A bunch of what you say goes right over my head, but that’s a good thing, teaches me a thing or two about what to watch or gives me a term to look up every article. Doesn’t mean I won’t still be an empty noise shitposter, but I appreciate having my horizons broadened nonetheless
Thorns are getting an absurd amount of offensive contribution this season:
9 different goal scorers and 11 different assist providers through 10 matches:
Smith (8), Moultrie (3), Beckie (3), Sinclair (2), Linnehan (2), and Coffey (2) are your goal leaders
Smith (6), Sugita (3), and Obaze (2) are your assist leaders
The player we HAVE to get going? Fleming. 0 goals, 1 assist, 7 starts, 9 matches, 548 minutes. That puts her down below Coffey, Muller, and Obaze in offensive contribution and level with Hubly, Klingenberg, and Sheva. Ouch.
Whatever is going on, it's not coming easy to her. From what I've heard her longtime Canadian teammates say about her analytical tendencies, I do think she's up in her head and is trying to find the rhythm of where and how she plugs in.
I know it takes a while to sync up with a new team, but the fact that we have other new players who are doing fine makes me a little concerned with Fleming’s slow progress.
Yeah I watch brand new rookies(!) like Hal Herschfelt contributing more and it is a bit baffling to me. There are other replacement-level midfielders doing the same or better. It wasn’t even really a position of need so it’s a bit of a frustrating acquisition…and it was our BIG off-season move. Müller had 0 hype for her from the club and she’s been the gamechanger that Fleming was supposed to be. Didn’t she sign a 3 or 4 year contract also?
As a vocal Fleming defender, I've been disappointed in her lack of major impact so far. That said:
1. If you're upset about resource allocation, blame should be more on the coaching staff (and Fleming herself) than the front office imo. Bringing in the Canadian captain in her prime to replace Rocky --who I love, but is hardly the world beater everyone seems to remember her as now that she's gone-- was a no-brainer decision.
2. She's been fine (with plenty of good sprinkled in) since Gale took over, not bad. Fine isn't good enough for the price they paid, so that's the problem.
3. Everyone thought the season was over five weeks ago. Half this board thought we didn't have a shot at the playoffs. Patience is good. It's REALLY hard for even the best players to fit into brand new midfields right away- I've said throughout that I'll judge her at the end of the season, and I still think that's the best way to approach it.
That's my point though: Sometimes it takes time for stuff to click, both at the individual and team levels, which is why early season proclamations are often overreactions. Who knows: It might never truly work here for Fleming and I'll be totally wrong. I just think it's far too early for post-signing regret, especially given her performances have hardly been bad lately.
Well, I mean so we essentially agree then. You've been disappointed so far, as have I....which is what I said.
I'm not saying I don't think she could become more impactful...just now, for the type of expectation I had (which I should say wasn't based on my own insights bc I didn't know much about her, but rather other folks who did know her better), she has been lackluster. I've been super patient though...I haven't said much negative about her at all throughout her first games and while Norris was still here. I did think a ton of the problem was the coaching, and I've said in many other comments that I still do believe that's the case with Gale. I think Gale hasn't figured out our midfield, other than making a good decision about where to put Hina. My expectation, or what I thought we'd get with Jessie just based on hearsay beforehand was that she'd be doing kinda the exact job that Hina is doing now- a pivot with Sam; everywhere breaking up passes/attacks but also filling holes and connecting the lines, as well as some good offensive feeds, in particular. I only mentioned that she's been disappointing when you compare her to other midfielders in the league with 1/3 of her pedigree, even some rookies.
I personally never mentioned Rocky as being a world-beater lol, but she was doing a fine enough job in her role imo (or we already had coverage between Liv and Hina who'd both played there to varying levels of success) that this wasn't the most glaring of needs on a roster with much larger holes...that was my point. I still think we fleeced Angel City for her, though, so that part was a good transaction for PTFC!
