I think this thread of Moultrie quotes sums up Gale's whole issue pretty well- He seems to see himself as this architect of free flowing positionless soccer like a Hogwarts edition Pep Guardiola, but the only reason those systems work under specific managers is because they're actually incredibly *over-structured* and intensely well-drilled whereas Gale just thinks he can skip the structure part and go off vibes and the result is usually just confusion and mess. Like, no! It does matter where on the field players are playing even if you do want rotation! You still have to put a balanced roster on the field! You still have to have identified roles for you players! Especially when you have the youngest team in the league!
Yep. That “total football” works because the entire squad is intensely trained, constantly alert, tremendously familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It requires endless hours of training and discipline.
What Liv is describing is just lazily faffing about. Which is consistent with what we’ve seen from KenBall.
I got a message for Liv. As a collective, you all are NOT nearly as talent as the constantly champion "total football" team of Pep Guardiola and the two or three other great coaches that have made the strategy work.
Even in those systems their is a deep understanding of what each players strength and weaknesses are, an if you are weak at some small part of your game, you are not positioned nor encouraged to play in ways that those weaknesses cause you to be the single-point-of-failure (to use an engineering phrase for the small part of a machine that, if it fails that causes the entire machine to cease functioning properly).
Example, a false 9 in a false 9 because she's not a striker and doesn't have striker skills. But the false 9 is very intelligent and recognizes that when the ball is played to them, their first priority is to pass the ball left or right to a "wing" who does have striker skills.
What no one is doing is making it up as they go, wandering around and expecting to get hot. Good that you scored today; to bad it wasn't the way Rob Gale thought it would.
"free flowing positionless soccer like a Hogwarts edition Pep Guardiola, but the only reason those systems work under specific managers is because they're actually incredibly *over-structured* and intensely well-drilled"
Do you think Moultrie realizes this? Other players? Why I despise the 433, because very few teams play it correctly and don't realize the 433 is about spaces not positions and so players just plop themselves in a spot and only consider their roles from that position.
yeah, none of that is really true. You're ascribing way too much meaning to a formation.
Formations are neutral. They're not even really accurate - they describe players positions in certain phases. But there's nothing inherently "garbage" about 433.
Total Football! Gale is the second coming of Johan Cruyff!! (Third really, since Pep Guardiola is the second.) Why oh why have we all been so blind to this?!
So, THAT's what the guy sitting next to me at Providence Park is muttering under his breath when he watches Gale's Thorns play: "For Cruyff's sake!" All this time, I had simply misheard him! I feel so much better now!
There's no real point in getting spun up. We're stuck with KenBall. I think I made my displeasure pretty clear, but why go nuts over it? It's what we are at this point...
The comic kickoff was the perfect KenBall sum of his style; a cutsey idea fucked up by 1) training shortcomings, or 2) individual errors.
You can't play a high line against KC unless your backline is speedy as thought or brilliantly organized. Instead we had a noob FB that, unsurprisingly, let Chawinga through to put the Thorns on the back foot early.
Playing a talented forward at the withdrawn/false 9 AND two inverted wingers? Then hucking cross after cross to the (checks notes) CF that wasn't there? Tell me you're then surprised at getting no decent looks at goal?
The rookie CB sags off Cooper just enough to give her space for the golazo?
Then another defensive breakdown - this time on the other FB side - and failing to clear lines and we're down three at the break?
So...not great, Bob!
That Vlatko sat in after the interval just meant that the result looked closer than it was. The Thorns non-penalty xG was 0.4 (KC? 2.1) so the "attack" was effectively Castellanos' rasper and Moultrie's nice tight-space finish (call-out to Hina-san for the pretty set-up pass!).
So. If this wasn't as bad as it could have been - the squad didn't fall apart the way they did in KC last season - it sure wasn't "better than expected". It was more of the usual from Ken; incoherent formation-to-roster-skill mismatch, poorly executed responses to high pressing (does this squad even practice against a predicted opponent's tactics? Because I knew before seeing it that Vlatko's mob would press high; it works against us like a mechanical ass-kicker because our movement is so slow and passing is so shaky we are like a turnover dispenser), makeshift backline...same thing we saw from Ken all last season.
Individually? Castellanos looked promising, Hina and Coffey their usual selves, and Moultrie did some nice work (and while I know she's been the designated penalty taker for Ken's tenure, I'm not sure I wouldn't have sent Castellanos up there instead...).
When I watch teams defend in EFL they seem to organize into two lines. One person comes off the line occasionally to challenge the attacker, but otherwise keep their form. Why don't the Thorns defend this way?
Not sure what you mean, but in general well disciplined defenses keep their shape, coordinating with each other to mark opponents off the ball as the defender closest challenges the opponent in possession. It requires communication and training and familiarity with teammates.
This defense is almost a pickup team; Perry a true rookie, Torpey new to the squad, Obaze the lesser used of the CBs last season. So it’s hardly surprising they’re not able to do those very well.
Throw in the lack of attack - meaning the Thorns were under the cash most of the match - and the defensive fragility is not shocking.
That player stepping off the line is the one whose job it to take a step forward then quickly step back to put a moments pause of the first attacker who has met no resistance coming forward with the ball at her feet. You want that attacker to take a look for a possible pass off than focus on how she intends to beat the defender. The defender at the same time closes off the potential through pass. If I remember the sequence, it its the one I'm thinking of, the through pass was easily accomplished and at the point there was no stopping the attack. I think that was on Cooper's goal.
It's not an organization of two lines, however. You might be thinking of defensive midfield roles, the first "line" of defense.
1. Angel City is must-win for Gale. But even if he’s canned, we won’t know until a replacement is hired, because they don’t want the embarrassment of a third interim.
2. Former defender Agoos unhappy with defense (shocker.) he’s not thrilled with Obaze *and* she wants out. probably gone in summer.
Even if the thorns pull off a win against ACFC he should go. I think it’s more embarrassing to stay with Rob because he’s not moving this team forward. They are just stuck underachieving with him. There’s one rule though don’t hire Gareth Taylor or Beard.
Personally don’t think we’ve seen enough of Obaze to really have an opinion one way or another. Analysts definitely don’t like her play though. This team has been impacted a lot by bad coaches. These really young players aren’t being developed and often times development is hindered.
I’m glad they are working on getting a striker though.
Just reposting this comment I posted yesterday about a young striker leaving RB Leipzig:
23-yo German striker from RB Leipzig, Vanessa Fudalla, is apparently leaving in the summer, with interest from NWSL (among others.) Anyone here that watches the German league know anything about her? Seems to fit the youth push here, so I wonder...I think Angel City could be a possibility also, since they have a ton of int'l spots and Leroux stepped away.
Would be lol to get another young central attacking player considering our other obvious needs, but I guess we don't really have a great starting option at the 9, esp with how Gale sets up the team. Prefer Deyna or Moultrie to sit under a CF.
