good Thing when you don't notice centerbacks.
- Sophia Smith ended her scoring drought. You always felt this was coming, and it was great to see it happen.
- We dominated most of the game, save a short spell early in the second half.
- Later in the second half, we controlled the game and did a good job of putting it to bed. I was really only worried about a Reign goal via some fluke - a PK or golazo or something.
- Natalia Kuikka did a great job of shutting down Rapinoe, so much so that Rapinoe eventually shifted toward the center. Reyes did almost as good a job, which is awesome for a rookie playing out of position.
- In a big game, we had our best lineup out there to start. Hooray Mike Norris!
- We subbed in Christine Sinclair for an appropriate amount of time! It worked out well.
It's funny- I've seen a couple different opinions on Kuikka vs. Rapinoe: Watching live, I thought that Rapinoe got the better of Natu 1v1, though not by a large margin. On rewatch, Kuikka did a nice job, but I still thought Pinoe was given a little too much space to get her crosses in- I actually thought Reyes did a better job overall until Harvey switched Rapinoe out right onto Kling, though Pinoe's legs had probably gone a little bit by that point.
I thought Kuikka did a good job on Pinoe. There were times Pinoe still got a good cross off, but mostly Natu had just enough pressure on her that they weren't the normal Pinoe dimes we know she still has. And Pinoe looked visibly frustrated by that during the first half.
One thing about the Reign that did surprise me was how bad PTJ was at distribution under pressure. She never got truly caught, but Weaver would come bearing down and she'd just kick it out to the opposite sideline at about 20 yards.
I think both are true. For the most part, she kept Pinoe quiet, but Pinoe only needs a few chances to make you pay. Kuikka did give her two much space on at least 2 chances that I can remember, and I thought she could've been a bit more aggressive rather than letting her get those shots off. But, Pinoe also really LOVES to get fouled in that spot right off the box...they have scored off of many set pieces from that spot, so it's def about weighing the risk. Pinoe looked pretty frustrated much of the game, which is a good sign lol.
Reyes on Pinoe was hilarious to watch, because Reyes is just this plucky young rookie (who is a tank), and she wasn't gonna give her any space. Pinoe just looked exhausted at that point.
I thought Norris' subs were great, and brought in at the right time. Although, if Kuikka never went down injured I'd have subbed off Kling instead (I'd bet that's why Harvey swapped Pinoe to the other side.)
But, Reyes looked pretty sharp (though I still prefer her on the left)! I did feel a bit nervous about how high she was getting up and often leaving Pinoe wide open (before she swapped sides), but thankfully we had the boot on the neck at that point and Pinoe never really had an opportunity.
Sinc coming on for Moultrie was the perfect way to utilize Sinc's strengths and minimize her weaknesses. She appears faster against tired legs, and her super high soccer IQ can exploit tired minds as well. Moultrie wasn't in the game a whole lot, and the combo of Sinc and Brunn (and Reyes) just utterly killed any momentum OLR was having. They calmed things down. slowed down play and totally took control.
Very glad to have Brunn back, though I would love to see a Menges/Brunn pairing. They're both calmer and more accurate on the ball. No dis to Hubs, I'd be totally fine with her and Brunn as well. Of course, WC is soon so Menges/Hubs reps are good.
Shoutout again to Reyes, who I think has overall been a solid rookie after some very nervy first games. Very happy with what we've seen consistently for many games now, and I'm pretty excited for the WC break to watch the youngs, if I'm honest! We'll def need NTRP's for M and maybe F, but with the jump in form for Vasconcelos and promising start so far from D'Aquila, I think we'll have a pretty decent starting XI. Just hoping a lot of them can go 90, because the deep depth (particularly in D) is a bit rough.
Also also, Sophia was totally onside with that last goal. VAR is worthless. Should've been a 3-0 proper drumming at the end.
Also also also: Sam Coffey. She's here, she's there, she's every-fucking-where! WOTM for me.
Liv's next developmental step is figuring out how to find the game when she's not the centerpiece of the midfield- Hina and Dunn are both so effective and constantly look for the ball, so the play often feels concentrated down the right........which was definitely the case last night.
(It's why I still l still like her as a straight centralized ten so she could get herself a little more involved, but that's not how the Thorns play the 4-3-3)
It'll be fun to see if that's more the case over the WC break. She does tend to become invisible if she's stuck on the opposite side, but, I think that was probably the game plan....keep the ball away from Huerta and you cut off most of their service. Their few chances came from Huerta ---> Pinoe, so it's super effective if they can keep her off the ball.