Remains to be seen if this was a good allocation of our resources (it's not really imo if she's only a sub in the future- as you say, "fine" could've been found really anywhere), but I think things will continue to change for the better. My guess is that she'll be playing out of her "preferred position" of the 8 going forward, though, unless she can be more impactful....but for now, she's not taking that spot from Hina. She specifically said in an interview that one of the main reasons she came here was so that she can play the same position (I think she specifically says the 8) as she does with Canada to have that consistency because at Chelsea she was used more as a utility midfielder....so I can't imagine she's super happy with how it's gone here so far...
This is merely just a "this is where we are now" opinion with full acknowledgement that things will inevitably get better as time marches on and when we (hopefully) get a new coach (I'm still far from being on the Gale train.) Five weeks ago we WERE looking pretty dire lol, but I wasn't one saying I didn't think we'd make playoffs (I personally thought Norris would be fired quickly and we'd have a new coach soon enough.) For now, I'm just saying how I feel, which is just a little disappointed. And I think it's ok to say that. I don't really think anything I've said is unreasonable.
I didn’t mean to insinuate that your opinion was wrong — I think most of what you are saying is totally correct and it’s very reasonable to be disappointed by her so far — more just to reinforce the importance of patience as the year goes on, especially given all the change on field and off. Apologies if it sounded harsh lol, I’ve just been frustrated with the general lack of patience around Fleming.
I do think a lot of people kinda misunderstood who she was as a player, though: She’s not a flashy superstar type. She’s not a goal scorer, and she’s not Hina. I think she’s really struggling with not being THE player the midfield runs through like she is for Canada, which is a testament to how good Sam and Hina are. She is still playing as an 8 — not the deep lying 8 role Hina is in, but an 8 in a 4-3-4 nonetheless— so I think it’s really more about finding her role next to those two exceptionally talented midfielders. This isn’t even to say that their skillsets are duplicative, more that they just haven’t quite figured it out yet.
And yes, still totally agree about the Gale thing. I don’t necessarily think this run has been fluky, but they haven’t exactly been clicking in all cylinders. The impossibly low bar set by Norris has helped everyone.
Having watched Dash a couple weeks in a row I was surprised to learn Bachmann exists and that she's a load to defend against. If they can figure out how to effectively use she and Ordonez together they'll be dangerous.
Big "if" there.
Meanwhile, does she order the turnover after driving to the bakery?
"Briggs’ team beat San Jose, 4-3, with two goals in the second 15 minutes of extra time after falling behind in the 100th minute when Earthquakes standout Hernán López broke a 2-2 tie. Republic FC scored consecutive goals in the 106th and 107th minute to escape with the come-from-behind victory."
Our boys advance to the US Open Cup quarterfinals after defeating the MLS Earthquakes last night. Was I there? Had to make an airport run so, noooo. Sucks to be me, but anyway, the boys play on.
Bet the entire Republic roster costs less than the Quakes most expensive player. Heck, maybe the entire club budget.
"But for me, this felt like a good opportunity at the right time to hopefully play a bigger, more consistent role for a club, and a good step for me to continue to grow my game." -- Jessie Fleming to Meg Linehan (January 2024)
“Adding a player of Jessie’s caliber is a big step for us as we continue to build the roster for 2024 and beyond. Jessie has great ability to connect and create in midfield, which makes her a very dynamic option for us in the middle of the field. Her eye for a final pass will be a great asset for our front line. Add in her physical capabilities to go box-to-box, we feel that we have acquired a very complete world-class midfielder.” -- Mike Norris (January 2024).
So far, not that. Not only has it not been the "bigger, more consistent role" that she sought, but she also hasn't been played in the role that Norris described -- either by Norris or Gale -- and hasn't provided what Norris described.
That said, I'm impressed how team-first she is. Thorns are winning, she's trying to contribute in whatever role she has on the day, and we're going to win on depth of quality and versatility. But I do fear that she's caught in the same kind of numbers game here that she was in Chelsea.
