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Anyone also notice the general increase in social media put out by the Thorns? For years, it was generally the bare minimum...game day stuff of course, but then maybe one post a week between games. Lately, there's been a noted increase in content (which, finally!) Wondering if new folks have already started to be hired internally...

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Enjoying it myself. That IG post with the jerseys on backwards was funny.

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Wanna keep Soph in Portland?

https://twitter.com/AttackingThird/status/1707833750883570078

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Sep 30, 2023·edited Sep 30, 2023

Soph has spoken very very highly of him on multiple occasions, and I do think it would at least delay her leaving. I imagine she would wanna help him be successful- she considers him a father figure (her words.) Also, she credits his coaching to what got young Soph to the next level and I don't think would turn down the opportunity to play for him professionally. He's also got a ton of Colorado connections- Mal Swanson also is very close with him. I honestly don't know enough about his coaching to know anything about his style. He did get Jamaica the furthest they'd ever gotten...which, it's baffling they didn't renew his contract. I'd bet if Denver gets a team (and he's available at that time), they'd pick him up in a heartbeat...

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I’d bet *a lot* of money they couldn’t afford to pay him and would’ve kept him if they could. The Jamaican fed is, unsurprisingly, a tremendous disaster.

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Yeah, that’s exactly the thought I had also. I’m guessing he say PAY ME, and they said “we don’t have that…” Sad for the Jamaican Nat’l team yo lose him because it sets them further back, but I think he could be a contender for the USWNT, and there are several NWSL teams that would love to have him. Still wondering if Portland will miss the window on an experienced coach, either because the sale dragging or because Thorns do well enough to make getting rid of Mike a bit more difficult. I would just like a coach with a bit more connections…both on the player, and technical side.

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Why would Lorne Donaldson help us keep Soph here? Is it the playing style he prefers? Is it the chance that we could attract Bunny Shaw to come here?

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Donaldson coached for Real Colorado when Smith was a kid- She credits him with much of her development and speaks incredibly highly of him whenever she gets the chance.

If the USWNT was smart they’d hire him....but man it would be cool to have him here.

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Sep 29, 2023·edited Sep 29, 2023

Might even pull Swanson in that direction. He is highly regarded by both Soph and Mal. Really don't know if it would keep Soph here or not though. Suspect it could.

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I'd like to dedicate the increased cost of my season tickets directly to the "Retain Sophia Smith Fund."

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Time for new icons in Portland. Dame is heading to Milwaukee in a 3-team deal with the Suns, and the sun is setting on Sinc.

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I don't follow the Blazers, but I do know that with that trade Jrue Holiday comes to Portland (and thus, Lauren Holiday.) Would be LOVELY to have her in the Portland soccer community, and if she wants, and job in the new Thorns FO...nice to have her in general, she's beloved in Milwaukee for all of her community work.

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Holiday will be gone in the next few days, somewhat sadly.

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Well that's too bad. I only read a blurb about Jrue Holiday coming to Portland, and I only know him as Lauren Holiday's husband lol.

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He’s a great guy too (there was an awesome profile done on him a few years ago by The Ringer), but the Blazers are going super young and he doesn’t fit their timeline at all. Five of their best six players are 25 or younger, and the main two they’re building around are 19 and 20 respectively.

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Yeah I became acquainted with him because of Lauren. Both seem like great members of the Milwaukee community. It's a shame they likely won't come to Portland...!

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Not a sure thing with Holiday. We'll see.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1707097881604403330

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Sep 27, 2023·edited Sep 27, 2023

Bay FC has a coach:

"Bay FC today announced Albertin Montoya as the club’s first head coach.

Montoya will begin work immediately to build out the club’s complete coaching staff and roster.

He currently holds a USSF “A” License"

Pretty good local hire. Has a ton of (winning) head coaching experience at all levels, is well respected, his daughter plays for Stanford, and he's coached many of the Stanford players to an ENCL championship...he's very knowledgeable of the deep talent pool that resides in that area. He also was an interim very shortly for the Spirit while they were coach hunting previously, so he has NWSL familiarity as well.

Also, relevant to the Thorns....knows Tegan McGrady and her family. Would be more surprised if she were here next season than if she were playing for BFD (that's what we're calling them, right?) next season.

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Was Inigo not available?

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Nah, someone killed Inigo's father and now must prepare to die.

