Until now I have thought that the disruption of firing him might not be worth it; that despite the obvious flaws the talent level was enough that a bottom half coach could keep the Thorns afloat in a playoff position.
That is no longer the case. This team is too talented individually and collectively to be playing this poorly. The first half was one of the worst halves of football I've seen at Providence Park in a long long time. The second half was better, but largely because Hina is a cheat code that makes this awful system look vaguely functional.
Honestly think it would be much better to do it now, hope to make playoffs with a new coach, and make this the "rebuild" year (where a new coach can have input in the offseason) rather than make Sophia's contract year the year of the rebuild. They bought themselves time and it'd be a mistake to not use it. You got her signature for next season, rip the bandaid off and start the search now. It's gonna happen now or it's gonna happen later (seems inevitable atp)...no point in kicking the can down the road.
I'm almost thankful the year started this way because it may force action sooner than if we kinda bumbled along getting just enough points into mid-later season. You can't let him continue to tank this team's confidence through the season, though. They're gonna start looking in the mirror or around the lockerroom for answers, and that's not a good thing for lockerroom culture...
I think just because of the stylistic differences of the player, her. But it instantly added more connectivity. Again it is wild to me she isn't starting, either on the right or in midfield because she instantly makes the whole thing look better.
Yeah I mean her talent and style definitely makes things work, but she was also coming way deep and picking up the ball from the CBs in a way Moultrie just doesn't/didn't....which *is* very Hina, but also not how Norris was playing Moultrie at all. So cool how she just makes everyone else instantly more confident, less cool that she hasn't started a match yet.
Deep lying playmaker Hina is my favorite Hina tbh.
Norris is pushing Fleming super high on the far side with no support from Reyes or Beckie, making her incredibly isolated.....To answer you're question, I'm not entirely sure what Norris wants her to be doing honestly! I'm also not sure if it was tactical or whether Hina just took matters into her own hands, but she dropped waaaay deeper next to Coffey in the second half. I also think Fleming's been a little tentative so she's certainly not blameless, but she was miles better in the second half once the Thorns started playing through the midfield.
I don't agree re: Moultrie. I thought she was really poor. She got on the ball a little more than Fleming did in the first half so I guess she was less invisible in that sense, but her decision making was consistently really slow and ineffective.
Her ability to hang onto the ball is part of the puzzle for this group. Everyone just looks like they knew what they were doing immediately when she came on. Good thing Norris killed all momentum by taking Fleming off and inserting Sinclair WHEN WE WERE CHASING A GOAL. lol.
So what would your midfield preference be? Coffey/Fleming/Sugita? 6/8/10?
Also curious what you thought about Reyes coming out, and Kling coming in at the half. Kling just makes things click better and is a much better passer going forward, but good lord I feel like she's lost even more speed since last season. She looked Sinc-level stiff. I was just waiting for us to be punished for her getting cooked (she did but their wingers couldn't do much.) She also went forward and was playing in the 9 for a second and I was like ??? wtf you doing Kling, please! I know you're high on Reyes, but I still remain very much concerned with her ball skills in possession, and her passing. Everytime she has the ball I tense up. She's also pretty slow. I don't think she's starting quality....maybe on the left, or with a different CB partner. Muller still a bit rough defensively, but I'm not as worried about her. Payne coming in was also wild considering the game state...her positioning is just, bad.
Yeah taking Fleming and Müller off was just totally bizarre, for the same reason putting Kling on was a good idea: You want your best technical players on the field when you know you're chasing a goal. Sinc wasn't even particularly bad, but Fleming and Hina were in a groove.
I like the 4-2-2-2 with Soph and Weaver up top, Moultrie and Hina/Fleming behind them, and Sam and Hina/Fleming in the double pivot; but I'm totally fine with just putting Hina at right wing or sitting Liv for a little bit. I want Liv to get minutes, but it's totally fine to rotate your lineups a little bit! Benching her doesn't mean she's bad or that she won't ever start again, it just means that you have other good players!
Stacked deuces could be utilized to drop either of Sam or Jessie back to take a short pass and iniatate the attack. Take that duty away from Hubly, who is too slow, and often makes the wrong decision. The tell that she doesn’t know what to do is when she hoofs it up field. I can see Sam/Jessie either making the accurate pass or dribbling up the middle, drawing defenders and helping to open things up for Weaver and crew. May be too simplistic, but it could help the team partially shed some of its rampant predictability.
It is the speed of play. Hina speeds the team up. The first half was like watching a really fancy sports car drive in the slow lane. This team needs to utilize speed. They have a propensity for checking back to the ball every time. Once they took off mueller whomever they brought in made GREAT runs stretching the defense on that side. Made a huge difference.
I feel like this is what we'd get with Parsons (so many people calling for his return)...but this was exactly his play. Defensively stout, for sure, but they would just swing the ball slowly around the box, back and forth, just soooo static and slow. It was so infuriating at the time lol...
- Coffey's a monster. Smith's the team's MVP, but Sam is pretty much everything else. Willed the team forward the whole second half both offensively and defensively, exhorted the crowd on every dead ball, and scored a great goal. So, so good.
- If they can figure out a way to use the midfield, it's a really good midfield! Fleming looked a brand new player as soon as they switched the point of attack and brought Hina in the game.
- Better game from Weaver, despite some continued poor decision making.
- Becky looked awesome.
- It's a long season. I feel much more at peace with Soph signed cause I would be losing my damn mind otherwise.
Negatives:
- Norris just ain't it. Man has negative feel. If you're a coach, you can't make the sum of the parts worse than the individuals, and he is CLEARLY doing that. It doesn't take a tactical genius to see that he's wasting the talents of everybody on the field not named Smith......and when the team is losing, he's wasting her talent too. Hina's probably the second or third best player on the team at worst and she hasn't started one match. Useless, useless manager.
- Time to start Obaze. It just is. Sorry Kelli. Horrible giveaway (one of many) that caused the first goal, then got beat easily on the header for the second. I'll give her a little credit for the well-played pass that sprung Coffey for the equalizer.
Norris has had them punching below their weight since last PREseason. I noticed it almost immediately in one of the February games and said it to my wife.
Sarah Lowdon is right there. So we have at least an interim with head coaching experience. But "available" is largely a function of what you're willing to pay. Costas wasn't available but with $500k on the table he suddenly was. So you might consider Natalia Arroyo (Sociedad) or José Luis Sánchez Vera (Levante) as possibilities. Carmelina Moscato is assistant at Louisville. Futoshi Ikeda at Japan WNT might be a long shot but is very good tactically. How much $$$ would it take to get Sarina Wiegman?
Make her an interim while they conduct a full global search. Let it take as long as it takes. Lots of folks would love to coach this team in front of this fan base. Owners seem ok with spending money...they gotta put up or shut up if they want to truly be "best in the world."
I think the Thorns gig is kind of "danger and opportunity"; it's kind of the North American version of one of the big UEFA clubs, PSG, Bayern, Milan, something like that. For a manager with big ambitions, yeah, definitely, it's tempting. Win here and you're a candidate for international jobs (see: Parsons, M.).
Buuutttt..."this fan base" includes a element of real tension. The Riveters and the allied "ultra"-ish fans are a LOT more kindly than the Timbers Army - it seems like a million years ago now, but the hate for Gavin Wilkinson when he was the head coach was bitter and carried over long after he moved into the C-suite - but there's no doubt that if you fail here your failure is the most public possible, and you're going to have a subset of fans on your ass most quick smart.