Tbf, I don't really think the Thorns avoided attacking through their own left hand side just to avoid Huerta going the other way. The Dror maps show Kling was still heavily involved, so it seems like more of a case of Moultrie just not being very active.
She looks very much on. The camera angle makes it look off, but the cut of the grass makes it look pretty clear- I wish I could attach a screenshot to show, but the broadcast paused the line when the ball was already a good ways off the foot. Really poor from the announcers who didn't call it out.
Agreed about them going 90. I'm hopeful this can happen because most of the non-NT bench players are pretty young. The exception I can think of is Vasconcelos, who's 29.
Wow! We're almost at the half way point power rankings
Tier One: Great
Portland - The underlying metrics love the Thorns. The Thorns finally put together a complete 90 minute performance. I think this is a substantially different team with Becky.
Tier Two: Good, not great
Seattle - the metrics like Seattle, but they look toothless without Fishlock.
Spirit - Mark is doing his thing, though I am dubious of the Spirit's depth in attack
Gotham - This is a good team at everything except the final third.
Wave - Stoney can grind out wins and draws but it's underwhelming, and hard to win a championship doing this.
Tier Three: On the cusp
Dash - I'm not sure the Dash are good at anything but they have some element of consistency which has to make them favourites to get 6th ahead of everyone else
Racing - getting a point when they had no right to can either be a sign of mentality monsters, or they were lucky. Time will tell.
Courage - 67% possession, 7 shots. Eeesh.
Tier Four: Yikes
Current - Got a win, which is enough to put them at the top of my fourth tier power rankings, and off the table
Red Stars - Two smash and grab wins sandwich getting shellacked at home in the Challenge Cup. Making the #1 draft pick race interesting
Angel City - The worst home record in the NWSL. Still, good news about the NFTs!
Looks like KCFUBAR might be exiting and KC Current might be about ready to show up. This past weekend against NC, Hamilton started and Gautrat was available as a sub. The backline is still pretty inexperienced and soft (Robinson and Soto are rookies, and Merrick is Merrick), but at least they fielded a respectable attack with Hamilton, Debinha, Kizer, Mace, Labonta, DiBernardo, and Del Fava. The fact that they still only managed 1 goal (8th minute) and 11 shots, though, says things still aren't right.
Damn, I'm just learning how to read those pass maps and that one broke my brain! How can your most dangerous player be the CB sitting deepest on the field? And the right side plays in isolation? That is a stunning map!
I have a little Jersey Mike's story. We were painting tifo pre-COVID when three big boxes of subs for the painters arrived. The Portland franchise owner is a hard-core fan. I was really impressed, and the shirt sponsorship made a lot more sense. Since then JM's has ordered their franchisees out of the sponsorship business. But she still sends us subs sometimes.
I don't know... I definitely pay good money for Bojangles at Providence Park. Dropping the anti-abortion, poor-people-robbing sponsor from the Thorns jersey and our stadium would be awesome too.
Okay, before I get too happy about this game, I have to remind myself that Reign were missing Fishlock AND Lavelle. Sure we were missing Rocky and Beckie but, um, that's not quite the same. If we meet them later in the season at full strength, it'll be a different game.
Yep. It's a good, very satisfying, much needed road win, but nothing more. Seattle's midfield is a lot different when they don't play a re-positioned CB alongside another 6.
Agree...while at the same time I was really pleased with the overall organization and discipline from the squad (less some early turnovers as they struggled yet again against the press...).
I think the real issue facing OLR is that without those two in midfield they have to pull Huerta and Balcer back, and Bennett was stone cold as in "couldn't hit water..." cold. Their PSxG was something like 0.61 on an xG over 1.5, meaning that Harvey's comment about the finishing was dead on. If they've got the MF sorted in September I think they won't be so lame in front of goal, and, yes - that's a whole 'nother nutroll...
Had to be awfully sweet for Sinc to back up the off-season "F@$% Seattle" trash-talk and come on to Pinoe's and Fishlock's home turf and give them a taste of their own medicine with that celebration.
It was sooo sweet. Just, perfect. Loved her celebration as well. She basks in in the boos just like Rapinoe and Fishlock.
BooURNS! BooURNS!
(Sinc is as old as Burns, and we have Sophia Smithers)
She wasn't basking in the boos. She has hollering at the Riveters up in the rafters.
Thoughts:
- That's the platonic ideal of how the substitutions should be managed: Moultrie starts, Sinc finishes when we have a lead. Reyes brings the energy when the defenders start to flag a little.