I don't know anything about her! I don't necessarily want another mid striker who may or may not be starting quality. But again, maybe she's not that! I haven't looked into it because I thought there was no way we'd be looking for another central attacking player lol.
I know Isa's been scouted by bigger clubs almost since she got here, and she was interested to go then....it was just KK that wouldn't let her go. So, she's wanted out a while, and, while I'd prefer to keep a young int'l CB with a lot of upside, I also would just rather a player leaves if they want to go. I'm not sure you get the best out of players when they're already looking beyond the team and I'd rather have someone here who wants to be here. Forcing a player to stay is not the key to getting the best out of them imo.
I'm curious about Lyon now, though. They initially came for Isa last year. KK wouldn't let her go for what they were willing to pay. Then they got in the mix for Girma...but then lost out. Then they finally were able to sign (and overpay, imo) for Tarciane. I'm unsure if they're still looking for another CB at this point, but I guess a lot depends on Gilles staying. She's already said she's not coming back to Angel City in June, but it sounds like she could go elsewhere in Europe also. Lyon still may be desperate for another CB. That said, we would also need at least 1 high level CB.
I would look towards Japan to fill one of those spots. Minami would be incredible. I wish we would've gone for her years ago before Roma have taken off with her, so she could be unattainable. I don't know when her contract is up, either. That said, I'm not sure she's realistic. Rion Ishikawa would be the next bet. Up and comer on the Japanese NT. Pretty big for a Japanese player. Still in the WE league, so I think could be attainable. Toko Koga is also another young CB and is at Feyenoord. Or throw everything at Jade Rose, who appears to still be floating around out there.
Serious, I'm not sure there's another country where I'd blindly take a player and be pretty confident about it because so many Japanese players are just solid and technically sound. Their academies are excellent. I'm sorry to say this out loud because I know we have a huge WE league fan here, but why tf are we not scouting in the WE league more?! I'm prob biased because I am also 5'2" and I have a preference for small technical players lol. The WSL has a weird points system that makes it harder for international players to go there (they have to acquire a specific amount of points in other valid leagues before they are allowed entry.) I don't know a lot about it, but we don't have those barriers.
Hopefully 1 & 3 are true. I'm disappointed to hear Obaze wants out. I think she's a victim of the coaching circumstances and general "treading of water" the club did under Karina. What I saw last season was a good CB with lots of potential. I hope they fire Gale sooner rather than later and get in a coach who helps change her mind on sticking around.
I hear so many mixed opinions of Obaze. Actual thorns fans seem to think she’s okay, but lots of analysts seem really unimpressed. I don’t know enough to have an opinion except that I’d rather we have less goals scored against us
She’s a 22 year old international CB possessing high level physical, mental, and technical traits with plenty of room to grow wanted by the best sides in Europe. Analysts (and anyone else, Mr. Agoos) who don’t rate her don’t know ball.
There’s an epidemic of bad defensive analysis among NWSL media in this country imo. They tend to really struggle to separate players from the circumstances they play in. A lot of this is --and I say this as someone who loves using fbref whenever possible-- is down to the presence of increased data in woso, so someone who isn't very data literate can pull stats and say "but but but she doesn't make enough tackles or her xGA is too high" without understanding what they're actually citing.
Totally agree. To me she's found money. We had a starting-quality young international CB fall into our laps last year. Is she ready to be a world-class line-leader? No. But I'll tell you this: Lyon were ready to bring her in, and wanted her, before they ultimately settled on Tarciane because Obaze wasn't available. So, maybe the 'goos should concentrate on finding Obaze a starting partner somewhere between the levels of Hiatt and Sauerbruun and see what happens?
As has been pointed out to me privately, I do think part of Agoos’s issue with Obaze may be her cost to value as an in-demand international, rather than her outright quality.
Then I fear we may in trouble with our new GM, because it's hard for me to envision a better cost-to-value piece than a 22 year old high potential developing CB on a rebuilding team even if she is getting paid too much!
I'm no expert, but I watched her closely last year because I was excited about us getting a young, international CB. What stood out the most to me was how calm on the ball she was and how good her passing was. She had her moments of "oh, shit, this is a faster league than I thought", but she was figuring it out. Having Becky play with her (when she could) showed a lot of her positives. Some element of being hurt and having to play with Hubly a few times probably contributes to how some folks judged her play. I don't think she was a world-beater, but I think the tools are there and she needs the right environment to put it all together. However, the Thorns shitshow has probably made that impossible now, and that's legit disappointing. As for the analysts, most of the ones I listen to (and like!) don't have the capacity to watch every game and dig in on every player. I think that, by design, they have to have a higher level of analysis. As such, I take a lot of what they say with a grain of salt. If someone on a podcast has an opinion that doesn't match what I see live, meh...go on with your bad self, I guess.
I agree Brian, I like her and yes she has made few mistakes, but she is 22 pretty fast, calm and tall. This team however might not be the best place to develop, especially with Sauerbrunn gone.
Another thing that might be an issue is being far from home, her family, friends and in this particular moment in US history. It is not the the best time to be a foreigner, especially a foreigner of color with what is going on right now. I sure hope that is not an issue. I am glad and grateful she is here because I think she has loads of potential.
Her first match without Sauerbrunn included a pure rook and a total noob. As kielbj notes; context. KC is a comprehensively better-run club with a stacked attack. They make defenses look bad. If that's all it takes to get Goose to dunk on an individual player? He's got more judgement issues that I noted above.
I wonder if the Obaze issue is just down to Gale. He just doesn't seem to rate Obaze - look at the number of games she spent on the bench last year. Given that, I can understand why she would want out. If Agoos doesn't like her either - and he's not just listening to Gale - then he's seeing something I'm not.
1. Whaa..? I won't disagree that Ken needs the sack. But how does this Friday tell Goose what he didn't know last Saturday? Or last January, for that matter.
2. Considering the backline, Obaze was probably the third-worst defender out there, but the two worse offenders had excuses (rookie, noob). Not sure why he'd pick out Obaze from that, which is another "judgement headscratcher".
3. WTF? We've got forwards dropping out of trees along 18th Avenue. If "working on" means "getting Ken to play people where their skillsets are? Fine. But if it means "signing yet another forward"? Why? We have a bunch now we have no idea about! Headscratcher #3.
I agree that it's random, but maybe it's more just that Agoos felt he was hired without having proper time for a new coach search, esp considering *everything else* with this roster that needed addressing. But now that he's been there a couple months, he might feel like he has what he needs to make that decision. He's been around a whole preseason, gotten to know Gale more, been around for trainings, and has seen several preseason games and now a league game. My guess was RG was already on a pretty short leash and a new GM might just be looking for any excuse now that he's in place and had time to see more behind the scenes. Either A) he did/didn't watch last season closely but maybe wanted to see more on his own watch before making that decision because he's a reasonable person who didn't wanna come in hot to a new job, or B) did watch last season and kinda already had his mind made up about him but didn't have the time to make that immediate move upon hire...which would mean opening up a new HC search the first week he was in the job. He also may be poking around behind the scenes to gauge interest, and if there are decent prospects that have shown interest he might be a bit impatient waiting for Gale to suddenly figure it out. Still willing to give Agoos the benefit of the doubt because he's entered kinda between a rock and a hard place with where this club is currently.