If I was an ambitious managerial-wannabe? Sure, I'd take it. But knowing that if I fall here I fall like Lucifer...
If money wasn't an issue, who would be your top-5 somewhat attainable choices for fit/style of play? (I don't see Wiegman as attainable...she wasn't even interested in the USWNT job.) Also, for example, Casey Stoney is considered a good coach by many, but I might die if I see her tactics and style with this roster lol.
Would sure love to see some Japanese tactics out there, but that seems unlikely lol. Japanese people really do love Portland, though!
I am not sure, aside from who I listed. I am partial to the Japanese style of play so I might look there. I am not sure Japanese female athletes get the respect that NWSL players rightfully demand.. For sure I never want even a whiff of Riley in anyone we hire - this might rule out people who appear to us outsiders as fine. Remember Amanda Cromwell? I thought she was a brilliant get for the Pride.
Also, there is nobody in WSL who I'd have the slightest interest in - standards are too low in that league and the style of play is generally agricultural. Netherlands, Germany, Spain, maybe Brazil could be good hunting. In NWSL, I would be happy to poach Chicago, Gotham or (especially) North Carolina. Nowhere else though.
I would love a Japanese coach because, as you say, the product is beautiful and it would be different and distinct in the league. I'm unsure if the owners have global football reach like that, though, or who would be initiating that search. Do FO's generally reach out to people they might be interested in for coaching positions to gauge interest, or is it the other way around- they just go from the pool of applicants? I have no idea what a head coaching search looks like....
Re: poaching Nahas...yeah I've had that thought for a few years now. He'd be my top choice from this league, I think. Him or JCA. He's doing a whole lot with a pretty mid roster...imagine what he could do with more. He seems pretty NC through and through (and also was around for the bitter NC/Thorns rivalry), so I'm not sure what it would take (if anything at all) to get him here...JCA would of course be a good one also, but I don't see that happening. He left Houston for the east coast because it was much easier to travel back to Europe to see his family. Portland makes that even more difficult.
I would say though, Amanda Cromwell did kinda have a red flag attached, seeing as she was in a relationship with a former college player of hers at the time...I probably would've avoided that lol, but otherwise yeah she was really successful.
Speaking of college coaches...I sure would love to see what FSU's coach could do with our roster. They play a similar style- an attacking forward system, and it's really fluid and lovely to watch. He has college players essentially playing like an NWSL-level team. I'm not sure if you've ever watched them, but whew, just head and shoulders above any other team. Plus, access to FSU-style players would be a major win. Any team who recruits Jordynn Dudey in the next few years are gonna hit the jackpot. She was a freshman last year, but I could see her going pro anytime she gets an offer she wants.
Lastly, what do you think about Twila Kilgore? She's obv tied up with the USWNT and won't be even remotely available until after the Olympics...but there are some definite positives there also.
Worth a crack after the Olympics. Her schedule should be pretty free for a while after that! Definitely benefits to her appointment. I'm not really sure what her personal style of play is, though. We've only kinda seen her implementing Vlatko's or Emma's plans. I imagine hers wouldn't be too far off, though.
If they change managers, my bet is it’s Parsons. I do find it curious that he visited here with his family, They did live here for a while, so I’m sure they have friends to visit.
Fair point. His success was with Thorns, leaving on his own accord to take a more prestigious job, then failing and out in a year, to another job and out in a year. So, 1 for 3 not a strong argument to have him back. Was everything kittens and sunshine on the squad when he was here?
Wait, I have Vlatko on Line #3.
In short IDK although hearing him yell @ refs during away matches just might be worth it.
His c.v. is even thinner than that. Got turfed in the knockouts in DC, and dominated by Riley (spit!) in 2018. Lost the 2019 and 2021 semis. Failed w Holland (not entirely on him, but…), failed in DC 2.0.
So the entirety of his success here is the 2016 Shield (after which Riley thugged him again) and the 2017 Star.
If they’re looking at him as a potential KK replacement? I’d be good w that. He is a good team builder.
I’m just talking about a proven gaffer with a good track record in the league and with this team is available. Can easily see them giving him a chance.
That seems like the same small-club minded biz that got us here in the first place imo. But, this is exactly what I think KK would do...and wouldn't be surprised if ownership co-signs because they only see his record and may trust KK's judgement. They need to give up the ghost here and move forward with NEW...
It's def super tempting to just give it back to Mark because it's easy and he knows the team and the league and we'd probably see immediate benefit, but it could be a bit short-sighted, only to stop the bleeding. A bandaid. I also am unsure if he would feel some sort of loyalty to the players he's known for a long time...Hubly, for instance...I can't remember how he was in that regard, tbh...
I sure hope they don't cosign just because KK says so. I hope to god they have more vision than that. If they spent all that money thinking they could bring back 2017 despite how the league is evolving would be a huge disappointment. Make some connections, show some real ambition, take some risks, sell us a vision, something other than being beholden to the Canadian NT.
I would hope so too, but if they were at all soccer-smart or getting proper info about their team I'd question why we still have Norris in the first place....hopefully Norris tanking doesn't come as a huge surprise to them, though. Maybe they were just giving him a real shot, but I do hope they had some contingency plan for when it went downhill...
I'm very upset that he's our coach and don't get this confused for me defending him, but man, I feel bad for Norris- Guy seems like a legit good dude and the players like him, but he's just totally out of his depth. It's not even a qualification thing for me because there's plenty of unqualified coaches who come in and know what they're about right away, he just doesn't see the game very well at all. I'm sure he was happy to take the job when it was offered, but this was never really where his career was headed and now he's the (rightful) punching bag for an under-achieving team with a huge fanbase. To make matters worse, when he does eventually get fired, he probably won't be able to go back to his old job which I'm sure was a pretty good gig.
Yes to all that and yet he either has some blind spots or is delusional.
Obvious example: Sinc: Place her in an imaginary cabinet with "In case of comfortable late lead, break glass" so you understand that then AND ONLY THEN can she be on the field. I mean, how much more clear can that be? Start her in the season opener. Super idea!
Sorting out the back line and building a machine-like midfield are much trickier but the pieces are on the roster.
I generally preface every bad comment I make about him with this lol. Seems nice, was a fine choice to stick with him for consistency after Rhian's sudden departure. Otherwise, just not up to snuff with this level, or with this position honestly. Should prob go back to finding a GK coach position. When he inevitably leaves, I'm curious if he stays with front-of-field management as opposed to GK.
Reality is he could offer to step back and just say he realized he was better suited to be an assistant at this point, but in all likelihood he is fired and joins Wilkinson’s international team staff or maybe go to Houston as a Keeper’s coach
The most frustrating thing about the Norris situation is that the results would be worthy of firing an actual head coach — someone who was hired after a normal search/hire process. He isn’t in that stratosphere. He was a run-of-the-mill assistant who happened to be hanging around when the head coach decided to kindle romance with a player. He was never on anyone’s short list as a head coaching candidate. He was just a dude who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. His results are entirely consistent with his qualifications. It’s ridiculous, and I can’t fathom what the players must think.
No worries at all. I was just very tired once I got home.