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Sep 27, 2023·edited Sep 30, 2023

REVISED: Here's the official unofficial NWSL list of franchise nicknames, through the 2026 expansion:

1. ACFCNFT

2. BFD

3. Boston Market

4. Champipple

5. Courgettes

6. DC Kang

7. Gotham's Dark Night

8. KCFUBAR

9. Loovull

10. No Stars

11. Pride (In the Name of Love)

12. PSWST (Puget Sound WoSo Team)

13. Royal PITA

14. SlapDash

15. Thorns

16. Your Name Here

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I never quite get the “Champipple” one. San Diego, right? I’m guessing “plays on champagne and SDW’s image as a glamor club” but that seems more appropriate for ACFC. When they looked sketchy I liked to call them “The Ripples” but that seems inconsistent with their current form. Still thinking about that one.

And NCC will always be The Damned (Courage). Even post-Riley.

If the Kang group succeeds in picking up Seattle I think you have to go with a “Kang East” and “Kang West”…

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Right now it's OL Kang, DC Kang, and PSWST because they keep moving around Puget Sound and changing names. Bbut yeah it will get confusing if there are two Washington Kangs. Maybe "West Coast Kang" and "East Coast Kang"?

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Sep 29, 2023·edited Sep 30, 2023

Champipple is a riff off your dubbing them as Ripple, both of which are classic Fred Sanford. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dTha7wTYxpg

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Ah. That explains it - even though it was in my age-cohort wheelhouse I kinda missed out on the classic sitcoms of my era. Well, except Mary Tyler Moore, and that was because my mom was a Huge Fan.

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Agreed "Champipple" is not understood. And "Doordash is Houston? while AC has it on their shirts.

I am not anywhere near the soccer guru like you guys. Just a fan

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What else would one derisively call the Dash?

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Solely based off of Christen Press' storied tenure as a Dash player. Hard Pass, or Hard Pressed.

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The Middling

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I've got it: SlapDash.

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founding

or 8. Royal PITAs

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I would have also accepted "The Royal We" or "Le Royale with Cheese."

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Players out on International duty

2 games Dunn 110 minutes and Coffey 0 minutes, done Sunday

Rocky 2 games about 165 minutes done Monday

Sinclair 2 games done yesterday played 30 minutes.

Kuikka finished yesterday 2 games 180 minutes

Sevecke 2 games finished yesterday. Made a second half injury time appearance in one game.

Hina 2 games 45 minutes in the 1st game. 2nd yet to play will kickoff 1 AM Thursday Portland local time.

It will be interesting to see which players get the start on Saturday and which will be on the bench.

Coffey and Sinc likely starts unless coach thinks Sinc is a liability against the Wave.

Hina unlikely to get any minutes.

Everyone else I don't know if they start or sub on but unless we are throwing Sevecke into the deep end that any of them will play the full 90, except maybe Dunn.

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This is helpful, thanks! I'm quite curious what this looks like for San Diego as well...I'll have to sit down later and see if they're as affected as we are.

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Sep 27, 2023·edited Sep 27, 2023

I didn't watch any of the Denmark games, but isn't Sevecke usually a starter? I wonder why only a sub at 90+2 in one game...is she injured, or coming back from injury?

Or more likely...sounds like she hasn't played much (or at all) since the WC, and then not much before then because she didn't have a club team (?)....maybe form issues because she hasn't been playing. Which, isn't helpful for a team pushing into playoffs lol...

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Neither did I watch the games. Sevecke did start for Denmark in all their world cup games both a RB and a CB according to Google graphic. It could be a lack of a club seeing her be benched for these games. Which makes joining Portland heading into an off season an interesting choice. Maybe she just needs a team to train with before the October and December Denmark games.

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This is really tricky to project given both the importance of the game and the individual international break dates. I would bet:

Bixby

Kuikka-Menges-Becky-Kling

Coffey-Rocky

Moultrie-Dunn

Weaver-Sinc

- Rocky’s last game was Monday, so that’s a full 5 days of rest. I bet she starts. Mostly because she’s been so important and not starting her would necessitate a formation change from what worked so well against Seattle (or starting Taylor Porter...which...no)

- Hina almost certainly doesn’t start, but I bet we see her as a sub.

- Reyes could start over Kuikka, but I think it’s more likely Kuikka starts, plays 65-70, and then Reyes comes on to replace her.