Or maybe he just watched what we all watched and was like ?????? What is this???? It's not just that they lost, but the personnel, positional, and tactical/formational decisions should be a red flag to anyone watching Galeyball. It's been over a year of making many of the same mistakes...
In any case...just waiting for him to be reassigned to the academy or something, he does seem pretty involved there.
It really shouldn't be any of the first third of the season really purely from a process standpoint. If he was knew he was about to fire Gale, it should have happened before the season.
(Not that I won't be happy if he gets fired, but....why now?)
It’s entirely possible this source is wrong or delivering a biased take. Or maybe all the losses from last season have been building up to this, and it’s less a single benchmark and more a milestone.
Agoos being pretty much the opposite of KK and Parsons in terms of public persona makes him pretty hard to read. But his shadowy glower in Kansas City certainly wouldn’t have filled me with optimism if my initials were R.G.
Well, pretty hard to watch much of that first half, in particular, and feel positive. But then again, we had a much better starting roster last year and served up the same 1st half turd, and that was before KC had really gelled. They're more dangerous now.
Welp, that was a disappointing opener. There is a lot for this team to work on, and I'm not sure how much direction they are getting. To start, it was hard to watch a team that had no offensive threats to start the game. It was literally the first thing I (and I'm sure others) wondered out loud when I saw that lineup. Where were the goals going to come from? Second, the defense again needs some work. Its hard to fathom that when goin gup against the Golden Boot winner and the most prolific offense from 2024 that there wasn't a higher degree of attention paid to the defense. If you want to sacrifice offense, put the effort into the defense. Finally, the comments made by Moultre about the structure of the coaching is just sad. In theory I'm okay with a free flowing structure, but it feels like something you want to use with a team that has played together for a number of years. Expecting a young team to put it together sounds like chaos.
"(Portland) was naive last year in the exact same way, and gestures about Good Football aren't going to stop most teams in this league from deciding they want to win three points more than they want praise for aesthetics...
"...Portland can't point to the absences of three of its five most vital players, or a lack of raw talent. The Thorns started nine players with senior national team experience, most of whom have demonstrated top-class play in their positions elsewhere.
"If the Thorns can't enter games ready for battle from kickoff — even if that means sacrificing ideals about playing the right way for 15-20 minutes here and there — they're going to have a deeply difficult 2025."
My initial thought was it should already be in Argoos’s ears because anyone that watched us play could tell our staff needs tactical work. Whether he does anything about it is another story.
Nor should he. But we've had a full season of this kind of play, off and on but mostly on. Last year, the Bhathals were so clueless about it that they wanted to send Karina to FIFA GM camp! At least now, we've got an adult in the room who recognizes that Gale has to go. The problem is, when to supply the burlap sack?
3. at 12:48, Phuoc allllmost asks a substantive question about any plans to sign more talent, but then catches himself, rephrases to ask Agoos how excited he is about open international spots.
My god, the first 5:40 of this video are just comedy gold as he sits there and waits, and waits, waits, waits, waits, and waits some more, then waits again for something to happen, then goes back to waiting.
Great to see Phuoc take this guy by the throat and let him know how the journo media vs. organization relationship is going to be. The only tougher opening question would have been "Mr. Agoos, can I please have your autograph?"
Shout-out to Carlos, aka "Who the hell is this guy who's kinda the acting interim shadow GM pre-Goos?"
I LOVE the way that Goos chuckled when asked what his first conversation with Gale was like.
Yeah that would be nice to be able to tag people. I have no idea if they comb through old threads or if they get notifications (or if they would even read those?) I did ask the question on the newest thread they just posted with a new pod.
Tell me whether my personal pet-peeve is unfounded:
So many analysts seem to be basking in the joy of Portland losing Soph, and claiming that more than any other team we were relying on a single spectacular talent to keep us afloat.
I certainly agree that our team was build around Soph, but what I don’t agree with is the assertion that we’re unique. If KCC loses Chawinga, Orlando loses Banda, I say they instantly become mid. And let’s not even start with Utah with Sentnor and Chicago and Swanson.
I could entertain the idea that the Spirit are not quite so reliant on a single player. And Gotham perhaps, though their roster is so shaken up it’s hard to say.
What do you think? Were we *uniquely* dependent on Soph?
I feel comfortable saying that Orlando would still be a top 5 team without Banda. Same for Washington without Rodman and probably KC without Chawinga. We saw the Courage finish fifth without Kerolin last year.
Good coaches elevate their teams regardless of who’s on the field, and good GMs build versatile rosters that are resilient to injuries. We haven’t had either for two years.
We were because Ken ran the attack to depend (or at least 90% depended) on Smith hero-ball. The "attack" typically consisted of "huck it up to Smith and hope she does some magic with it". I'll disagree with kielbj a bit that his top three were locks without their big guns, but there's no question that their attacks were better crafted, more creative, less one-dimensional that Ken's.
Every team are dependent on one or two players, Reign had Rapinoe, the Wave had Morgan, Chicago has (had?) Mal, and ACFC were banking on Press. IMO the salary cap is going to hinder rosters because you can only afford to pay a couple of players what they are worth before they go looking overseas.
I would say Gotham is the exception but I'm not convinced they did everything by the book either.
Thanks for the write-ups! Always good to read your tactical takes. I too like g+ as a stat, and I'm curious to see how good it is over the course of the season.
OT: Y'know that saying "sometimes it's better to be lucky than good?" Welcome to the FA Women's League Cup Final. Man City absolutely outplayed Chelsea the whole match...and lost 2-1. Neither Blues goal was the result of anything much on their part. On the first, Ramirez got in 1-on-1 v the keeper. Yamashita stoned her...only to have the ball bounce off the late-arriving City defender right back onto Ramirez' feet. The second goal was a horribly unlucky Yui Hasegawa own goal on a deflected cross. City's goal was a banger by Aoba Fujino (although Hampton may well have done better on it).
City dominated possession and chances, and along with Chelsea's absurd luck, the biggest reason they lost was poor finishing. Shaw and others were wasteful. Fowler and Fujino were the effective offensive players. Recycled Manager Nick Cushing took a page from just-departed Gareth Taylor in making a boneheaded substitution, pulling not-gassed Fujino (instead of backpassing turnover machine Jill Roord) at about 75 minutes...and City's attack immediately went flat. Shaw was also off at that point, but she WAS gassed, so that had to happen (and Jess Park is a great replacement). Silver lining: if this match is an indication of current form, City are likely to bounce Chelsea out of the CL.