C'mon, Jessie. I have a feeling that you're going to be a huge key to whatever happens in Orlando Friday evening. Have a breakthrough match!
I really think the biggest tactical-related issue is that she just hasn't figured out quite what her role is in the 4-3-3. Her actual position on the field isn't too different to what I thought it would be- She's playing a little higher than I thought, but it's still fundamentally a right-sided 8 in a 4-3-3. It just feels like she's the third wheel in the Sam-Hina midfield.
On that note, I think you observed earlier in the season that you thought their skillsets might be overly duplicative --which I still don't necessarily agree with-- but I do think you were on to something that I hand-waved too quickly in terms of Fleming figuring out how to make an impact with two other midfielders who are as ball-dominant as Sam and Hina. I still believe that they'll it out eventually because I think so highly of all three of them, but it definitely hasn't quite happened yet. I also think it's a little on Gale to figure it out.
The biggest adaptation-related issue is obviously Hina shifting back into one of the 8s which has made the 2nd 8 spot a direct competition between Fleming and Moultrie. The move was clearly the right call, but you're totally right that it puts her back into a numbers game most weeks. It's harder to settle in when you're constantly fighting for your spot. That said, Liv is finally stepping up, so Fleming needs to match her.
Was just thinking about this. She's come out of her shell so much in the time she's been here. Was great seeing her conversing on the pitch with Dias the other night. Guessing Hina doesn't know Portugese or Russian, and that Dias doesn't know Japanese. But they were definitely face-to-face talking to each other, and this was independent of their connection on Dias's goal.
I appreciate that Rob gives credit to his staff and lets them share the limelight.
BTW how is Ana Dias's English? I would love to hear something from her and more about her. I see she played in Russia and I have heard that can be pretty scary place to play. Dany Foxhoven, 2013 and Vero Boquete, 2014 both played there and woof what a nightmare they describe.
My secret mission for her is translating what the Brazilians are saying for the rest of the squad. Possible superpower.
Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi have a long interview about their time playing basketball for a Russian oligarch. He treated them like queens and paid commensurately. Then he ran afoul of the Kremlin and was assassinated. They had to hightail out of there, fast.
That is right I almost forgot that Portuguese, like most Europeans, speak very good English. When I lived in Spain we would go to Portugal often in the beginning because we found it easier. The Portuguese speak English better than the Spanish did. But to my ear they sound like they are speaking Spanish with a Russian Accent.
The experiences I was talking about in Russia were recounted in the book:
Under the Lights and In the Dark: Untold Stories of Women’s Soccer Hardcover – July 6, 2017; by Gwendolyn Oxenham
Oh I very much imagine they stay on the road and are already in Orlando. For example, Spirit just talked about their 12 day road trip…Utah, same. Teams don’t fly home just to fly all the way back across the country again..
So far only Obaze and McKenzie have posted that they are in Portland today, but they are probably not traveling with the team. I feel like usually when the team comes straight home they use their day off to post about going to the coast or a fancy dinner, so I’m hoping they are headed to ORL.
Yeah Obaze is out and McKenzie hasn’t been traveling in general. I would be extremely surprised if they left Houston and came back to Portland just to go back across country again to Orlando. They already have the benefit of a shorter flight to Orlando, and another week to train and acclimate to Orlando’s weather…which has always been a huge advantage for them.
We stayed on the road when we went from Chicago to San Jose and SJ is a short flight to Portland. Dunno why they’d suddenly change course. Players/staff were posting pics in SF and Santa Cruz so I know they were there for a few days before game day.
Something a little different this week in place of a recap- A deep dive into three of my
favorite players to watch this season, featuring:
- Is Marie Müller already the best LB in the league?
- Why is no-one talking about Summer Yates?