My favorite part about Hina's play is how trusting all Thorns players are with her. Morgan and Sam highlighted during presser was very cool to see. Hearing how much they love playing with her says it all.
Yeah it was very clear almost immediately after she came on that everyone not only trusts her, but that it makes the rest of the team more confident to play freely because they know she’ll just sit and conduct.
- Hina is nearly a 1 of 1 in the NWSL as far as her flexibility goes- Not only does she play multiple positions, but she sees the game steps ahead of where the ball is at a level that very few players do. I have no evidence for this, but I kinda think she went on and just did her thing, while Moultrie is playing a more dictated position. When Hina's on the field, she just floats around and keeps the ball moving, and that's badly needed in a setup that is often incredibly static.
- Liv isn't an 8, she's a 10. She's not comfortable --yet-- in the deeper spaces and she's often too slow with her off-ball movement. Hina is ALWAYS moving with intention, which makes her really hard to deal with. Liv's a really smart player and sees the game well, but she doesn't have that same constant fluidity of movement that Hina does.
Play Hina Sugita as much as possible. No offense, but is there a more obvious decision in the damn league. Three games to figure it out is utterly unacceptable.
That was a fantastic clip of just how slippery Sugita is. She made a hell of a difference. Everyone started playing better. With her and Sam in the midfield the midfield belonged to the Thorns.
Rewatching Orlando-Chicago was a real rollercoaster for our gal Kuikka, back to back shot blocks seconds apart made me really wish we’d kept her and slid her over to CB this year, then right after dang near gets red carded off. I’ll say this for Natu, she knows how to keep things exciting
Yes, but also correct usage of VAR -- must be "clear and obvious." The fact that it took the ref THAT long to review it told me it wasn't "clear and obvious." Came to the right conclusion.
I think it was a clear and obvious red and I can’t understand why it took so long tbh. Yates had a step on her and she didn’t play the ball at all. Announcers were shocked it wasn’t a red too.
I too was surprised it wasn't a red. However, like I said, when it took the ref that long to review it, there was no way he could then issue a red; for him it wasn't "clear and obvious" -- that's what made it the right call. You can't call something "clear and obvious" if you have to review it that many times for that many minutes.
That’s what I’m saying though- It was clear and obvious to Orlando, Natu, and the announcers (and me!). It makes no sense that they didn’t take two looks at it and were like “yup, red card!” The fact that it them so long is more of an indicator that the refs didn’t know what they’re doing than whether it was clear and obvious imo.
Certainly willing to give Fleming, Sugita, and Coffey a chance. Gotta figure out a role for Moultrie, tho.
Time for Obaze to get a look next to Becky.
Reyes just had a rough game today after a monster of a game last weekend; I'll give Norris props for bringing in Kling and moving Muller to the other side of the field.
Norris either has to go, or he has to build a staff that helps him overcome his weaknesses.
1) Louisville completely out-muscled us in the first half. They came out to play a physical game, the ref was timid (how many times did he give a "stern talking-to" when a yellow card was obviously needed?!), and we did not respond appropriately.
2) We did get more physical in the second half. Which was a bit surprising, because Moultrie is a much more physical player than Sugita (who came on for the second half), but there you have it. Perhaps the coaches and/or the vets said something at the half about it and we took it to heart.
3) Sugita kept the ball moving so, so well. She's a possession machine on the ball as well an excellent passer. Having her and Coffey (our other possession machine) in midfield means we should never give up the ball there. In and around Louisville's box, our second-half attack was light-years ahead of our first-half one.
4) On the flip side, Sugita needs to shoot more. Two times this game she got the ball in a good or excellent shooting position and chose instead to dance on the ball and look for a perfect pass. The worst one was at 60' when she got the ball at the 18 with no defender within 10 yards, and fiddled and diddled the chance away. If she wants to be our #10 she's GOT to be goal-dangerous. Just shoot, Hina!
5) Moultrie was pretty good at doing Moultrie stuff - good dribbles, good at breaking out of tight spots, good passes - but somehow it just didn't click. I can't figure out why not. Previously I thought she just didn't get the ball that much, but she was actually on it a lot. She did have far more giveaways than usual so maybe that was it, but she also had a number of good plays that just didn't add up.
6) The first 10-15 minutes were dire. Hubly looked especially bad, giving the ball away under no pressure and then lunging in at Kanu on the first goal, and then missing the header on the second one, but no one looked good.
7) After that, though, we looked a lot better in the first half -- up until we reached Louisville's box, where our attack just died. Credit to Louisville's defense for that, but demerit to our attack because we just couldn't put plays together. Miscommunication was a clear issue, with players making passes and expecting a run that didn't materialize. Hopefully this is just a matter of time and practice together.
8) After the disastrous first 10 minutes, our defense settled down and actually did their job. Louisville didn't show much attacking threat and Hogan had to make only a few, tame saves. I realize this is a bit like "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was your evening at the theater?", but it's good to know we CAN play defense.
9) I want Smith to do one-twos more, but on-screen it was clear she often doesn't have anyone to do them with. Beckie sometimes made runs into the box with Smith, but she wasn't getting open and didn't provide an effective outlet, and it seemed like the other Thorns were just sitting back and watching Smith try her magic. Coach?
10) Uchenna Kanu looks really good. In addition to her brace, she turned Thorns in midfield a bunch of times, defended well, and generally looked good on the ball. She's not quite on the level of two other talented African players joining the league lately, Racheal Kundananji and Barbra Banda, but she's good.
11) On Weaver's goal, Smith's touch was just sick, and Weaver's shot through traffic (and through Abby Erceg's legs) was equally sick.
Thought the same about Moultrie- She got on the ball more than she has in the first two games, but just wasn't very effective. I've mentioned this a few times, but her decision making in the midfield was just unusually slow....which is not certainly not unique to her as far as what we've seen over three games from the whole squad.
I don't know, however, that she's more physical than Hina. She's certainly bigger, but Hina is much more adept at using her body in tight spaces and getting underneath the defender to create space for herself. Hina is also much better defensive player than Moultrie who doesn't really offer anything in that department.
(Also, on the topic of new African players, don't forget Chawinga (and Oshoala) who might be just as good as the other three based on what we've seen so far!)
I'll wager Liv is one of the team's strongest players, and is in the midst of learning how to use her still growing physique. My kid went from spaghetti strand to very muscled between HS and college, and took a couple more years to train into her eventual speed range. Liv is clearly still growing. Curious how she does in beep tests.
Which is not definitive in comparing she and Hina, just acknowledgement that Moultrie is very much work in progress while Hina has achieved full Hina.
Yeah, Liv has grown a lot and put on a lot of "sturdy" over the past few years. She's still going to get stronger and even sturdier. She's going to be a mini-Horan; not quite as tall and maybe not as sturdy, but within 1-2 inches and 10-15 pounds.
Yep, not worried about it long term, but it's a big reason why she floats in and out of games. And, tbf, she uses her physicality all the time.....it's just that she doesn't looks like she quiteee knows how to use it best.
I think we sometimes forget that Liv is literally 18 years old. Yes it is her 3rd full professional season but most 18 year old players float in and out of games. They're inconsistent. Jayden Shaw might not, but I can't say I religiously and closely watch San Diego.