Thorns match? After an exhausting day of...er...watching sports online (this match, WE League, Nadeshiko League, F1, MotoGP...), I just wasn't up for it at 1:30AM Japan time. Like, _literally_ not up: I crashed at about midnight. I haven't seen highlights, but it sounds like a bit of a "not as dreadful as expected" situation. Potential tagline for the season?
Not really. KC comprehensively better; typical Ken stuff, poor tactics, players out of position, defensive errors. The scoreline actually flatters Portland, IMO. Vlatko sat back after the break which gave Portland more time and space. Hina fed Moultrie who finished tidily (but then shanked a gift PK off the crossbar, so…)
Some individuals stood out; Castellanos, Hina and Coffey as usual, Moultrie (except the PK…).
But to me it looked like a potential top four against a potential bottom four.
Still pretty bad. Down 3-0 at half. Ref was inconsistent but also gave a ton of cards? Positional and tactical confusion, baffling choices from RG. Then Vlatko took their foot off the pedal after half, which was stupid, but it made it seem like it was closer than it was. We're just outmatched from a player perspective, but also from a coaching perspective. Liv missed a PK. Still, if it ended 3-2, that would be flattering for the Thorns. KC should've had this one like 5-0.
But, Tordin and Hanks look really fun! Jeff Agoos was there and didn't look pleased lol.
Tordin and Hanks look like they may be able to create space. What the hell are we going to do at FB?
Would be nice to know what type of direction we are going to pursue. Coach and roster uncertainty is tough.
My hope is a young player emerges. Still believe a 4-4-2 diamond is the best system we have, but Gale would start either Castellanos or Moultrie up top.
That's right: she is just back to availability for the starting 11. Maybe that was a planned sub that the training staff wasn't inclined to be flexible about. Shame that it kind of killed the offense, but if that was the case, it's best for the player, for sure.
Happy she feels able to make this move for herself.
Since this is becoming a thing across the league though, does anyone know the rules-related specifics? Does Louisville get roster relief? Does she still get paid? Can she come back whenever she’s ready?
The word "unambitious" gets thrown around a lot here, mostly in reference to our ownership and GMs.
But I'm a little curious about what you all think about the dedicated NWSL stadium sizes: 11,500 for KCC and 14,500 for Denver. Either of those would be like, the worst Thorns attendance ever.
I get that stadiums are extraordinarily expensive, but aren't they being "unambitious" by capping themselves at half the size of Thorns match?
SWAG a club/corporate-owned park makes as much money on gate and parking, selling in the 10-15k range as PTFC does selling 20+k in the muni-owned park (with whatever added entanglements they may have with Peregrine).
Other end of the scale has to be playing before a few k in a vast sportsbowl, such as Seattle and Houston. Will wager is costs more to open and staff the place for an event than they earn in gate and concessions. Not "covering the nut." Not to mention the odd fan experience gazing at 50k empty seats, probably sitting far from the pitch.
Smart design of a mid-tier park includes easy expandability. USL Republic FC got burned by Burkle [spit!] and MLS who yanked their expansion award. They're rebooting the new soccer park initiative but instead of MLS-ready, seating for 12k, about what they get today in their temporary parking lot quarters. Explicit in the design is expansion ability to 20k, including the MLS-required canopy.
Some of these park designs don't really address getting people in and out. Seeing the Courage in Cary was harrowing, navigating by phone light from far out just to get to the park, repeating in reverse to leave. And it's not a big park.
That is a good question. Is it better for a club to generate potential sell out games (10K stadium), or future higher gate turnout (20K+ stadium)? When you factor in that the average NWSL attendance is less than 10K, there is a good argument for the 10K stadium. I would hope the KC stadium has the ability to expand, because they could leverage the sell outs to guarantee future season tickets assuming they can build the brand. The Denver number makes more sense, because it would put them in the top 4 if they can sell out the stadium.
https://bsky.app/profile/phuocerman.bsky.social/post/3lkgx2bj2xs2i
I think this thread of Moultrie quotes sums up Gale's whole issue pretty well- He seems to see himself as this architect of free flowing positionless soccer like a Hogwarts edition Pep Guardiola, but the only reason those systems work under specific managers is because they're actually incredibly *over-structured* and intensely well-drilled whereas Gale just thinks he can skip the structure part and go off vibes and the result is usually just confusion and mess. Like, no! It does matter where on the field players are playing even if you do want rotation! You still have to put a balanced roster on the field! You still have to have identified roles for you players! Especially when you have the youngest team in the league!
Yep. That “total football” works because the entire squad is intensely trained, constantly alert, tremendously familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It requires endless hours of training and discipline.
What Liv is describing is just lazily faffing about. Which is consistent with what we’ve seen from KenBall.
Pickup games are more organized than that lol
I got a message for Liv. As a collective, you all are NOT nearly as talent as the constantly champion "total football" team of Pep Guardiola and the two or three other great coaches that have made the strategy work.
Even in those systems their is a deep understanding of what each players strength and weaknesses are, an if you are weak at some small part of your game, you are not positioned nor encouraged to play in ways that those weaknesses cause you to be the single-point-of-failure (to use an engineering phrase for the small part of a machine that, if it fails that causes the entire machine to cease functioning properly).
Example, a false 9 in a false 9 because she's not a striker and doesn't have striker skills. But the false 9 is very intelligent and recognizes that when the ball is played to them, their first priority is to pass the ball left or right to a "wing" who does have striker skills.
What no one is doing is making it up as they go, wandering around and expecting to get hot. Good that you scored today; to bad it wasn't the way Rob Gale thought it would.
Baffling lmao…but it’s exactly what it looks like. Doing that with basically a young expansion team is so deeply confusing.
So basically we don’t actually need him here? Players can coach themselves while we look for a new coach who will coach this squad…
"free flowing positionless soccer like a Hogwarts edition Pep Guardiola, but the only reason those systems work under specific managers is because they're actually incredibly *over-structured* and intensely well-drilled"
Do you think Moultrie realizes this? Other players? Why I despise the 433, because very few teams play it correctly and don't realize the 433 is about spaces not positions and so players just plop themselves in a spot and only consider their roles from that position.
i don't think that's really true about 433
that it is garbage? that most teams don't run it correct? that teams who run it have players just play in their own space?
yeah, none of that is really true. You're ascribing way too much meaning to a formation.
Formations are neutral. They're not even really accurate - they describe players positions in certain phases. But there's nothing inherently "garbage" about 433.
Total Football! Gale is the second coming of Johan Cruyff!! (Third really, since Pep Guardiola is the second.) Why oh why have we all been so blind to this?!