- Coffey my WOTM. Nearly perfect and completely under control the entire second half. Helped that Seattle had to play Balcer at the ten with no Fishlock or Lavelle and thus really struggled with ball progression (seriously Harvey, Quinn AND Sonnett at home??), but still a really, really good performance.
- Soph back: Not just with the goal (shoulda been two, figure your shit out VAR!), but her touch was much more confident and precise than it has been over the past month. Defenders have to see Smith on the half turn in their nightmares.
- Reyes was flawless in her 20 minutes. Third straight really nice outing from her. Looks much more composed on the ball than in her first few appearances.
- Weaver's late game energy is a marvel, and she's noticeably better at composing herself in the box to find the last pass than in years past.
- FBs were still high for the most part, but dropped back much more than they have been. Seemed like Dunn held a slightly deeper starting position as well, but I'll wait to see the pass maps to know for sure. Both FBs had a case of the giveaways in the first half and Pinoe got the better of Kuikka a few times, but nothing too severe.
Great win! Now gotta do the business on the road against Chicago and Orlando and we'll be looking pretty good heading into July.
That game turned completely defensively when Reyes and Becky came in
How good was it to have Becky Sauerbrunn back? There's just a calmness and aura on the backline when she plays.
She just immediately calmed everything down. Even Kling's play was better after she came on.
And there is a lack of calmness when she doesn’t, which we all notice
Reyes was great tonight. She’s starting to show a #6 draft pick value
That's three good games in a row. That's now a pattern.
If she had a full offseason, this wouldn't even be discussed rn. Trajectory is skyrocketing.
I thought so as well! Just has been light years better than her first couple games (which weren't that long ago) We reeeelly needed her to step up, without having ANY fully healthy players who are true FB's currently, so, good on her for making the jump quite quickly.
(also not to quibble, but she was pick #5!)
Ha! Oh yeah my bad! Even still, she’s been playing very well
On Wenesday Sinclair assisted to Weaver for the scorpion kick winner. On Saturday Weaver assisted to Sinclair for the F- Seattle dagger. Soph is back to being Soph and Thorns keep top of the table this week. Good times.
Playful Power Rankings
Tier 1: Nuthin But Thorns
Tier 2: Go F@$% Yourself San Diego!; The Jersey Curse
Tier 3: DC Kang; Puget Sound WoSo Team
Tier 4: Houston You Have Problems; NC Lussi
Tier 5: Loovull; Orlan D'oh; ACFCNFT
Tier 6: KCFUBAR; Chicago No Stars
Race for second place put on hold, as no one team seems set for dominance regardless of various flashes in the pan so far (who, for instance, had Gotham on their contenders list in March?)
The still gaudy PTFC goal differential could come in handy when tie-break time arrives. Let's do more shutouts.
A healthy Thorns squad (knock wood) seems to have few limitations now that the rookies are finding roles. WWC break looms.
I STILL am not sold on Gotham, honestly. I get the feeling they're kinda overperforming, though I don't have any data to back that up. I think the game against the Reign and the one following they looked really good. But otherwise, it's just been kinda meh when I watch them, despite where they are. Lynn Williams makes any mid-to-mediocre team have a chance (KC, you messed up.) They got Stoney'd last night lol. Both teams didn't look great, but Wave really go for the kill in the second half of games. We play Gotham during the WC break, so it won't really be indicative of what each team brings at full strength.
That GD for the Thorns though, whew!
Yeah, going on the eye test, I'm not sold on Gotham either. No doubt they're good, and Williams has been their star, but overall they don't look quite as good as Reign/Thorns/Wave to me.
Gotta remember... Gotham are not yet at full strength. Midge is out.
It's SO hard to predict what's going to happen during the WWC break, but I truly think Norris & Co. have done a good job leading up to it.
With the possible exception of Rocky,* as Costa Rica is in the Group of Death alongside Spain and Japan, our missing internationals are likely to go pretty deep in the tournament. We're going to need quality performances from our depth for multiple games. Players like Reyes are finding their stride at just the right moment.
* who I hope is fit in time, regardless
Yeah, I'm very curious who (and what positions) KK will bring in as NTRP's. Seems like they'd be signing them very soon, so they have some time to train before possibly being thrown into games.
I was looking at the games we play over that WC period....we only have 2 league games during that period. 3 for the players on the teams that get to the final, but also 3rd and 4th place...that game is the day before the final on August 19th. Aug 20th is the WC final, and we also play NC at home that day. Even the WC semis are on the 15th or 16th, so still think a good amount of players will be out for our NC game (for both sides.)