Yeah, Hina definitely uses her body better and is more effective. I don't know if that makes her more physical, but she doesn't shy away from taking a ball off the opponent's feet. She's so agile that she doesn't have to be overly physical to come out with the same result. Moultrie is pretty tame imo, for how big she is. She doesn't have the benefit of Hina's small frame and agility, so she's gotta learn to use her size a bit more. I had hoped that with her ball retaining/shielding skills that she'd become more Horan-esque in using her body, but she kinda shys away from physicality. I feel like I'm always waiting for her to reach a new level of aggression, but it just never quite gets there..."needs more dawg in her", as the youths say. She's young though, I think that will grow a bit as she ages and becomes stronger herself.
Compared to most 18 year olds, Olivia Moultrie is awesome.
Compared to Hina Sugita, Olivia Moultire is simply not as good.
The argument for consistently starting would come down to Beckie and Moultrie for 99.99% of managers. We just have the special one that doesn’t seem to get it,
I have to agree that Hina needs to shoot more. I was glad to see Müller shoot. My impression of Payne is she has lots of speed but not sure how to use it. Müller seemed to combine better with Beckie than Weaver and Weaver came alive when Kling came on. Morgan needs to find away to combine with Reyes and Müller.
Also, I just want to say Sauerbrunn was awesome in the second half.
Regarding number 9., i don’t know that her team mates are sitting back as much as Smith is usually just ahead of the pack and once she has the ball she starts looking to shoot. But i agree they do need to find a way to have more folks involved in their transition offense.
Sam's banger of an equalizer goes into club history but props as well to Weaver's left-footed Weaver Angle of a goal. Watching from other cameras than the broadcast has me pondering the odds against making that. Warrior.
IIRC the announcer speculation began with offsides and drifted to possible hand ball. Their rewinds showed nothing but then, we're all accustomed to nothing being turned into something.
The broadcast replay showed the goalie kick going off Sam's forearm. But Sam had her arm tucked in so tightly and the touch was so accidental, they couldn't rule she'd gained any advantage.
Check-this being the NWSL, I'm sure they may well have (arbitrarily) ruled against Sam, but they didn't.
Norris is on thin ice, and it doesn't take a seat next to him in the press box to see that.
Nice man, but a placeholder. It was good to see the team fight back, but since last summer this team is trending down, and it's steep. I agree with everyone else here and think Hina needs to start.
I agree, Norris seems like a really nice guy and the players like him which is a bonus. Especially after everything that went down with Wilkinson, having a coach the players like and trust can be good for the locker room. But you also need a coach who can deliver, and Norris isn't. He's not a head coach and shouldn't be expected to be one, he took over after Wilkinson when the team was up for sale which made sense. But the new owners don't seem afraid to spend money so it's time to bring someone else in.
Could be. Maybe Karina was hoping that he'd grow in this role or with new owners/players things would get back to normal. But I think normal with Norris is how the team has performed since July of last year. He's had enough time to show what he can do. But I get the sense that Karina is still hoping things turnaround.
We'll see. But if after the next few games we're still at the bottom, then I think a change has to come sooner than later.
Karina has done her job. She needs to act or people will start questioning her decisions.
Mueller looks very good. I know Fleming can and will play well. Both Payne and Obaze look like they have tools.
I’m not reactionary and believe getting rid of him now vs in the offseason is not a good look. The one variation would be replacing him with Parsons and giving him another role in the org.
Can you imagine the tifo? The ovation before the game? The on-field photo op the players would have with them? The kick they'd get from a salute from the Rose City Riveters? Somehow, this HAS to happen! I mean, we've got the damn Golden Girls kits this year and everything. =)
It would be a cool nod, to be sure. Remind folks that women's sports is more than entertainment, economics, what have you. It's part of a long history of women's industrial labor.
So, it's basically political speech and counterspeech.
I'm not sure the USWNT/USSF can do much to reprimand Albert without risking legal allegations of viewpoint discrimination.
That said, the other players, the coaches, the USWNT, the USSF, can engage in counterspeech and speak on political issues too.
And, just because Albert is available for the match doesn't mean she's going to get rostered, and even if she gets rostered there's no guarantee she sees the pitch.
Erceg says: "“We don’t know how to win. I think that’s becoming quite obvious at the moment. We were doing everything we needed to do in order to win. We had got the two goals and at this level you should be able to shut that out.”
Since entering the league in 2021, Loovull have 32 draws across all competitions. They seem to have a particular knack for the 2-2 draw.
2024: Loovull have 2 draws (out of first 3 matches, all draws) in which they led 2-0.
2023: Loovull had 2 draws (out of first 5 matches, 4 draws) in which they led 2-0; they did it 1 more time later in the season too. Typically, they concede one or both goals late.
2022: Loovull had 3 more 2-2 draws; 1 time coughing up 2-0 lead, 1 time coming back from 0-2, one time coming back from 0-1 to take the lead, only to give up the equalizer.
2021: Loovull had just 1 2-2 draw; leading 1-0, falling behind, then scoring the equalizer in stoppage time.
JMac was absolutely right yesterday when she called this a "franchise problem."
The coach has got to go.
Until now I have thought that the disruption of firing him might not be worth it; that despite the obvious flaws the talent level was enough that a bottom half coach could keep the Thorns afloat in a playoff position.
That is no longer the case. This team is too talented individually and collectively to be playing this poorly. The first half was one of the worst halves of football I've seen at Providence Park in a long long time. The second half was better, but largely because Hina is a cheat code that makes this awful system look vaguely functional.
Time is up, Mike.
Honestly think it would be much better to do it now, hope to make playoffs with a new coach, and make this the "rebuild" year (where a new coach can have input in the offseason) rather than make Sophia's contract year the year of the rebuild. They bought themselves time and it'd be a mistake to not use it. You got her signature for next season, rip the bandaid off and start the search now. It's gonna happen now or it's gonna happen later (seems inevitable atp)...no point in kicking the can down the road.
I'm almost thankful the year started this way because it may force action sooner than if we kinda bumbled along getting just enough points into mid-later season. You can't let him continue to tank this team's confidence through the season, though. They're gonna start looking in the mirror or around the lockerroom for answers, and that's not a good thing for lockerroom culture...
I'm curious whether it was direction or her own choice for her to sit back in the hole more than Moultrie did. I'd guess the latter lol
I think just because of the stylistic differences of the player, her. But it instantly added more connectivity. Again it is wild to me she isn't starting, either on the right or in midfield because she instantly makes the whole thing look better.
Yeah I mean her talent and style definitely makes things work, but she was also coming way deep and picking up the ball from the CBs in a way Moultrie just doesn't/didn't....which *is* very Hina, but also not how Norris was playing Moultrie at all. So cool how she just makes everyone else instantly more confident, less cool that she hasn't started a match yet.
Deep lying playmaker Hina is my favorite Hina tbh.
Isn't Fleming supposed to be doing that? What is Fleming supposed to be doing? She was almost invisible in the first half compared to Moultrie.
Norris is pushing Fleming super high on the far side with no support from Reyes or Beckie, making her incredibly isolated.....To answer you're question, I'm not entirely sure what Norris wants her to be doing honestly! I'm also not sure if it was tactical or whether Hina just took matters into her own hands, but she dropped waaaay deeper next to Coffey in the second half. I also think Fleming's been a little tentative so she's certainly not blameless, but she was miles better in the second half once the Thorns started playing through the midfield.