:-)
So, THAT's what the guy sitting next to me at Providence Park is muttering under his breath when he watches Gale's Thorns play: "For Cruyff's sake!" All this time, I had simply misheard him! I feel so much better now!
I mutter “for lucks sake”and sometimes “for ducks sake” on Saturdays since you are not supposed to cuss at the games.
That said, I did that when we had a good coach. Just do it more often now.
Is Gale better or Worse than Norris?
Both?
Or neither and I’m saying what I mean under my breath :)
We might be closer to playing Total Foosball.
Gale w a Ted Lasso stache. Imagine the possibilities
It wouldn't look right unless he dyed it.
Correct. There's essentially automatisms too. Players know the triggers for movements, both on the ball and off the ball.
Isn’t total football what Ted lasso tried to do? And everyone liked him but they didn’t really ever win, right? Hmmm…
This explains a lot. Gale has got to go if we ever hope to get anywhere near the top for ever again.
Match report up: https://rivetingpdx.com/2025/03/16/thorns-fc-cold-open-2/
Might try and work "gormless chowder" into a conversation this week but probably need to write it on my hand, first.
I'd prefer it be gormful, or indeed any amount of gorm, by season's end.
It's gonna be a long season, and I appreciate that you're starting out at low volume. Long ways to go til we build to a "WTAF???" crescendo.
"WTAF Crescendo" perhaps Handel's least-appreciated work.
There's no real point in getting spun up. We're stuck with KenBall. I think I made my displeasure pretty clear, but why go nuts over it? It's what we are at this point...
I always learn something from your reports. Today I learned the term "National Razor." I will be using it a lot during the current regime.
In a word: no.
The comic kickoff was the perfect KenBall sum of his style; a cutsey idea fucked up by 1) training shortcomings, or 2) individual errors.
You can't play a high line against KC unless your backline is speedy as thought or brilliantly organized. Instead we had a noob FB that, unsurprisingly, let Chawinga through to put the Thorns on the back foot early.
Playing a talented forward at the withdrawn/false 9 AND two inverted wingers? Then hucking cross after cross to the (checks notes) CF that wasn't there? Tell me you're then surprised at getting no decent looks at goal?
The rookie CB sags off Cooper just enough to give her space for the golazo?
Then another defensive breakdown - this time on the other FB side - and failing to clear lines and we're down three at the break?
So...not great, Bob!
That Vlatko sat in after the interval just meant that the result looked closer than it was. The Thorns non-penalty xG was 0.4 (KC? 2.1) so the "attack" was effectively Castellanos' rasper and Moultrie's nice tight-space finish (call-out to Hina-san for the pretty set-up pass!).
So. If this wasn't as bad as it could have been - the squad didn't fall apart the way they did in KC last season - it sure wasn't "better than expected". It was more of the usual from Ken; incoherent formation-to-roster-skill mismatch, poorly executed responses to high pressing (does this squad even practice against a predicted opponent's tactics? Because I knew before seeing it that Vlatko's mob would press high; it works against us like a mechanical ass-kicker because our movement is so slow and passing is so shaky we are like a turnover dispenser), makeshift backline...same thing we saw from Ken all last season.
Individually? Castellanos looked promising, Hina and Coffey their usual selves, and Moultrie did some nice work (and while I know she's been the designated penalty taker for Ken's tenure, I'm not sure I wouldn't have sent Castellanos up there instead...).
But, frankly, this is just more of KanSame.
When I watch teams defend in EFL they seem to organize into two lines. One person comes off the line occasionally to challenge the attacker, but otherwise keep their form. Why don't the Thorns defend this way?
Not sure what you mean, but in general well disciplined defenses keep their shape, coordinating with each other to mark opponents off the ball as the defender closest challenges the opponent in possession. It requires communication and training and familiarity with teammates.
This defense is almost a pickup team; Perry a true rookie, Torpey new to the squad, Obaze the lesser used of the CBs last season. So it’s hardly surprising they’re not able to do those very well.
Throw in the lack of attack - meaning the Thorns were under the cash most of the match - and the defensive fragility is not shocking.
That player stepping off the line is the one whose job it to take a step forward then quickly step back to put a moments pause of the first attacker who has met no resistance coming forward with the ball at her feet. You want that attacker to take a look for a possible pass off than focus on how she intends to beat the defender. The defender at the same time closes off the potential through pass. If I remember the sequence, it its the one I'm thinking of, the through pass was easily accomplished and at the point there was no stopping the attack. I think that was on Cooper's goal.
It's not an organization of two lines, however. You might be thinking of defensive midfield roles, the first "line" of defense.
Cooper got a step on Perry and stonked a golazo, so I think you mean the opening goal where Chawinga caught Torpey and Perry loafing and skinned them.
Somehow I missed that Franch is going to Birmingham FC. Apologies if this is a repost. She was my favorite Thorn during the good old parsons days!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHO2XkXN9sk/?igsh=ejB5cG1kYzMzaTdy
That's great! Good for AD!
From a semi-reliable source:
1. Angel City is must-win for Gale. But even if he’s canned, we won’t know until a replacement is hired, because they don’t want the embarrassment of a third interim.
2. Former defender Agoos unhappy with defense (shocker.) he’s not thrilled with Obaze *and* she wants out. probably gone in summer.
3. Working on a striker.
Even if the thorns pull off a win against ACFC he should go. I think it’s more embarrassing to stay with Rob because he’s not moving this team forward. They are just stuck underachieving with him. There’s one rule though don’t hire Gareth Taylor or Beard.
Personally don’t think we’ve seen enough of Obaze to really have an opinion one way or another. Analysts definitely don’t like her play though. This team has been impacted a lot by bad coaches. These really young players aren’t being developed and often times development is hindered.
I’m glad they are working on getting a striker though.
Also, apropos of nothing...
Just reposting this comment I posted yesterday about a young striker leaving RB Leipzig:
23-yo German striker from RB Leipzig, Vanessa Fudalla, is apparently leaving in the summer, with interest from NWSL (among others.) Anyone here that watches the German league know anything about her? Seems to fit the youth push here, so I wonder...I think Angel City could be a possibility also, since they have a ton of int'l spots and Leroux stepped away.
Would be lol to get another young central attacking player considering our other obvious needs, but I guess we don't really have a great starting option at the 9, esp with how Gale sets up the team. Prefer Deyna or Moultrie to sit under a CF.
https://bsky.app/profile/womenstransfernews.bsky.social/post/3lkitclzshk2c
I saw that but I know nothing Jon Snow.
From what you say let’s sign her up though!
I don't know anything about her! I don't necessarily want another mid striker who may or may not be starting quality. But again, maybe she's not that! I haven't looked into it because I thought there was no way we'd be looking for another central attacking player lol.