- Ashley Sanchez thriving under Nahas
Lemme know if this type of stuff is interesting!
https://www.theeaststandnwsl.com/post/nwsl-week-9-interlude-the-xfun-three
A bunch of what you say goes right over my head, but that’s a good thing, teaches me a thing or two about what to watch or gives me a term to look up every article. Doesn’t mean I won’t still be an empty noise shitposter, but I appreciate having my horizons broadened nonetheless
Loved the write up. If you’re up for it, I’d love more pieces like that.
Match report up: https://rivetingpdx.com/2024/05/23/thorns-fc-a-fetid-petro-swamp/
Thorns are getting an absurd amount of offensive contribution this season:
9 different goal scorers and 11 different assist providers through 10 matches:
Smith (8), Moultrie (3), Beckie (3), Sinclair (2), Linnehan (2), and Coffey (2) are your goal leaders
Smith (6), Sugita (3), and Obaze (2) are your assist leaders
The player we HAVE to get going? Fleming. 0 goals, 1 assist, 7 starts, 9 matches, 548 minutes. That puts her down below Coffey, Muller, and Obaze in offensive contribution and level with Hubly, Klingenberg, and Sheva. Ouch.
I feel like I can see in her facial expressions that she’s frustrated that she isn’t able to be a more cohesive part of the team yet
Whatever is going on, it's not coming easy to her. From what I've heard her longtime Canadian teammates say about her analytical tendencies, I do think she's up in her head and is trying to find the rhythm of where and how she plugs in.
This is probably exactly right. She's also used to being the center of the midfield and she's not that with Sam (and now Hina) in there.
She's a photographer. She'll get the picture right eventually.
She does seem very cerebral.
I know it takes a while to sync up with a new team, but the fact that we have other new players who are doing fine makes me a little concerned with Fleming’s slow progress.
Yeah I watch brand new rookies(!) like Hal Herschfelt contributing more and it is a bit baffling to me. There are other replacement-level midfielders doing the same or better. It wasn’t even really a position of need so it’s a bit of a frustrating acquisition…and it was our BIG off-season move. Müller had 0 hype for her from the club and she’s been the gamechanger that Fleming was supposed to be. Didn’t she sign a 3 or 4 year contract also?
As a vocal Fleming defender, I've been disappointed in her lack of major impact so far. That said:
1. If you're upset about resource allocation, blame should be more on the coaching staff (and Fleming herself) than the front office imo. Bringing in the Canadian captain in her prime to replace Rocky --who I love, but is hardly the world beater everyone seems to remember her as now that she's gone-- was a no-brainer decision.
2. She's been fine (with plenty of good sprinkled in) since Gale took over, not bad. Fine isn't good enough for the price they paid, so that's the problem.
3. Everyone thought the season was over five weeks ago. Half this board thought we didn't have a shot at the playoffs. Patience is good. It's REALLY hard for even the best players to fit into brand new midfields right away- I've said throughout that I'll judge her at the end of the season, and I still think that's the best way to approach it.
Well, the season WAS over 5 weeks ago if they had stayed the course.
She just needs to break her duck. It might not come against Orlando, or it might.
Even if she does not, however, I do think Orlando is an opponent against which her intellect, skill, and work rate can shine.
That's my point though: Sometimes it takes time for stuff to click, both at the individual and team levels, which is why early season proclamations are often overreactions. Who knows: It might never truly work here for Fleming and I'll be totally wrong. I just think it's far too early for post-signing regret, especially given her performances have hardly been bad lately.
Well, I mean so we essentially agree then. You've been disappointed so far, as have I....which is what I said.
I'm not saying I don't think she could become more impactful...just now, for the type of expectation I had (which I should say wasn't based on my own insights bc I didn't know much about her, but rather other folks who did know her better), she has been lackluster. I've been super patient though...I haven't said much negative about her at all throughout her first games and while Norris was still here. I did think a ton of the problem was the coaching, and I've said in many other comments that I still do believe that's the case with Gale. I think Gale hasn't figured out our midfield, other than making a good decision about where to put Hina. My expectation, or what I thought we'd get with Jessie just based on hearsay beforehand was that she'd be doing kinda the exact job that Hina is doing now- a pivot with Sam; everywhere breaking up passes/attacks but also filling holes and connecting the lines, as well as some good offensive feeds, in particular. I only mentioned that she's been disappointing when you compare her to other midfielders in the league with 1/3 of her pedigree, even some rookies.