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Yeah, is that the same lineup as the Reign game, just swap Moultrie for Hina? Really hope Becky is back for more than 45'...

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Great review. Thank you. And yes, I would assume Sinc starts.

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Looks like Hina might actually be 1 game finished Friday. Argentina friendly. There are Asian Games going on now and it doesn't look like any of the normal World Cup A team is on the roster. So that could see Hina get a start.

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Yep...I was talking about this downthread. The camp for the "main" team, which included that Argentina friendly, concluded on the 26th (according to the official JFA X account). I don't _think_ any of those players are going to be in the Asian Games group stage matches. I don't know that competition's roster rules, but it's possible those rosters are locked at least until the knockouts.

Lots of exhausting travel...but Hina may well be back Stateside already.

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Based on this, I would expect Coffey, Sinc and Dunn to start in the midfield. Rocky with that much time is probably out or late game sub. Hina I would expect to be out based on the Thursday game. I would like to see Moultre start, but perhaps she plays as a forward? Natu probably doesn't play based on this as well, so we should see Reyes and Kling.

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Sep 27, 2023·edited Sep 27, 2023

Woof, not a great time to have a rotated squad. This game is one of the most important of the season if they want the shield (and also for playoff seeding.)

Gotham probably has the easiest route to the shield, with games against Houston, KC, and the Thorns. San Diego has North Carolina, Louisville, and the Thorns...so probably about as tough a final schedule as the Thorns. Still, an L in either will make our road quite tough.

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A Saturday night Shield 6-pointer, 25k+ in the stadium for the Reign game, finally getting hints of fall, Morgan Weaver MVP campaign, and Civic Taproom had my favorite cream ale back last week. Haven’t been this stoked for a game since...well, last week.

Only (somewhat) downer is that it seems they’re being extra cautious with Soph- doesn’t seem likely we see her this week. Probs for the best.

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Yeah, and unfortunately Hina still has another game to play with Japan (1am tonight/tomm) in China. And that must be like a 15 hr flight back to PDX. I imagine we don't see a lot of Hina on Saturday. Rocky also played almost 2 full games for Costa Rica...though beating St. Kitts and Nevis like 14-0 may not have been all that challenging. Still, she looked exhausted by the end of that second game. Lots of minutes on our midfielders' legs, and our midfield alternatives are gonna have a hard time getting the job done against the Wave. Morgan did play a lot of minutes though, as well, and I know they have some int'l players away also.

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Wait, Japan has a game on *Thursday* of a short international break?! I thought such breaks ended Tuesday, or at the latest Wednesday. Give us our Hina back!

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Sep 27, 2023·edited Sep 27, 2023

Yeah, they play Vietnam tomorrow our time (1am.) I can't imagine she'll even be back much before the game. It's currently 7:45 am Thursday in Wenzhou. She'll be traveling back in time to get back to Portland, but that's a loooong flight and not really much time for any training with the team. Frustrating, indeed...

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Thing is, the "main" Nadeshiko team hasn't been playing in these Asian Games group stage matches. Hina played on the friendly v Argentina, but the roster for the same-day group stage match (or maybe one day apart...I'm working from memory here, and my sense of time zones is still recalibrating!) was entirely different, made up of not-usually-capped WE Leaguers and even some _high school_ players! Mind you, they've won the previous two matches in clean sheet blowouts and have a 16 goal GD (!), but it's not their big guns at all. I don't know the roster rules for the Asian Games, but Hina may not even be eligible for that match, at least if that have to keep the same roster for the whole group stage.

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Thanks for that insight, I had no idea! That would be great news for us if she was already on her way home. I guess we’ll find out tomm if she plays or is on the bench! If not hopefully we can assume that she’s already on her way to PDX.

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Wow, Japan sure did slack off! After the "big girls" demolished Argentina 8-0, the Asian Games group stage team, made up of some seldom-capped WE League players and high schoolers, posted the same 8-0 score against both Bangladesh and Nepal. But against a stronger Vietnam side, they only managed 7-0. ;)

Sure, these performances are against minnows, but the Nadeshiko's depth is crazy. The competition for those 18 Olympic Games spots is going to be intense. It's entirely possible that our brilliant Hina might not get called up (although with her positional versatility, I'm still betting it happens).