I know Isa's been scouted by bigger clubs almost since she got here, and she was interested to go then....it was just KK that wouldn't let her go. So, she's wanted out a while, and, while I'd prefer to keep a young int'l CB with a lot of upside, I also would just rather a player leaves if they want to go. I'm not sure you get the best out of players when they're already looking beyond the team and I'd rather have someone here who wants to be here. Forcing a player to stay is not the key to getting the best out of them imo.
I'm curious about Lyon now, though. They initially came for Isa last year. KK wouldn't let her go for what they were willing to pay. Then they got in the mix for Girma...but then lost out. Then they finally were able to sign (and overpay, imo) for Tarciane. I'm unsure if they're still looking for another CB at this point, but I guess a lot depends on Gilles staying. She's already said she's not coming back to Angel City in June, but it sounds like she could go elsewhere in Europe also. Lyon still may be desperate for another CB. That said, we would also need at least 1 high level CB.
I would look towards Japan to fill one of those spots. Minami would be incredible. I wish we would've gone for her years ago before Roma have taken off with her, so she could be unattainable. I don't know when her contract is up, either. That said, I'm not sure she's realistic. Rion Ishikawa would be the next bet. Up and comer on the Japanese NT. Pretty big for a Japanese player. Still in the WE league, so I think could be attainable. Toko Koga is also another young CB and is at Feyenoord. Or throw everything at Jade Rose, who appears to still be floating around out there.
Man I wish Hina would use some of her rizz on her fellow countrywomen.
Serious, I'm not sure there's another country where I'd blindly take a player and be pretty confident about it because so many Japanese players are just solid and technically sound. Their academies are excellent. I'm sorry to say this out loud because I know we have a huge WE league fan here, but why tf are we not scouting in the WE league more?! I'm prob biased because I am also 5'2" and I have a preference for small technical players lol. The WSL has a weird points system that makes it harder for international players to go there (they have to acquire a specific amount of points in other valid leagues before they are allowed entry.) I don't know a lot about it, but we don't have those barriers.
Hopefully 1 & 3 are true. I'm disappointed to hear Obaze wants out. I think she's a victim of the coaching circumstances and general "treading of water" the club did under Karina. What I saw last season was a good CB with lots of potential. I hope they fire Gale sooner rather than later and get in a coach who helps change her mind on sticking around.
I hear so many mixed opinions of Obaze. Actual thorns fans seem to think she’s okay, but lots of analysts seem really unimpressed. I don’t know enough to have an opinion except that I’d rather we have less goals scored against us
She’s a 22 year old international CB possessing high level physical, mental, and technical traits with plenty of room to grow wanted by the best sides in Europe. Analysts (and anyone else, Mr. Agoos) who don’t rate her don’t know ball.
There’s an epidemic of bad defensive analysis among NWSL media in this country imo. They tend to really struggle to separate players from the circumstances they play in. A lot of this is --and I say this as someone who loves using fbref whenever possible-- is down to the presence of increased data in woso, so someone who isn't very data literate can pull stats and say "but but but she doesn't make enough tackles or her xGA is too high" without understanding what they're actually citing.
Totally agree. To me she's found money. We had a starting-quality young international CB fall into our laps last year. Is she ready to be a world-class line-leader? No. But I'll tell you this: Lyon were ready to bring her in, and wanted her, before they ultimately settled on Tarciane because Obaze wasn't available. So, maybe the 'goos should concentrate on finding Obaze a starting partner somewhere between the levels of Hiatt and Sauerbruun and see what happens?
As has been pointed out to me privately, I do think part of Agoos’s issue with Obaze may be her cost to value as an in-demand international, rather than her outright quality.
Then I fear we may in trouble with our new GM, because it's hard for me to envision a better cost-to-value piece than a 22 year old high potential developing CB on a rebuilding team even if she is getting paid too much!
The capability of Argoos is a complete unknown. My hope is he takes the year to assess here, but we’ll see.
I haven’t been super impressed with Argoos to date. He doesn’t seem to have any urgency to improve the team.
Yeah… personally she is not top of my list of concerns, to put it mildly. We shall see.
I'm no expert, but I watched her closely last year because I was excited about us getting a young, international CB. What stood out the most to me was how calm on the ball she was and how good her passing was. She had her moments of "oh, shit, this is a faster league than I thought", but she was figuring it out. Having Becky play with her (when she could) showed a lot of her positives. Some element of being hurt and having to play with Hubly a few times probably contributes to how some folks judged her play. I don't think she was a world-beater, but I think the tools are there and she needs the right environment to put it all together. However, the Thorns shitshow has probably made that impossible now, and that's legit disappointing. As for the analysts, most of the ones I listen to (and like!) don't have the capacity to watch every game and dig in on every player. I think that, by design, they have to have a higher level of analysis. As such, I take a lot of what they say with a grain of salt. If someone on a podcast has an opinion that doesn't match what I see live, meh...go on with your bad self, I guess.
I agree Brian, I like her and yes she has made few mistakes, but she is 22 pretty fast, calm and tall. This team however might not be the best place to develop, especially with Sauerbrunn gone.
Another thing that might be an issue is being far from home, her family, friends and in this particular moment in US history. It is not the the best time to be a foreigner, especially a foreigner of color with what is going on right now. I sure hope that is not an issue. I am glad and grateful she is here because I think she has loads of potential.
Her first match without Sauerbrunn included a pure rook and a total noob. As kielbj notes; context. KC is a comprehensively better-run club with a stacked attack. They make defenses look bad. If that's all it takes to get Goose to dunk on an individual player? He's got more judgement issues that I noted above.
I wonder if the Obaze issue is just down to Gale. He just doesn't seem to rate Obaze - look at the number of games she spent on the bench last year. Given that, I can understand why she would want out. If Agoos doesn't like her either - and he's not just listening to Gale - then he's seeing something I'm not.
1. Whaa..? I won't disagree that Ken needs the sack. But how does this Friday tell Goose what he didn't know last Saturday? Or last January, for that matter.
2. Considering the backline, Obaze was probably the third-worst defender out there, but the two worse offenders had excuses (rookie, noob). Not sure why he'd pick out Obaze from that, which is another "judgement headscratcher".
3. WTF? We've got forwards dropping out of trees along 18th Avenue. If "working on" means "getting Ken to play people where their skillsets are? Fine. But if it means "signing yet another forward"? Why? We have a bunch now we have no idea about! Headscratcher #3.
I am a little confused why the second game of the season would be a must win for him. Doesn't really speak to good process if that's the case.
I agree that it's random, but maybe it's more just that Agoos felt he was hired without having proper time for a new coach search, esp considering *everything else* with this roster that needed addressing. But now that he's been there a couple months, he might feel like he has what he needs to make that decision. He's been around a whole preseason, gotten to know Gale more, been around for trainings, and has seen several preseason games and now a league game. My guess was RG was already on a pretty short leash and a new GM might just be looking for any excuse now that he's in place and had time to see more behind the scenes. Either A) he did/didn't watch last season closely but maybe wanted to see more on his own watch before making that decision because he's a reasonable person who didn't wanna come in hot to a new job, or B) did watch last season and kinda already had his mind made up about him but didn't have the time to make that immediate move upon hire...which would mean opening up a new HC search the first week he was in the job. He also may be poking around behind the scenes to gauge interest, and if there are decent prospects that have shown interest he might be a bit impatient waiting for Gale to suddenly figure it out. Still willing to give Agoos the benefit of the doubt because he's entered kinda between a rock and a hard place with where this club is currently.