1st of those is KC at home. Yes, they won't have Debinha, but it could be pretty tough because a lot of their starters will still be around. They looked a bit better in their last game, and could be more dangerous a month from now. Even if Franch still goes (I'm unsure she does), she hasn't been playing. Otherwise, the only starting player leaving is Debinha.
2nd is Gotham away. I think we get lucky with Gotham away while they'll be missing potentially a lot of their impact players. Lynn Williams, Bruninha, Sinead Farrelly, Ifeoma Onumonu, and also possibly Kristie Mewis and Kelly O'Hara. That's significant, and we should be able to pounce on that. We'll play them full strength later at home, which should swing back in our favor.
3rd is NC at home. They do have a lot of young talent, but they could be missing: Casey Murphy, Emily Fox, Narumi Miura, Denise O'Sullivan, Victoria Pickett, and Kerolin. Should be really interesting to see which players (if any) are back for that game. I imagine many will head home or take a vacation after, rather than rushing home to play a club game.
I chose to watch at home…and then got caught up in 1) my Bride’s gardening (grunt work double-digging) and then 2) making dinner, so I missed huge chunks of this one. S’okay…I will watch tomorrow to review tape.
What I did see was both impressive and occasionally nail-bitey. Lots of great passing…and the occasional scarey giveaway. Tons of great pressing and forechecking. Bixby coming up big several times.
From what I saw, this looked like an outstanding performance, and against a good opponent. I’m stoked to be able to sit and watch the whole thing, but even more to see a solid win where we’ve often struggled. Well played, Thorns!
Honestly, the first 30 or so minutes were a little hard to watch with how much they were giving the ball away. It was both teams, but the Thorns were cagey and did look a bit rattled by Reign's press. I think Kling gave the ball away 4 times in the first 5 minutes of the game. When they had the ball, they almost looked like they didn't know what to do with it. Their decision-making was slow and that extra thinking caused a lot of blocked passes and turnovers early-on.
Soph's goal really helped them be a little braver and not overthink so much. Soph said it in her post-game interview....she noticed they were taking too long to make decisions on the ball and huddled with the team and told them they need to know what they're going to do before they get the ball, and to have more urgency. Her pep-talk diagnosed the issue pretty well, and in combo with her goal they finally came out of it a bit more.
This is just my first-watch opinion, though, and usually I have a more generous one after watching a game a second time. I'm interested in what you see when you watch the full game!
The first 30 are what got me thinking about the potential for a Brun/Menges CB pairing. It felt like Hubly struggles to see the way out of the press and puts Kuikka, Dunn, and Coffey under pressure, often leading to turnovers that get blamed on the midfield. I mentioned it in the gameday thread, but part of this is that she really likes to play the way she's facing and is slow to open up the field to the left. It was really noticeable on rewatch, especially in comparison to Menges and Becky.
So...thoughts after review:
1) Yes, this was a good complete game from Portland, tho the first half hour was fairly lackluster other than the Smith goal (which was utterly freakish - try that against Tullis-Joyce again and watch her stop it 8 out of 10 time, I'll bet...) as Portland struggled to pass out of the high press.
2) I suspect that Smith's diagnosis helped as much as her goal, but what also helped is that a) the fullbacks stayed home a bit more and b) missing Fishlock and Lavelle and playing Sonnett meant that the Reign's midfield was choked off near the center circle.
3) Despite that OLR started to get back into the match after the half hour and got some terrific looks between that and the first quarter hour after the restart. We were lucky they were dire finishing (0.6 PSxG on an xG over 1.5? Ummm...).
4) Absolutely right on the Norris hour subs - both Sinc and 'Brunn helped settle things down and regain control. I'm still not on the Sauerbrunn-as-Miracle Train, but she was huge in this one.
5) Another thing that made a big difference was cutting down on giveaways. I list the turnovers in the first half over at Riveting!, but suffice to say that Kling was only one of the culprits (even Sugita, usually so tidy on the ball, coughed up twice!). Overall the Thorns turned over at least 12 times in the first half and of those three led to dangerous Seattle opportunities.
6) Bixby had an exceptionally solid match, which is great and will boost her confidence.
So...still pleased with what happened, tho I suspect that the meeting here may be quite different if Fishlock and Lavelle are back in midfield. Seattle isn't the same without them...