I don't agree re: Moultrie. I thought she was really poor. She got on the ball a little more than Fleming did in the first half so I guess she was less invisible in that sense, but her decision making was consistently really slow and ineffective.
Her ability to hang onto the ball is part of the puzzle for this group. Everyone just looks like they knew what they were doing immediately when she came on. Good thing Norris killed all momentum by taking Fleming off and inserting Sinclair WHEN WE WERE CHASING A GOAL. lol.
So what would your midfield preference be? Coffey/Fleming/Sugita? 6/8/10?
Also curious what you thought about Reyes coming out, and Kling coming in at the half. Kling just makes things click better and is a much better passer going forward, but good lord I feel like she's lost even more speed since last season. She looked Sinc-level stiff. I was just waiting for us to be punished for her getting cooked (she did but their wingers couldn't do much.) She also went forward and was playing in the 9 for a second and I was like ??? wtf you doing Kling, please! I know you're high on Reyes, but I still remain very much concerned with her ball skills in possession, and her passing. Everytime she has the ball I tense up. She's also pretty slow. I don't think she's starting quality....maybe on the left, or with a different CB partner. Muller still a bit rough defensively, but I'm not as worried about her. Payne coming in was also wild considering the game state...her positioning is just, bad.
Yeah taking Fleming and Müller off was just totally bizarre, for the same reason putting Kling on was a good idea: You want your best technical players on the field when you know you're chasing a goal. Sinc wasn't even particularly bad, but Fleming and Hina were in a groove.
I like the 4-2-2-2 with Soph and Weaver up top, Moultrie and Hina/Fleming behind them, and Sam and Hina/Fleming in the double pivot; but I'm totally fine with just putting Hina at right wing or sitting Liv for a little bit. I want Liv to get minutes, but it's totally fine to rotate your lineups a little bit! Benching her doesn't mean she's bad or that she won't ever start again, it just means that you have other good players!
Stacked deuces could be utilized to drop either of Sam or Jessie back to take a short pass and iniatate the attack. Take that duty away from Hubly, who is too slow, and often makes the wrong decision. The tell that she doesn’t know what to do is when she hoofs it up field. I can see Sam/Jessie either making the accurate pass or dribbling up the middle, drawing defenders and helping to open things up for Weaver and crew. May be too simplistic, but it could help the team partially shed some of its rampant predictability.
It is the speed of play. Hina speeds the team up. The first half was like watching a really fancy sports car drive in the slow lane. This team needs to utilize speed. They have a propensity for checking back to the ball every time. Once they took off mueller whomever they brought in made GREAT runs stretching the defense on that side. Made a huge difference.
I feel like this is what we'd get with Parsons (so many people calling for his return)...but this was exactly his play. Defensively stout, for sure, but they would just swing the ball slowly around the box, back and forth, just soooo static and slow. It was so infuriating at the time lol...
I'll start with the positives:
- Coffey's a monster. Smith's the team's MVP, but Sam is pretty much everything else. Willed the team forward the whole second half both offensively and defensively, exhorted the crowd on every dead ball, and scored a great goal. So, so good.
- If they can figure out a way to use the midfield, it's a really good midfield! Fleming looked a brand new player as soon as they switched the point of attack and brought Hina in the game.
- Better game from Weaver, despite some continued poor decision making.
- Becky looked awesome.
- It's a long season. I feel much more at peace with Soph signed cause I would be losing my damn mind otherwise.
Negatives:
- Norris just ain't it. Man has negative feel. If you're a coach, you can't make the sum of the parts worse than the individuals, and he is CLEARLY doing that. It doesn't take a tactical genius to see that he's wasting the talents of everybody on the field not named Smith......and when the team is losing, he's wasting her talent too. Hina's probably the second or third best player on the team at worst and she hasn't started one match. Useless, useless manager.
- Time to start Obaze. It just is. Sorry Kelli. Horrible giveaway (one of many) that caused the first goal, then got beat easily on the header for the second. I'll give her a little credit for the well-played pass that sprung Coffey for the equalizer.
Norris has had them punching below their weight since last PREseason. I noticed it almost immediately in one of the February games and said it to my wife.
I agree. He ain’t it.
But are any top-notch managers available?
Sarah Lowdon is right there. So we have at least an interim with head coaching experience. But "available" is largely a function of what you're willing to pay. Costas wasn't available but with $500k on the table he suddenly was. So you might consider Natalia Arroyo (Sociedad) or José Luis Sánchez Vera (Levante) as possibilities. Carmelina Moscato is assistant at Louisville. Futoshi Ikeda at Japan WNT might be a long shot but is very good tactically. How much $$$ would it take to get Sarina Wiegman?
If the new owners want to be world class, then they should be willing to spend to bring in a top manager.
At this point why not give Lowdon a try. Her work in Houston was pretty meh, but meh would be an upgrade now…
Make her an interim while they conduct a full global search. Let it take as long as it takes. Lots of folks would love to coach this team in front of this fan base. Owners seem ok with spending money...they gotta put up or shut up if they want to truly be "best in the world."
I think the Thorns gig is kind of "danger and opportunity"; it's kind of the North American version of one of the big UEFA clubs, PSG, Bayern, Milan, something like that. For a manager with big ambitions, yeah, definitely, it's tempting. Win here and you're a candidate for international jobs (see: Parsons, M.).
Buuutttt..."this fan base" includes a element of real tension. The Riveters and the allied "ultra"-ish fans are a LOT more kindly than the Timbers Army - it seems like a million years ago now, but the hate for Gavin Wilkinson when he was the head coach was bitter and carried over long after he moved into the C-suite - but there's no doubt that if you fail here your failure is the most public possible, and you're going to have a subset of fans on your ass most quick smart.
If I was an ambitious managerial-wannabe? Sure, I'd take it. But knowing that if I fall here I fall like Lucifer...
If money wasn't an issue, who would be your top-5 somewhat attainable choices for fit/style of play? (I don't see Wiegman as attainable...she wasn't even interested in the USWNT job.) Also, for example, Casey Stoney is considered a good coach by many, but I might die if I see her tactics and style with this roster lol.
Would sure love to see some Japanese tactics out there, but that seems unlikely lol. Japanese people really do love Portland, though!
I am not sure, aside from who I listed. I am partial to the Japanese style of play so I might look there. I am not sure Japanese female athletes get the respect that NWSL players rightfully demand.. For sure I never want even a whiff of Riley in anyone we hire - this might rule out people who appear to us outsiders as fine. Remember Amanda Cromwell? I thought she was a brilliant get for the Pride.
Also, there is nobody in WSL who I'd have the slightest interest in - standards are too low in that league and the style of play is generally agricultural. Netherlands, Germany, Spain, maybe Brazil could be good hunting. In NWSL, I would be happy to poach Chicago, Gotham or (especially) North Carolina. Nowhere else though.
Aside from Ikeda giving zero indication that he's interested in leaving the Nadeshiko (for _any_ club team), I don't think he has much English.
We might tempt Asako Takakura away from Shanghai FC...but the same language problem might exist. Or might not. I don't think she speaks Chinese, so...
Yeah, those are good shouts.