Or maybe he just watched what we all watched and was like ?????? What is this???? It's not just that they lost, but the personnel, positional, and tactical/formational decisions should be a red flag to anyone watching Galeyball. It's been over a year of making many of the same mistakes...
In any case...just waiting for him to be reassigned to the academy or something, he does seem pretty involved there.
It really wouldn't be fair to make the first game a must win, because KC. ACFC should be a different story. Not that I think it will.
It really shouldn't be any of the first third of the season really purely from a process standpoint. If he was knew he was about to fire Gale, it should have happened before the season.
(Not that I won't be happy if he gets fired, but....why now?)
It certainly should have happened before the season. Maybe Agoos wanted a chance to get to know Gale and then see whether he could walk the talk.
I agree with you about process, Agoos's late hiring might make this an exceptional situation.
Yeah, why can him after Game 2 if you weren't ready to can him before the season started?
I vote it's game 12 since August 24, a 2-8-1 stretch.
Fair, given the roster got put in a blender after November? What in life is fair? [insert Conan quote]
It’s entirely possible this source is wrong or delivering a biased take. Or maybe all the losses from last season have been building up to this, and it’s less a single benchmark and more a milestone.
Agoos being pretty much the opposite of KK and Parsons in terms of public persona makes him pretty hard to read. But his shadowy glower in Kansas City certainly wouldn’t have filled me with optimism if my initials were R.G.
Well, pretty hard to watch much of that first half, in particular, and feel positive. But then again, we had a much better starting roster last year and served up the same 1st half turd, and that was before KC had really gelled. They're more dangerous now.
We need a Gale-specific season slogan.
Something like "Thorns 2025: We've Been Robbed"
“Gale-force wins? Not today!”
Gale farce wins?
Sigh...
If only Gale Farts Win
Gale out
Welp, that was a disappointing opener. There is a lot for this team to work on, and I'm not sure how much direction they are getting. To start, it was hard to watch a team that had no offensive threats to start the game. It was literally the first thing I (and I'm sure others) wondered out loud when I saw that lineup. Where were the goals going to come from? Second, the defense again needs some work. Its hard to fathom that when goin gup against the Golden Boot winner and the most prolific offense from 2024 that there wasn't a higher degree of attention paid to the defense. If you want to sacrifice offense, put the effort into the defense. Finally, the comments made by Moultre about the structure of the coaching is just sad. In theory I'm okay with a free flowing structure, but it feels like something you want to use with a team that has played together for a number of years. Expecting a young team to put it together sounds like chaos.
Article includes review of the Thorns and kc game
https://prosoccerwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nwsl/2025/03/18/nwsl-take-off-kc-current-portland-thorns/82420881007/
Ouch!
"(Portland) was naive last year in the exact same way, and gestures about Good Football aren't going to stop most teams in this league from deciding they want to win three points more than they want praise for aesthetics...
"...Portland can't point to the absences of three of its five most vital players, or a lack of raw talent. The Thorns started nine players with senior national team experience, most of whom have demonstrated top-class play in their positions elsewhere.
"If the Thorns can't enter games ready for battle from kickoff — even if that means sacrificing ideals about playing the right way for 15-20 minutes here and there — they're going to have a deeply difficult 2025."
from ProSoccerWire's lips to Jeff Agoos' ears, one can only hope
My initial thought was it should already be in Argoos’s ears because anyone that watched us play could tell our staff needs tactical work. Whether he does anything about it is another story.
The camera cut to him during the first half. He did not look amused.
Nor should he. But we've had a full season of this kind of play, off and on but mostly on. Last year, the Bhathals were so clueless about it that they wanted to send Karina to FIFA GM camp! At least now, we've got an adult in the room who recognizes that Gale has to go. The problem is, when to supply the burlap sack?
Does anyone know if there is more to this Agoos media availability somewhere?
https://bsky.app/profile/theolloydhughes.bsky.social/post/3lktawg55d22w
And when did it happen?
Hey STF folks....any clarity?
It would be cool if Substack had the ability to @ the owners of a stack. Or maybe they do… too lazy to research
Found it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbl9j7tlrnk
Highlights for me:
1. first 2-3 minutes are Prime Agoos.
2. minutes 3-8 are "AV is hard" gold
3. at 12:48, Phuoc allllmost asks a substantive question about any plans to sign more talent, but then catches himself, rephrases to ask Agoos how excited he is about open international spots.
4. "Very." He is very excited.
Translation of 1 & 2: The presser actually starts at 8:00.
My god, the first 5:40 of this video are just comedy gold as he sits there and waits, and waits, waits, waits, waits, and waits some more, then waits again for something to happen, then goes back to waiting.
Great to see Phuoc take this guy by the throat and let him know how the journo media vs. organization relationship is going to be. The only tougher opening question would have been "Mr. Agoos, can I please have your autograph?"
Shout-out to Carlos, aka "Who the hell is this guy who's kinda the acting interim shadow GM pre-Goos?"
I LOVE the way that Goos chuckled when asked what his first conversation with Gale was like.
Last highlight: Phuoc moons the camera when he gets up to leave: https://youtu.be/Lbl9j7tlrnk?t=1032
Yeah that would be nice to be able to tag people. I have no idea if they comb through old threads or if they get notifications (or if they would even read those?) I did ask the question on the newest thread they just posted with a new pod.
Tell me whether my personal pet-peeve is unfounded:
So many analysts seem to be basking in the joy of Portland losing Soph, and claiming that more than any other team we were relying on a single spectacular talent to keep us afloat.
I certainly agree that our team was build around Soph, but what I don’t agree with is the assertion that we’re unique. If KCC loses Chawinga, Orlando loses Banda, I say they instantly become mid. And let’s not even start with Utah with Sentnor and Chicago and Swanson.
I could entertain the idea that the Spirit are not quite so reliant on a single player. And Gotham perhaps, though their roster is so shaken up it’s hard to say.
What do you think? Were we *uniquely* dependent on Soph?
I feel comfortable saying that Orlando would still be a top 5 team without Banda. Same for Washington without Rodman and probably KC without Chawinga. We saw the Courage finish fifth without Kerolin last year.
Good coaches elevate their teams regardless of who’s on the field, and good GMs build versatile rosters that are resilient to injuries. We haven’t had either for two years.