I personally never mentioned Rocky as being a world-beater lol, but she was doing a fine enough job in her role imo (or we already had coverage between Liv and Hina who'd both played there to varying levels of success) that this wasn't the most glaring of needs on a roster with much larger holes...that was my point. I still think we fleeced Angel City for her, though, so that part was a good transaction for PTFC!
Remains to be seen if this was a good allocation of our resources (it's not really imo if she's only a sub in the future- as you say, "fine" could've been found really anywhere), but I think things will continue to change for the better. My guess is that she'll be playing out of her "preferred position" of the 8 going forward, though, unless she can be more impactful....but for now, she's not taking that spot from Hina. She specifically said in an interview that one of the main reasons she came here was so that she can play the same position (I think she specifically says the 8) as she does with Canada to have that consistency because at Chelsea she was used more as a utility midfielder....so I can't imagine she's super happy with how it's gone here so far...
This is merely just a "this is where we are now" opinion with full acknowledgement that things will inevitably get better as time marches on and when we (hopefully) get a new coach (I'm still far from being on the Gale train.) Five weeks ago we WERE looking pretty dire lol, but I wasn't one saying I didn't think we'd make playoffs (I personally thought Norris would be fired quickly and we'd have a new coach soon enough.) For now, I'm just saying how I feel, which is just a little disappointed. And I think it's ok to say that. I don't really think anything I've said is unreasonable.
I didn’t mean to insinuate that your opinion was wrong — I think most of what you are saying is totally correct and it’s very reasonable to be disappointed by her so far — more just to reinforce the importance of patience as the year goes on, especially given all the change on field and off. Apologies if it sounded harsh lol, I’ve just been frustrated with the general lack of patience around Fleming.
I do think a lot of people kinda misunderstood who she was as a player, though: She’s not a flashy superstar type. She’s not a goal scorer, and she’s not Hina. I think she’s really struggling with not being THE player the midfield runs through like she is for Canada, which is a testament to how good Sam and Hina are. She is still playing as an 8 — not the deep lying 8 role Hina is in, but an 8 in a 4-3-4 nonetheless— so I think it’s really more about finding her role next to those two exceptionally talented midfielders. This isn’t even to say that their skillsets are duplicative, more that they just haven’t quite figured it out yet.
And yes, still totally agree about the Gale thing. I don’t necessarily think this run has been fluky, but they haven’t exactly been clicking in all cylinders. The impossibly low bar set by Norris has helped everyone.
I'll add, a list other hyped international offseason additions:
Castellanos: Dreadful so far.
Oshoala: Underperforming
Kundananji: Flashes, but hardly game-breaking
Beattie: Rarely plays
Rubensson: Bad.
Motalho: Doesn't play
Rauch: Good
Rall: Meh
Bia: Really good
Chawinga: MVP-level
Banda: MVP-level
A lot of variance there!
Bachmann was dangerous against us the other night.
Having watched Dash a couple weeks in a row I was surprised to learn Bachmann exists and that she's a load to defend against. If they can figure out how to effectively use she and Ordonez together they'll be dangerous.
Big "if" there.
Meanwhile, does she order the turnover after driving to the bakery?
My prediction is that Orlando will be a break-through for her.
I am with you, maybe it’s just hope, but Jessie is way more than we have seen.
3 year contract I believe
Rob needs to Facebook Friend Bev. He's holding the tiara and cannot figure out where to place this particular gem.
The Little USL club that could.
"Briggs’ team beat San Jose, 4-3, with two goals in the second 15 minutes of extra time after falling behind in the 100th minute when Earthquakes standout Hernán López broke a 2-2 tie. Republic FC scored consecutive goals in the 106th and 107th minute to escape with the come-from-behind victory."