I would love a Japanese coach because, as you say, the product is beautiful and it would be different and distinct in the league. I'm unsure if the owners have global football reach like that, though, or who would be initiating that search. Do FO's generally reach out to people they might be interested in for coaching positions to gauge interest, or is it the other way around- they just go from the pool of applicants? I have no idea what a head coaching search looks like....
Re: poaching Nahas...yeah I've had that thought for a few years now. He'd be my top choice from this league, I think. Him or JCA. He's doing a whole lot with a pretty mid roster...imagine what he could do with more. He seems pretty NC through and through (and also was around for the bitter NC/Thorns rivalry), so I'm not sure what it would take (if anything at all) to get him here...JCA would of course be a good one also, but I don't see that happening. He left Houston for the east coast because it was much easier to travel back to Europe to see his family. Portland makes that even more difficult.
I would say though, Amanda Cromwell did kinda have a red flag attached, seeing as she was in a relationship with a former college player of hers at the time...I probably would've avoided that lol, but otherwise yeah she was really successful.
Speaking of college coaches...I sure would love to see what FSU's coach could do with our roster. They play a similar style- an attacking forward system, and it's really fluid and lovely to watch. He has college players essentially playing like an NWSL-level team. I'm not sure if you've ever watched them, but whew, just head and shoulders above any other team. Plus, access to FSU-style players would be a major win. Any team who recruits Jordynn Dudey in the next few years are gonna hit the jackpot. She was a freshman last year, but I could see her going pro anytime she gets an offer she wants.
Lastly, what do you think about Twila Kilgore? She's obv tied up with the USWNT and won't be even remotely available until after the Olympics...but there are some definite positives there also.
I suggested Twila Kilgore on another STF thread. She would be hard to pry away from the national team, but a high-level head coaching gig might do it.
Worth a crack after the Olympics. Her schedule should be pretty free for a while after that! Definitely benefits to her appointment. I'm not really sure what her personal style of play is, though. We've only kinda seen her implementing Vlatko's or Emma's plans. I imagine hers wouldn't be too far off, though.
If they change managers, my bet is it’s Parsons. I do find it curious that he visited here with his family, They did live here for a while, so I’m sure they have friends to visit.
I hope not. Parsons coaching run has been like the Thorns run of late. Awful.
Fair point. His success was with Thorns, leaving on his own accord to take a more prestigious job, then failing and out in a year, to another job and out in a year. So, 1 for 3 not a strong argument to have him back. Was everything kittens and sunshine on the squad when he was here?
Wait, I have Vlatko on Line #3.
In short IDK although hearing him yell @ refs during away matches just might be worth it.
His c.v. is even thinner than that. Got turfed in the knockouts in DC, and dominated by Riley (spit!) in 2018. Lost the 2019 and 2021 semis. Failed w Holland (not entirely on him, but…), failed in DC 2.0.
So the entirety of his success here is the 2016 Shield (after which Riley thugged him again) and the 2017 Star.
If they’re looking at him as a potential KK replacement? I’d be good w that. He is a good team builder.
But as manager? There’s GOT to be better options.
At least we'd have a coach actually out there on the touchline contesting fouls lol...
I’m just talking about a proven gaffer with a good track record in the league and with this team is available. Can easily see them giving him a chance.
That seems like the same small-club minded biz that got us here in the first place imo. But, this is exactly what I think KK would do...and wouldn't be surprised if ownership co-signs because they only see his record and may trust KK's judgement. They need to give up the ghost here and move forward with NEW...
It's def super tempting to just give it back to Mark because it's easy and he knows the team and the league and we'd probably see immediate benefit, but it could be a bit short-sighted, only to stop the bleeding. A bandaid. I also am unsure if he would feel some sort of loyalty to the players he's known for a long time...Hubly, for instance...I can't remember how he was in that regard, tbh...
I sure hope they don't cosign just because KK says so. I hope to god they have more vision than that. If they spent all that money thinking they could bring back 2017 despite how the league is evolving would be a huge disappointment. Make some connections, show some real ambition, take some risks, sell us a vision, something other than being beholden to the Canadian NT.
I would hope so too, but if they were at all soccer-smart or getting proper info about their team I'd question why we still have Norris in the first place....hopefully Norris tanking doesn't come as a huge surprise to them, though. Maybe they were just giving him a real shot, but I do hope they had some contingency plan for when it went downhill...
Becky S was the one who gave the ball away for the first goal. And Hubly looked poor.
Nah, it was Hubly. Check the replay.
Something is up between Norris and Karina. https://x.com/thecaseyhamlett/status/1774249379123405235?s=42&t=r6IW4nORxS9Jn3T4mP-h6Q
I don't think that's anything tbh. Looks like he didn't even see her more than he's avoiding her.
I'm very upset that he's our coach and don't get this confused for me defending him, but man, I feel bad for Norris- Guy seems like a legit good dude and the players like him, but he's just totally out of his depth. It's not even a qualification thing for me because there's plenty of unqualified coaches who come in and know what they're about right away, he just doesn't see the game very well at all. I'm sure he was happy to take the job when it was offered, but this was never really where his career was headed and now he's the (rightful) punching bag for an under-achieving team with a huge fanbase. To make matters worse, when he does eventually get fired, he probably won't be able to go back to his old job which I'm sure was a pretty good gig.
Yes to all that and yet he either has some blind spots or is delusional.
Obvious example: Sinc: Place her in an imaginary cabinet with "In case of comfortable late lead, break glass" so you understand that then AND ONLY THEN can she be on the field. I mean, how much more clear can that be? Start her in the season opener. Super idea!
Sorting out the back line and building a machine-like midfield are much trickier but the pieces are on the roster.
I generally preface every bad comment I make about him with this lol. Seems nice, was a fine choice to stick with him for consistency after Rhian's sudden departure. Otherwise, just not up to snuff with this level, or with this position honestly. Should prob go back to finding a GK coach position. When he inevitably leaves, I'm curious if he stays with front-of-field management as opposed to GK.
The guy is Exhibit A for “why you don’t make keeper coaches your head coach”. The view of the field is very different.
Reality is he could offer to step back and just say he realized he was better suited to be an assistant at this point, but in all likelihood he is fired and joins Wilkinson’s international team staff or maybe go to Houston as a Keeper’s coach
The most frustrating thing about the Norris situation is that the results would be worthy of firing an actual head coach — someone who was hired after a normal search/hire process. He isn’t in that stratosphere. He was a run-of-the-mill assistant who happened to be hanging around when the head coach decided to kindle romance with a player. He was never on anyone’s short list as a head coaching candidate. He was just a dude who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. His results are entirely consistent with his qualifications. It’s ridiculous, and I can’t fathom what the players must think.
https://x.com/Phuocerman/status/1774296742114291841?s=20
Lmao no shit buddy. This does sound like we'll be seeing more of her though, so....yay?
I thought the first part of your comment was directed right at me. I was like wait a minute... What did I do lol
Yes, more Hina moving forward!
Lol I noticed it might kinda sound like that after I posted it, my bad haha
(and yes, keep the Hina agenda thriving!)
No worries at all. I was just very tired once I got home.
My favorite part about Hina's play is how trusting all Thorns players are with her. Morgan and Sam highlighted during presser was very cool to see. Hearing how much they love playing with her says it all.
Yeah it was very clear almost immediately after she came on that everyone not only trusts her, but that it makes the rest of the team more confident to play freely because they know she’ll just sit and conduct.