We were because Ken ran the attack to depend (or at least 90% depended) on Smith hero-ball. The "attack" typically consisted of "huck it up to Smith and hope she does some magic with it". I'll disagree with kielbj a bit that his top three were locks without their big guns, but there's no question that their attacks were better crafted, more creative, less one-dimensional that Ken's.
So...pretty much, yeah.
Every team are dependent on one or two players, Reign had Rapinoe, the Wave had Morgan, Chicago has (had?) Mal, and ACFC were banking on Press. IMO the salary cap is going to hinder rosters because you can only afford to pay a couple of players what they are worth before they go looking overseas.
I would say Gotham is the exception but I'm not convinced they did everything by the book either.
Weekly recaps are back! Trying a new format where I do 10 league-wide takeaways instead of focusing on three games. Anyhow, here's Week 1, featuring:
- A new-look Houston
- Angelina's versatility for Orlando
- Thumbs down for Malfoy
- A weird Angel City midfield decision
- Utah building from the back
https://www.theeaststandnwsl.com/post/nwsl-week-1-recap-more-of-the-same-at-the-top
Rob the Knob? Rob the Yob?
Thanks for the write-ups! Always good to read your tactical takes. I too like g+ as a stat, and I'm curious to see how good it is over the course of the season.
A little fun to cheer up with
https://i.postimg.cc/ZY1s4RWx/Off-the-Riviters-drum-off-the-scoreboard-nothing-but-net-quote.jpg
OT: Y'know that saying "sometimes it's better to be lucky than good?" Welcome to the FA Women's League Cup Final. Man City absolutely outplayed Chelsea the whole match...and lost 2-1. Neither Blues goal was the result of anything much on their part. On the first, Ramirez got in 1-on-1 v the keeper. Yamashita stoned her...only to have the ball bounce off the late-arriving City defender right back onto Ramirez' feet. The second goal was a horribly unlucky Yui Hasegawa own goal on a deflected cross. City's goal was a banger by Aoba Fujino (although Hampton may well have done better on it).
City dominated possession and chances, and along with Chelsea's absurd luck, the biggest reason they lost was poor finishing. Shaw and others were wasteful. Fowler and Fujino were the effective offensive players. Recycled Manager Nick Cushing took a page from just-departed Gareth Taylor in making a boneheaded substitution, pulling not-gassed Fujino (instead of backpassing turnover machine Jill Roord) at about 75 minutes...and City's attack immediately went flat. Shaw was also off at that point, but she WAS gassed, so that had to happen (and Jess Park is a great replacement). Silver lining: if this match is an indication of current form, City are likely to bounce Chelsea out of the CL.
Thorns match? After an exhausting day of...er...watching sports online (this match, WE League, Nadeshiko League, F1, MotoGP...), I just wasn't up for it at 1:30AM Japan time. Like, _literally_ not up: I crashed at about midnight. I haven't seen highlights, but it sounds like a bit of a "not as dreadful as expected" situation. Potential tagline for the season?
Not really. KC comprehensively better; typical Ken stuff, poor tactics, players out of position, defensive errors. The scoreline actually flatters Portland, IMO. Vlatko sat back after the break which gave Portland more time and space. Hina fed Moultrie who finished tidily (but then shanked a gift PK off the crossbar, so…)
Some individuals stood out; Castellanos, Hina and Coffey as usual, Moultrie (except the PK…).
But to me it looked like a potential top four against a potential bottom four.
Still pretty bad. Down 3-0 at half. Ref was inconsistent but also gave a ton of cards? Positional and tactical confusion, baffling choices from RG. Then Vlatko took their foot off the pedal after half, which was stupid, but it made it seem like it was closer than it was. We're just outmatched from a player perspective, but also from a coaching perspective. Liv missed a PK. Still, if it ended 3-2, that would be flattering for the Thorns. KC should've had this one like 5-0.
But, Tordin and Hanks look really fun! Jeff Agoos was there and didn't look pleased lol.
Tordin and Hanks look like they may be able to create space. What the hell are we going to do at FB?
Would be nice to know what type of direction we are going to pursue. Coach and roster uncertainty is tough.
My hope is a young player emerges. Still believe a 4-4-2 diamond is the best system we have, but Gale would start either Castellanos or Moultrie up top.
Highlights? Reserve a solid 90 seconds and you're good to go.
think Fujino had a foot injury recently tbf
That's right: she is just back to availability for the starting 11. Maybe that was a planned sub that the training staff wasn't inclined to be flexible about. Shame that it kind of killed the offense, but if that was the case, it's best for the player, for sure.
Bad for Louisville
https://bsky.app/profile/tayvincent6.bsky.social/post/3lkqmh2uc5k2a
Happy she feels able to make this move for herself.
Since this is becoming a thing across the league though, does anyone know the rules-related specifics? Does Louisville get roster relief? Does she still get paid? Can she come back whenever she’s ready?
Maybe she misses the PNW? Doubt that’s the reason, but it would be nice
Misses the northwest but would prefer a more small-town feel you mean? 😉
The word "unambitious" gets thrown around a lot here, mostly in reference to our ownership and GMs.
But I'm a little curious about what you all think about the dedicated NWSL stadium sizes: 11,500 for KCC and 14,500 for Denver. Either of those would be like, the worst Thorns attendance ever.
I get that stadiums are extraordinarily expensive, but aren't they being "unambitious" by capping themselves at half the size of Thorns match?
SWAG a club/corporate-owned park makes as much money on gate and parking, selling in the 10-15k range as PTFC does selling 20+k in the muni-owned park (with whatever added entanglements they may have with Peregrine).
Other end of the scale has to be playing before a few k in a vast sportsbowl, such as Seattle and Houston. Will wager is costs more to open and staff the place for an event than they earn in gate and concessions. Not "covering the nut." Not to mention the odd fan experience gazing at 50k empty seats, probably sitting far from the pitch.
Smart design of a mid-tier park includes easy expandability. USL Republic FC got burned by Burkle [spit!] and MLS who yanked their expansion award. They're rebooting the new soccer park initiative but instead of MLS-ready, seating for 12k, about what they get today in their temporary parking lot quarters. Explicit in the design is expansion ability to 20k, including the MLS-required canopy.
Some of these park designs don't really address getting people in and out. Seeing the Courage in Cary was harrowing, navigating by phone light from far out just to get to the park, repeating in reverse to leave. And it's not a big park.
That is a good question. Is it better for a club to generate potential sell out games (10K stadium), or future higher gate turnout (20K+ stadium)? When you factor in that the average NWSL attendance is less than 10K, there is a good argument for the 10K stadium. I would hope the KC stadium has the ability to expand, because they could leverage the sell outs to guarantee future season tickets assuming they can build the brand. The Denver number makes more sense, because it would put them in the top 4 if they can sell out the stadium.
Goalkeeper assist! Long goal kick puts the Double Bird in 1v0, Utah up one at 13’.