Our boys advance to the US Open Cup quarterfinals after defeating the MLS Earthquakes last night. Was I there? Had to make an airport run so, noooo. Sucks to be me, but anyway, the boys play on.
Bet the entire Republic roster costs less than the Quakes most expensive player. Heck, maybe the entire club budget.
Do you ever get the feeling that when Jane Campell closes her eyes she sees Thorns firing balls past her?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB9yq9CfM2E
In which we root for Lloovuulle.
You Loovull uvula user you!
They just got a lucky one. Franch totally not expecting a 1degree cross
That was the very definition of "shross".
Sears with a towering goal.
That angle.
If only she'd saved that one for Chicago.
Angel City are an absolute joke. Maybe try building a team before you build a brand.
"But for me, this felt like a good opportunity at the right time to hopefully play a bigger, more consistent role for a club, and a good step for me to continue to grow my game." -- Jessie Fleming to Meg Linehan (January 2024)
“Adding a player of Jessie’s caliber is a big step for us as we continue to build the roster for 2024 and beyond. Jessie has great ability to connect and create in midfield, which makes her a very dynamic option for us in the middle of the field. Her eye for a final pass will be a great asset for our front line. Add in her physical capabilities to go box-to-box, we feel that we have acquired a very complete world-class midfielder.” -- Mike Norris (January 2024).
So far, not that. Not only has it not been the "bigger, more consistent role" that she sought, but she also hasn't been played in the role that Norris described -- either by Norris or Gale -- and hasn't provided what Norris described.
That said, I'm impressed how team-first she is. Thorns are winning, she's trying to contribute in whatever role she has on the day, and we're going to win on depth of quality and versatility. But I do fear that she's caught in the same kind of numbers game here that she was in Chelsea.
C'mon, Jessie. I have a feeling that you're going to be a huge key to whatever happens in Orlando Friday evening. Have a breakthrough match!
I really think the biggest tactical-related issue is that she just hasn't figured out quite what her role is in the 4-3-3. Her actual position on the field isn't too different to what I thought it would be- She's playing a little higher than I thought, but it's still fundamentally a right-sided 8 in a 4-3-3. It just feels like she's the third wheel in the Sam-Hina midfield.
On that note, I think you observed earlier in the season that you thought their skillsets might be overly duplicative --which I still don't necessarily agree with-- but I do think you were on to something that I hand-waved too quickly in terms of Fleming figuring out how to make an impact with two other midfielders who are as ball-dominant as Sam and Hina. I still believe that they'll it out eventually because I think so highly of all three of them, but it definitely hasn't quite happened yet. I also think it's a little on Gale to figure it out.
The biggest adaptation-related issue is obviously Hina shifting back into one of the 8s which has made the 2nd 8 spot a direct competition between Fleming and Moultrie. The move was clearly the right call, but you're totally right that it puts her back into a numbers game most weeks. It's harder to settle in when you're constantly fighting for your spot. That said, Liv is finally stepping up, so Fleming needs to match her.
Just finished watching the replay and the only point to add was that it was nice surprise to see Jeff Attinella doing the commentary.
There is no resisting the Hina Dance.
https://x.com/ThornsFC/status/1791700734360363179
Was just thinking about this. She's come out of her shell so much in the time she's been here. Was great seeing her conversing on the pitch with Dias the other night. Guessing Hina doesn't know Portugese or Russian, and that Dias doesn't know Japanese. But they were definitely face-to-face talking to each other, and this was independent of their connection on Dias's goal.
DeMelo=queen.
Wild finish for sure.
Our household yelped…ty queen, love her for that!
Just watched the recap. Dang I’m glad she scored but I feel like KC fans have a legit reason to be upset at all that extra time.
Omg I thought the final whistle blew and I turned it off!!!!