Sounds exactly right. Smith's goal, and apparently Smith's on-field coaching, really changed our play for the better. I didn't know Smith had that in her. Cool.
The other noticeable change was when Reign was going hard early in the second half and looking a lot like they were going to score... and then suddenly they weren't anymore and we were putting the game to bed. Did anyone see a tactical switch we made to make this happen, or was it just random variation? We did make a few energy subs there, so maybe that was it.
I'd say Becky's calmness really helped, but Sinc was also much more involved(!) than Liv was. Seattle also just looked tired and out of ideas, and are severely missing that creative presence with no Fishlock or Lavelle- Way too much reliance on Rapinoe.
Playing two defensive mids nearly the whole game was a weird choice- I would have started Olo over Sonnett if I were Harvey.
Yeah, I love that she really contributes in that way. We have a lot of leaders on this team!
I agree with kielbj- bringing Sinc, Becky, (and Reyes) in at about 60' literally just killed off all of the momentum Reign had at the beginning of the second half. They really showed the youngs how to close out a game and keep the boot on the neck of the opponent, even with a small lead (it was only 1-0.) Sinc was finding much better pockets than Liv was, and with Becky they really slowed down the passing and just maintained possession. Even Kling looked immediately more comfortable. Becky just brings calm to everyone on the defensive side to the field. The Reign press was gone at that point and they were able to just kinda toy with them at that point. Reyes also nuked anything on the right side...so much so that Pinoe swapped sides.
Maybe Reign watched Barca in the a.m. and thought "Hey, we're just like Barca, let's do that!" (Get mani-pedis in the first half, gut your opponent like a trout in the second.)
Reign ≠ Barca.
Sinc did what Sinc has been doing. In hockey terms, she's skating into the high end of the slot and looking for one-timers when she's not marked. Today, some poor defending by PSWST made that strategy work.
I mean...how many times in her career has she had that shot teed up? She may not run a 4.1 40yds anymore, but give her that much time and that good a look and she sinks it 9 times out of 10.
The one she buried and the one curling one to the far post that she missed. That's totally what they're hoping to be able to do with her -- hoping she can get into those spaces unmarked and then take a crack. So, it probably make sense to use her late in the match when the legs are tired and see if she can skate in unmarked like that for a one-timer, or even do what she did the other night in flipping something to Weaver to redirect.
I thought yesterday's starting line up was excellent, and I think this is exactly what Sinc's role should be moving forward. Super sub around the 70 minute mark where she can come in without worrying about pacing herself, and use her incredible soccer acumen to move around into space and make things happen. Whether the Thorn's are winning or losing, Sinc can cause big issues for teams late game (as also shown on her assist to Weaver's goal).
And tip of the hat to Weaver for hustle and being a pest and knowing exactly where to put the ball for Sinc to score. That was an incredible sequence.
I don't believe pre-2023 Weaver sees and makes that pass, but rather tries to achieve the Weaver Angle on her own.
She talked of specialized coaching during the offseason and if this improved field vision and passing precision are products of that, then Morgan is entering the elite striker category. Lord knows, we now know Hina has been teaching her to stretch.
It is really great having players leading the line that are very willing to pass, as well as shoot, as that just leads to more chaos for the backline of opposing teams. And, just as important, having players laying in the weeds ready to make late runs like Sinc did. Once Weaver was back near the goal, all eyes were on her.
This players on this team are incredible, and it speaks highly of the players and coaches to continue learn and be unselfish. And it is great fun to watch!
It's not just her patience, either- Her quality, especially on those early wrapped left-footed back post balls (like the one Hina couldn't quiteee convert) is so, so much better. She's still prone to getting a little wild when she cuts inside, but she's improved massively this season in every aspect.
She had one Wednesday night for Moultrie, too. Just calmer decision making in the final third when she can't instinctively shoot.
I've rewatched those two shots several times. Gawdalmighty was PSWST's defense poor on those!
It wasn't for a lack of numbers.
On the first shot, Thorns were 6 v 7 (including Phallon T-J). On the second, the goal, at absolute best Thorns were 5 v 8 (including Phallon T-J).
Both times, Sinc just came to the same place on field, completely unmarked and ignored.
The only real difference is on the second shot, she took two strides in to meet the ball rather than waiting for it to arrive as she did on the first.
And what a great thing to have a 17-year-old who is ready to command the starting role and create a situation where the wily veteran can, and should, be used that way.
Roadshow mojo. Everybody who traveled to Lumen, good on ya. As to Thorns, TCOB the curse is broken!