I feel like that conductor is missing when Moultrie is in. Why is that? Inexperience or lack of skill on Moultrie?
I'd say two things:
- Hina is nearly a 1 of 1 in the NWSL as far as her flexibility goes- Not only does she play multiple positions, but she sees the game steps ahead of where the ball is at a level that very few players do. I have no evidence for this, but I kinda think she went on and just did her thing, while Moultrie is playing a more dictated position. When Hina's on the field, she just floats around and keeps the ball moving, and that's badly needed in a setup that is often incredibly static.
- Liv isn't an 8, she's a 10. She's not comfortable --yet-- in the deeper spaces and she's often too slow with her off-ball movement. Hina is ALWAYS moving with intention, which makes her really hard to deal with. Liv's a really smart player and sees the game well, but she doesn't have that same constant fluidity of movement that Hina does.
Why isn't Fleming playing that role? More experienced that Moultrie and yet she was invisible for most of the game.
Play Hina Sugita as much as possible. No offense, but is there a more obvious decision in the damn league. Three games to figure it out is utterly unacceptable.
That was a fantastic clip of just how slippery Sugita is. She made a hell of a difference. Everyone started playing better. With her and Sam in the midfield the midfield belonged to the Thorns.
BTW, Norris used Hina the same way last year, so it’s not as if these 3 games are his first bites at the apple.
https://x.com/NahasSean/status/1774285643209757029?s=20
Get me a super smart tactical coach that also tweets like an angry fan account post-game, imo.
Is it bad that I really like those types of tweets from coaches?
No I love it too.
(It would be slightly less lovable if he wasn’t as good at his job as he is, however)
Rewatching Orlando-Chicago was a real rollercoaster for our gal Kuikka, back to back shot blocks seconds apart made me really wish we’d kept her and slid her over to CB this year, then right after dang near gets red carded off. I’ll say this for Natu, she knows how to keep things exciting
Yes, but also correct usage of VAR -- must be "clear and obvious." The fact that it took the ref THAT long to review it told me it wasn't "clear and obvious." Came to the right conclusion.
I think it was a clear and obvious red and I can’t understand why it took so long tbh. Yates had a step on her and she didn’t play the ball at all. Announcers were shocked it wasn’t a red too.
I too was surprised it wasn't a red. However, like I said, when it took the ref that long to review it, there was no way he could then issue a red; for him it wasn't "clear and obvious" -- that's what made it the right call. You can't call something "clear and obvious" if you have to review it that many times for that many minutes.
That’s what I’m saying though- It was clear and obvious to Orlando, Natu, and the announcers (and me!). It makes no sense that they didn’t take two looks at it and were like “yup, red card!” The fact that it them so long is more of an indicator that the refs didn’t know what they’re doing than whether it was clear and obvious imo.
Natu was even surprised! Lol, that sly smile afterwards tells all. She knew lol. As did everyone else…
Certainly willing to give Fleming, Sugita, and Coffey a chance. Gotta figure out a role for Moultrie, tho.
Time for Obaze to get a look next to Becky.
Reyes just had a rough game today after a monster of a game last weekend; I'll give Norris props for bringing in Kling and moving Muller to the other side of the field.
Norris either has to go, or he has to build a staff that helps him overcome his weaknesses.
My statement after last week’s game:
“Hina is amazing and I don’t understand any coaching decision that keeps her off the field…”
I said this to my daughter and wife repeatedly last season, too. She needs to be on the field. Good things happen when she is. Period.
It also adds a legitimate scoring threat besides sof, keeping the defense a little more honest. They can only double team sof, vs triple team her.
Okay I thought it was late when the Wave got points today, but the Thorns, and Sam Coffey in particular, come in and say "Hold my beer." Whew.
Thoughts after watching the game on a screen:
1) Louisville completely out-muscled us in the first half. They came out to play a physical game, the ref was timid (how many times did he give a "stern talking-to" when a yellow card was obviously needed?!), and we did not respond appropriately.
2) We did get more physical in the second half. Which was a bit surprising, because Moultrie is a much more physical player than Sugita (who came on for the second half), but there you have it. Perhaps the coaches and/or the vets said something at the half about it and we took it to heart.
3) Sugita kept the ball moving so, so well. She's a possession machine on the ball as well an excellent passer. Having her and Coffey (our other possession machine) in midfield means we should never give up the ball there. In and around Louisville's box, our second-half attack was light-years ahead of our first-half one.
4) On the flip side, Sugita needs to shoot more. Two times this game she got the ball in a good or excellent shooting position and chose instead to dance on the ball and look for a perfect pass. The worst one was at 60' when she got the ball at the 18 with no defender within 10 yards, and fiddled and diddled the chance away. If she wants to be our #10 she's GOT to be goal-dangerous. Just shoot, Hina!
5) Moultrie was pretty good at doing Moultrie stuff - good dribbles, good at breaking out of tight spots, good passes - but somehow it just didn't click. I can't figure out why not. Previously I thought she just didn't get the ball that much, but she was actually on it a lot. She did have far more giveaways than usual so maybe that was it, but she also had a number of good plays that just didn't add up.
6) The first 10-15 minutes were dire. Hubly looked especially bad, giving the ball away under no pressure and then lunging in at Kanu on the first goal, and then missing the header on the second one, but no one looked good.
7) After that, though, we looked a lot better in the first half -- up until we reached Louisville's box, where our attack just died. Credit to Louisville's defense for that, but demerit to our attack because we just couldn't put plays together. Miscommunication was a clear issue, with players making passes and expecting a run that didn't materialize. Hopefully this is just a matter of time and practice together.
8) After the disastrous first 10 minutes, our defense settled down and actually did their job. Louisville didn't show much attacking threat and Hogan had to make only a few, tame saves. I realize this is a bit like "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was your evening at the theater?", but it's good to know we CAN play defense.
9) I want Smith to do one-twos more, but on-screen it was clear she often doesn't have anyone to do them with. Beckie sometimes made runs into the box with Smith, but she wasn't getting open and didn't provide an effective outlet, and it seemed like the other Thorns were just sitting back and watching Smith try her magic. Coach?
10) Uchenna Kanu looks really good. In addition to her brace, she turned Thorns in midfield a bunch of times, defended well, and generally looked good on the ball. She's not quite on the level of two other talented African players joining the league lately, Racheal Kundananji and Barbra Banda, but she's good.
11) On Weaver's goal, Smith's touch was just sick, and Weaver's shot through traffic (and through Abby Erceg's legs) was equally sick.
12) Sam Coffey. That is all.
Thought the same about Moultrie- She got on the ball more than she has in the first two games, but just wasn't very effective. I've mentioned this a few times, but her decision making in the midfield was just unusually slow....which is not certainly not unique to her as far as what we've seen over three games from the whole squad.
I don't know, however, that she's more physical than Hina. She's certainly bigger, but Hina is much more adept at using her body in tight spaces and getting underneath the defender to create space for herself. Hina is also much better defensive player than Moultrie who doesn't really offer anything in that department.
(Also, on the topic of new African players, don't forget Chawinga (and Oshoala) who might be just as good as the other three based on what we've seen so far!)
I'll wager Liv is one of the team's strongest players, and is in the midst of learning how to use her still growing physique. My kid went from spaghetti strand to very muscled between HS and college, and took a couple more years to train into her eventual speed range. Liv is clearly still growing. Curious how she does in beep tests.