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Definitely not the main lineup. No Hina, for sure. I can't find a stream, unfortunately, or I'd be watching (it's 17:30 here...).

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We're in an odd situation where getting 5 or 7 points from our remaining games will win the Shield, but 6 points might not. A loss to either SD or Gotham opens the door for them to claim it.

First: Beat the Wave. Go Thorns!

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Two big home games coming up! Lets hope Providence Park is rocking the next two weeks! Bring the noise!

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With matches still to play at home against Champipple (2nd on table) and Gotham's Dark Night (3rd on table), and ACFCNFT (1 point out of playoffs) on Decision Day, Portland have the inside track to win the Shield. And if Portland don't win the Shield, it will be their own doing. Gonna have to beat 2-3 opponents of this caliber to win the Championship too, so why not start now?

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Phuoc, you ask whether Mark Parsons could really be out of the NWSL playoffs. I think Mark Parsons could be out of the NWSL. I believe that the Spirit are tired of having screamy-shouty men on the sideline. I would not be surprised if he's let go after this season.

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Sep 27, 2023·edited Sep 27, 2023

Now THIS seems to indicate Sinc might not be going to the Olympics. Thank you, random Canadian reporter, for asking. And if no Olympics, then whither her NWSL career?

https://x.com/thrace/status/1706852467529683323?s=20

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Yeah, and I saw a video of the team post-game on the field celebrating, and Sinc was in tears and being consoled by multiple teammates. Seems to indicate it could be the end, or nearing it quickly. I think the Olympic roster is 18, so really, there’s just no space for anyone that isn’t gonna contribute much. It would be malpractice to give her a spot over anyone else, so I imagine she doesn’t go. What that means for club…I’m not sure, but I’m not convinced she’ll give them both up at the same time. I read an interview (quite a while back now), but Sinc was talking about wanting to retire from the Nat’l team first, and play solely for club for another year. Things very well could’ve changed since then, though…

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Shoo shoo with your bubble-bursting, I’m going to pretend that she’s retiring on the field after the Gotham game.

But yeah- I forgot the Olympic roster is so bizarrely tiny. That probably was a major contributing factor in Priestman having the discussion. Not sure if that happens in Portland yet.

However.....with the sale coming, the WC loss, and not being on the Olympic team, it’s a bit of a new era and the timing seems right. I wouldn’t be *shocked* if she announced her retirement out of nowhere, especially if the Thorns win something. A retirement tour is not something she’d enjoy lol

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Lol, yeah if she's gonna do it, she's gonna try to sneak out the back door and not tell anyone. I imagine she just decides one day, and then quietly exits and is off the roster. What it will take to get to that point, though? Hell, there have been numerous "good times to do it." After winning Olympic gold was probably the pinnacle (and even then, probably 1-2 years too late.) But I could also see her saying "I wanna stick around the first year of new ownership and see this team through all of the new changes." Thing is, we already have plenty of leadership on this team...someone needs to tell her, "it's ok, we got this."

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Yeah, no matter whether it's time to turn the page, and it's evident to all that it is, it's still painful emotionally for her and others.

I doubt she's going to do the Rapinoe thing. I think she will just announce her retirement after-the-fact and then come back to be honored by country and club on a special "Christine Sinclair Night." And, it just might be time for her to go play in Canada for a while.

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I think that's the gracious way of Priestman having already had the conversation with her. Not sure who's idea it is, but it's time.

Here in Portland, same way. New ownership needs to have opportunity to have new energy and start of a new era.

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founding

thank you @harjournalist for having the courage nobody around here seems to have.

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I find it interesting that we could see team(s) entering the playoffs on a negative goal difference.

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Don't look over at the MLS table, lol... Timbers are lining up to get home field advantage with a negative goal differential...

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Let's hope, but they're going to need help — all the teams ahead of them in 5th through 2nd have a game in hand.

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But also have to play like 5 games in 2 weeks and nobody is serious form.

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author

Would not be a surprise one bit.

No other team outside of Portland (40) has 28 or more goals.

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Sep 27, 2023Liked by Phuoc Nguyen (Fook Win)

I looked to see if a team had made it in previously on a negative GD. In 2014 Washington Spirit made the playoffs with a negative 7 goal difference. That is the only playoff team with a negative goal difference so far.

2019 Reign, 2021 Chicago, and 2022 Kansas City entered the playoffs on a GD of 0.

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