The Stumptown Footy team was well represented yesterday. Ryan Clarke was also up there doing some amazing work.
Definitely a blast to cover both games and get you all the deserved coverage.
Thanks for the support!
For real. Loved hearing the one goal beyond chant clearly on the TV. My wife was distracted but in the same room and said "wait I thought they were in Seattle today?" It was awesome.
Our next run of games are road games, but we shouldn't come home with less than 6 pts. Orlando this weekend...though it'll be hot Orlando weather. But, Orlando has to travel to Gotham for a mid-week CC game, whereas we don't.
After that, Chicago away.
Grab those 6 points and let's be on a good run for Spirit at home before everyone leaves for WC. Would love to go for all 9 pts in the next 3 weeks!
I wanted to elaborate on the good games everyone had:
Bixby made a bunch of great saves to preserve our lead, and also did well on claiming crosses.
Coffey was everywhere doing everything in midfield. Aside from a few stray passes early on, what a game on both sides of the ball. WOTM for me.
Dunn was her usual stellar self in midfield, pressuring and winning balls, advancing the attack, popping off the occasional shot, more or less doing everything.
Hubly, Menges, and Sauerbrunn generally kept the Reign away from goal, limiting quality looks to a few. I think the xG chart is going to show what a good game they had.
Klingenberg did a fine job controlling the ball and getting it up to Weaver & co., like for the second goal. And she did her job defending just fine, thank you very much.
Kuikka did a great job shutting down Rapinoe and also advancing the attack up the right. IMO she's the most underappreciated player on the team, and maybe in the league.
Moultrie controlled play well, especially early on. Her soccer brain is remarkable for a 17-year-old, and her on-field ability seems to grow every game.
Reyes looked like the #5 draft pick she is, defending well, winning balls, and even getting into the attack. If she keeps this up we'll all forget she's a rookie.
Sinclair brought her sharpshooter boots and used them to good effect, with two excellent shots, including the clinching goal, in her 25' of action. She also combined well up the left.
Smith did Smith things all game long, and the fact that we all know what "Smith things" are speaks to her ability to terrorize a defense. "Smith things" includes goals, and, well, ....
Sugita was her usual ball-control self, squeezing out of jams like it was nothing and nearly scoring twice.
Vasconcelos in her short minutes did well pressing and even had a shot or two.
Weaver was her usual fast and energetic self, but more than that her game has matured and she's become a whole lot more dangerous because she finds good passes now. Like that one to Sinclair!
So many things to like about this game.
- We won!
- We beat a top-tier team! First time this year!
- We beat Reign! First time since 2018!
- We beat Reign in their house! First time since 2017!
- We got a clean sheet! First time in 6 games against a non-cellar-dweller.
- We're in first place! At least until Gotham plays.
- Sam Coffey. That is all.
- Damn near every Thorn had a good game. The only ones who I didn't notice having good games were the centerbacks, and it's a Very Good Thing when you don't notice centerbacks.
- Sophia Smith ended her scoring drought. You always felt this was coming, and it was great to see it happen.
- We dominated most of the game, save a short spell early in the second half.
- Later in the second half, we controlled the game and did a good job of putting it to bed. I was really only worried about a Reign goal via some fluke - a PK or golazo or something.
- Natalia Kuikka did a great job of shutting down Rapinoe, so much so that Rapinoe eventually shifted toward the center. Reyes did almost as good a job, which is awesome for a rookie playing out of position.
- In a big game, we had our best lineup out there to start. Hooray Mike Norris!
- We subbed in Christine Sinclair for an appropriate amount of time! It worked out well.
It's funny- I've seen a couple different opinions on Kuikka vs. Rapinoe: Watching live, I thought that Rapinoe got the better of Natu 1v1, though not by a large margin. On rewatch, Kuikka did a nice job, but I still thought Pinoe was given a little too much space to get her crosses in- I actually thought Reyes did a better job overall until Harvey switched Rapinoe out right onto Kling, though Pinoe's legs had probably gone a little bit by that point.
I thought Kuikka did a good job on Pinoe. There were times Pinoe still got a good cross off, but mostly Natu had just enough pressure on her that they weren't the normal Pinoe dimes we know she still has. And Pinoe looked visibly frustrated by that during the first half.
One thing about the Reign that did surprise me was how bad PTJ was at distribution under pressure. She never got truly caught, but Weaver would come bearing down and she'd just kick it out to the opposite sideline at about 20 yards.