WAS 4-2 LA at halftime?
Are they playing without GKs?
I read that book. Made me respect the women in this game even more.
I appreciate that Rob gives credit to his staff and lets them share the limelight.
BTW how is Ana Dias's English? I would love to hear something from her and more about her. I see she played in Russia and I have heard that can be pretty scary place to play. Dany Foxhoven, 2013 and Vero Boquete, 2014 both played there and woof what a nightmare they describe.
My secret mission for her is translating what the Brazilians are saying for the rest of the squad. Possible superpower.
Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi have a long interview about their time playing basketball for a Russian oligarch. He treated them like queens and paid commensurately. Then he ran afoul of the Kremlin and was assassinated. They had to hightail out of there, fast.
Her English is top-notch. almost like Obaze.
That is right I almost forgot that Portuguese, like most Europeans, speak very good English. When I lived in Spain we would go to Portugal often in the beginning because we found it easier. The Portuguese speak English better than the Spanish did. But to my ear they sound like they are speaking Spanish with a Russian Accent.
The experiences I was talking about in Russia were recounted in the book:
Under the Lights and In the Dark: Untold Stories of Women’s Soccer Hardcover – July 6, 2017; by Gwendolyn Oxenham
I talked to Oxenham about Foxhoven's experience in Russia. Apparently it was significantly worse than anything she could write in the book.
Wow! It must have been horrible. She came back with serious health issues that eventually forced her retirement. Her Coach sounded like a tyrant.
Oxenham also described Allie Long’s indoor soccer career playing with men- La Blanquita they called her. She learned to not dwell long on the ball.
I enjoyed that book.
Women’s soccer had come a long way, but after the 2023 WWC Spanish mess it seems to have a ways to go.
Great book. Oxenham also made a bunch of it into a podcast hosted by Hannah Waddingham, "Hustle Rule":
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-hustle-rule-the-untold-st-98385483/
Thank you Loovull!
Orlando...The Thorns seem to wilt in heat and humidity. They got lucky in Houston with the lower temp. This will be tough.
Been hoping the thorns travel straight to Orlando to adapt, especially given the late game. Probably not the plan though.
They’re prob already in Orlando
I've wondered about that.
May cost more to stay in Orlando for a week than to fly home then to Orlando. And maybe being home is desirable. Who knows??
Oh I very much imagine they stay on the road and are already in Orlando. For example, Spirit just talked about their 12 day road trip…Utah, same. Teams don’t fly home just to fly all the way back across the country again..
So far only Obaze and McKenzie have posted that they are in Portland today, but they are probably not traveling with the team. I feel like usually when the team comes straight home they use their day off to post about going to the coast or a fancy dinner, so I’m hoping they are headed to ORL.
Yeah Obaze is out and McKenzie hasn’t been traveling in general. I would be extremely surprised if they left Houston and came back to Portland just to go back across country again to Orlando. They already have the benefit of a shorter flight to Orlando, and another week to train and acclimate to Orlando’s weather…which has always been a huge advantage for them.
We stayed on the road when we went from Chicago to San Jose and SJ is a short flight to Portland. Dunno why they’d suddenly change course. Players/staff were posting pics in SF and Santa Cruz so I know they were there for a few days before game day.
Good! Bhathals can afford it.
That makes sense, but if we could still peek into Providence Park we could see if they're practicing on Tuesday.
I have a friend who knows Mark Parsons. Parsons would know.
If you follow any of the Thorns on ig I imagine we’ll be seeing beaches and shorts imminently lol.
Orlando has no beach 🙂
Portland away games @ Orlando 9 total, Pride 2 wins, Thorns 5 wins, draws 2.
But Orlando has never been good before, so there's that. At least kick is at seven o'clock, 'cause they're predicting 95 for Friday.
So, what you're saying is that we can count on Sinc going the full 90...
Sunset is after 8:00 and cooling down is a joke. My forecast shows abnormally cool on Friday. Lets go with that.