I think both are true. For the most part, she kept Pinoe quiet, but Pinoe only needs a few chances to make you pay. Kuikka did give her two much space on at least 2 chances that I can remember, and I thought she could've been a bit more aggressive rather than letting her get those shots off. But, Pinoe also really LOVES to get fouled in that spot right off the box...they have scored off of many set pieces from that spot, so it's def about weighing the risk. Pinoe looked pretty frustrated much of the game, which is a good sign lol.
Reyes on Pinoe was hilarious to watch, because Reyes is just this plucky young rookie (who is a tank), and she wasn't gonna give her any space. Pinoe just looked exhausted at that point.
Yes to all of these things!
I thought Norris' subs were great, and brought in at the right time. Although, if Kuikka never went down injured I'd have subbed off Kling instead (I'd bet that's why Harvey swapped Pinoe to the other side.)
But, Reyes looked pretty sharp (though I still prefer her on the left)! I did feel a bit nervous about how high she was getting up and often leaving Pinoe wide open (before she swapped sides), but thankfully we had the boot on the neck at that point and Pinoe never really had an opportunity.
Sinc coming on for Moultrie was the perfect way to utilize Sinc's strengths and minimize her weaknesses. She appears faster against tired legs, and her super high soccer IQ can exploit tired minds as well. Moultrie wasn't in the game a whole lot, and the combo of Sinc and Brunn (and Reyes) just utterly killed any momentum OLR was having. They calmed things down. slowed down play and totally took control.
Very glad to have Brunn back, though I would love to see a Menges/Brunn pairing. They're both calmer and more accurate on the ball. No dis to Hubs, I'd be totally fine with her and Brunn as well. Of course, WC is soon so Menges/Hubs reps are good.
Shoutout again to Reyes, who I think has overall been a solid rookie after some very nervy first games. Very happy with what we've seen consistently for many games now, and I'm pretty excited for the WC break to watch the youngs, if I'm honest! We'll def need NTRP's for M and maybe F, but with the jump in form for Vasconcelos and promising start so far from D'Aquila, I think we'll have a pretty decent starting XI. Just hoping a lot of them can go 90, because the deep depth (particularly in D) is a bit rough.
Also also, Sophia was totally onside with that last goal. VAR is worthless. Should've been a 3-0 proper drumming at the end.
Also also also: Sam Coffey. She's here, she's there, she's every-fucking-where! WOTM for me.
Liv's next developmental step is figuring out how to find the game when she's not the centerpiece of the midfield- Hina and Dunn are both so effective and constantly look for the ball, so the play often feels concentrated down the right........which was definitely the case last night.
(It's why I still l still like her as a straight centralized ten so she could get herself a little more involved, but that's not how the Thorns play the 4-3-3)
It'll be fun to see if that's more the case over the WC break. She does tend to become invisible if she's stuck on the opposite side, but, I think that was probably the game plan....keep the ball away from Huerta and you cut off most of their service. Their few chances came from Huerta ---> Pinoe, so it's super effective if they can keep her off the ball.
Tbf, I don't really think the Thorns avoided attacking through their own left hand side just to avoid Huerta going the other way. The Dror maps show Kling was still heavily involved, so it seems like more of a case of Moultrie just not being very active.
https://twitter.com/arielle_dror/status/1665389354372550656/photo/2
It must have worked as I don’t remember being very involved in their offense.
Huerta
Agreed with all this except the VAR call. It looked to me like Smith was just a few inches offside.
She looks very much on. The camera angle makes it look off, but the cut of the grass makes it look pretty clear- I wish I could attach a screenshot to show, but the broadcast paused the line when the ball was already a good ways off the foot. Really poor from the announcers who didn't call it out.
I'd have to rewatch again but from what they put up on the screen she looked onside to me!
Agreed about them going 90. I'm hopeful this can happen because most of the non-NT bench players are pretty young. The exception I can think of is Vasconcelos, who's 29.
OT:
You know who I miss in the NWSL? Lee So-Dam.
I always wanted to see her nutmeg Kornieck just by going under her with the ball.
Wow! We're almost at the half way point power rankings
Tier One: Great
Portland - The underlying metrics love the Thorns. The Thorns finally put together a complete 90 minute performance. I think this is a substantially different team with Becky.
Tier Two: Good, not great
Seattle - the metrics like Seattle, but they look toothless without Fishlock.
Spirit - Mark is doing his thing, though I am dubious of the Spirit's depth in attack
Gotham - This is a good team at everything except the final third.
Wave - Stoney can grind out wins and draws but it's underwhelming, and hard to win a championship doing this.
Tier Three: On the cusp
Dash - I'm not sure the Dash are good at anything but they have some element of consistency which has to make them favourites to get 6th ahead of everyone else
Racing - getting a point when they had no right to can either be a sign of mentality monsters, or they were lucky. Time will tell.
Courage - 67% possession, 7 shots. Eeesh.
Tier Four: Yikes
Current - Got a win, which is enough to put them at the top of my fourth tier power rankings, and off the table
Red Stars - Two smash and grab wins sandwich getting shellacked at home in the Challenge Cup. Making the #1 draft pick race interesting
Angel City - The worst home record in the NWSL. Still, good news about the NFTs!
Looks like KCFUBAR might be exiting and KC Current might be about ready to show up. This past weekend against NC, Hamilton started and Gautrat was available as a sub. The backline is still pretty inexperienced and soft (Robinson and Soto are rookies, and Merrick is Merrick), but at least they fielded a respectable attack with Hamilton, Debinha, Kizer, Mace, Labonta, DiBernardo, and Del Fava. The fact that they still only managed 1 goal (8th minute) and 11 shots, though, says things still aren't right.
Would love a KCFUBAR resurgence at the expense of OL Reign this weekend!
How does Stoney continue to win with pass maps that look like this lol:
https://twitter.com/arielle_dror/status/1665723604187721733/photo/2
That is the butt-ugliest pass map I've ever seen. How disconnected can you get? How many total passes did they have, 30?
It looks very much like "Our entire offense is to boot the ball long to Alex Morgan." Bleagh.
No, they have two modes:
1) Boot it to Morgan
2) Boot it to Jakobssen
Sorta like The Blues Brothers at Bob's Country Bunkhouse: "We got both kinds of music here: Country AND Western!"
Damn, I'm just learning how to read those pass maps and that one broke my brain! How can your most dangerous player be the CB sitting deepest on the field? And the right side plays in isolation? That is a stunning map!
Counter, score, bunker
The Jersey Curse? Isn't that when you lose to Gotham?
NGL, this made me chuckle big time! Thank you for that haha
The "Jersey Mike's"...uh...jerseys had me very puzzled the era they were present.
Could it be worse? Bojangles enters the room.
https://twitter.com/TheNCCourage/status/1665140100613677056?cxt=HHwWgICx5ayG4psuAAAA
I have a little Jersey Mike's story. We were painting tifo pre-COVID when three big boxes of subs for the painters arrived. The Portland franchise owner is a hard-core fan. I was really impressed, and the shirt sponsorship made a lot more sense. Since then JM's has ordered their franchisees out of the sponsorship business. But she still sends us subs sometimes.
I think we need to go frequent this shop!
God, so many people who should NOT have done it have done "Mr Bojangles." Neil Diamond, John Denver, Robbie Williams....
Now THESE performances, on the other hand...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBqbfEBpP5w (Sammy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwfWmjNzazU (Belafonte)
I don't know... I definitely pay good money for Bojangles at Providence Park. Dropping the anti-abortion, poor-people-robbing sponsor from the Thorns jersey and our stadium would be awesome too.
Sinc ditched the "Canada's Greatest Athlete" Iron Mike Sharpe wrist brace. I noticed that she has a wrist tattoo. Not sure if that's new.
https://www.nwslsoccer.com/game/ol-reign-vs-portland-thorns-fc-2023-06-03/latest
Nah, that's been there.
Can't comment on the tattoo, but what a photo!
Okay, before I get too happy about this game, I have to remind myself that Reign were missing Fishlock AND Lavelle. Sure we were missing Rocky and Beckie but, um, that's not quite the same. If we meet them later in the season at full strength, it'll be a different game.
Yep. It's a good, very satisfying, much needed road win, but nothing more. Seattle's midfield is a lot different when they don't play a re-positioned CB alongside another 6.
Especially Fishlock. She raises her level against us.
Yep, Jess has taken the rivalry seriously from the very start and plays accordingly.
Agree...while at the same time I was really pleased with the overall organization and discipline from the squad (less some early turnovers as they struggled yet again against the press...).
I think the real issue facing OLR is that without those two in midfield they have to pull Huerta and Balcer back, and Bennett was stone cold as in "couldn't hit water..." cold. Their PSxG was something like 0.61 on an xG over 1.5, meaning that Harvey's comment about the finishing was dead on. If they've got the MF sorted in September I think they won't be so lame in front of goal, and, yes - that's a whole 'nother nutroll...