Which is not definitive in comparing she and Hina, just acknowledgement that Moultrie is very much work in progress while Hina has achieved full Hina.
Yeah, Liv has grown a lot and put on a lot of "sturdy" over the past few years. She's still going to get stronger and even sturdier. She's going to be a mini-Horan; not quite as tall and maybe not as sturdy, but within 1-2 inches and 10-15 pounds.
Yep, not worried about it long term, but it's a big reason why she floats in and out of games. And, tbf, she uses her physicality all the time.....it's just that she doesn't looks like she quiteee knows how to use it best.
I think we sometimes forget that Liv is literally 18 years old. Yes it is her 3rd full professional season but most 18 year old players float in and out of games. They're inconsistent. Jayden Shaw might not, but I can't say I religiously and closely watch San Diego.
No Jaedyn Shaw floats in and out too. There's lots to learn at that age.
Yeah, Hina definitely uses her body better and is more effective. I don't know if that makes her more physical, but she doesn't shy away from taking a ball off the opponent's feet. She's so agile that she doesn't have to be overly physical to come out with the same result. Moultrie is pretty tame imo, for how big she is. She doesn't have the benefit of Hina's small frame and agility, so she's gotta learn to use her size a bit more. I had hoped that with her ball retaining/shielding skills that she'd become more Horan-esque in using her body, but she kinda shys away from physicality. I feel like I'm always waiting for her to reach a new level of aggression, but it just never quite gets there..."needs more dawg in her", as the youths say. She's young though, I think that will grow a bit as she ages and becomes stronger herself.
Compared to most 18 year olds, Olivia Moultrie is awesome.
Compared to Hina Sugita, Olivia Moultire is simply not as good.
The argument for consistently starting would come down to Beckie and Moultrie for 99.99% of managers. We just have the special one that doesn’t seem to get it,
I have to agree that Hina needs to shoot more. I was glad to see Müller shoot. My impression of Payne is she has lots of speed but not sure how to use it. Müller seemed to combine better with Beckie than Weaver and Weaver came alive when Kling came on. Morgan needs to find away to combine with Reyes and Müller.
Also, I just want to say Sauerbrunn was awesome in the second half.
Regarding number 9., i don’t know that her team mates are sitting back as much as Smith is usually just ahead of the pack and once she has the ball she starts looking to shoot. But i agree they do need to find a way to have more folks involved in their transition offense.
Sam's banger of an equalizer goes into club history but props as well to Weaver's left-footed Weaver Angle of a goal. Watching from other cameras than the broadcast has me pondering the odds against making that. Warrior.
Do we know what VAR was looking at for weaver’s goal?
IIRC the announcer speculation began with offsides and drifted to possible hand ball. Their rewinds showed nothing but then, we're all accustomed to nothing being turned into something.
The broadcast replay showed the goalie kick going off Sam's forearm. But Sam had her arm tucked in so tightly and the touch was so accidental, they couldn't rule she'd gained any advantage.
Check-this being the NWSL, I'm sure they may well have (arbitrarily) ruled against Sam, but they didn't.
My partner said he thought it might've hit Coffey's hand in the build-up but I didn't see it.
Norris is on thin ice, and it doesn't take a seat next to him in the press box to see that.
Nice man, but a placeholder. It was good to see the team fight back, but since last summer this team is trending down, and it's steep. I agree with everyone else here and think Hina needs to start.
I agree, Norris seems like a really nice guy and the players like him which is a bonus. Especially after everything that went down with Wilkinson, having a coach the players like and trust can be good for the locker room. But you also need a coach who can deliver, and Norris isn't. He's not a head coach and shouldn't be expected to be one, he took over after Wilkinson when the team was up for sale which made sense. But the new owners don't seem afraid to spend money so it's time to bring someone else in.
I think that's the only reason he's still here: nice man. If the players didn't like him, he'd be gone by now.
Could be. Maybe Karina was hoping that he'd grow in this role or with new owners/players things would get back to normal. But I think normal with Norris is how the team has performed since July of last year. He's had enough time to show what he can do. But I get the sense that Karina is still hoping things turnaround.
We'll see. But if after the next few games we're still at the bottom, then I think a change has to come sooner than later.
Karina has done her job. She needs to act or people will start questioning her decisions.
Mueller looks very good. I know Fleming can and will play well. Both Payne and Obaze look like they have tools.
I’m not reactionary and believe getting rid of him now vs in the offseason is not a good look. The one variation would be replacing him with Parsons and giving him another role in the org.
BRING THESE WOMEN TO PORTLAND NOW!!!
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/10/1243932291/rosie-riveter-congressional-gold-medal
I SAID HONOR THEM!!!
That would be incredible!
Can you imagine the tifo? The ovation before the game? The on-field photo op the players would have with them? The kick they'd get from a salute from the Rose City Riveters? Somehow, this HAS to happen! I mean, we've got the damn Golden Girls kits this year and everything. =)
This is the kinda out of the box and ambitious thinking I'd love to see from the FO!
It would be a cool nod, to be sure. Remind folks that women's sports is more than entertainment, economics, what have you. It's part of a long history of women's industrial labor.
Good for the adults in the room for making sure this doesn't go away and for speaking publicly as needed while handling things internally as needed:
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/39868430/usa-alex-morgan-lindsey-horan-sad-korbin-albert-social-media
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/39880198/albert-available-uswnt-social-media-likes-kilgore
So, it's basically political speech and counterspeech.
I'm not sure the USWNT/USSF can do much to reprimand Albert without risking legal allegations of viewpoint discrimination.
That said, the other players, the coaches, the USWNT, the USSF, can engage in counterspeech and speak on political issues too.
And, just because Albert is available for the match doesn't mean she's going to get rostered, and even if she gets rostered there's no guarantee she sees the pitch.
I will be very surprised (and disappointed) if she gets much more than garbage time in the upcoming games.
Kentucky Women: https://equalizersoccer.com/2024/04/01/lauletta-racing-already-bleeding-points-conceding-results/
Erceg says: "“We don’t know how to win. I think that’s becoming quite obvious at the moment. We were doing everything we needed to do in order to win. We had got the two goals and at this level you should be able to shut that out.”
All due apologies to Neil here...
2-0, we led
2-2, we tied
Even JMac calls it
The trait of our side
Fun Facts about Loovull:
Since entering the league in 2021, Loovull have 32 draws across all competitions. They seem to have a particular knack for the 2-2 draw.
2024: Loovull have 2 draws (out of first 3 matches, all draws) in which they led 2-0.
2023: Loovull had 2 draws (out of first 5 matches, 4 draws) in which they led 2-0; they did it 1 more time later in the season too. Typically, they concede one or both goals late.
2022: Loovull had 3 more 2-2 draws; 1 time coughing up 2-0 lead, 1 time coming back from 0-2, one time coming back from 0-1 to take the lead, only to give up the equalizer.
2021: Loovull had just 1 2-2 draw; leading 1-0, falling behind, then scoring the equalizer in stoppage time.
JMac was absolutely right yesterday when she called this a "franchise problem."
Something, something Neil Diamond Kentucky Women.
2-0, I led.
2-2, I tied.
Kentucky woman
If she gets up 2
She goin' to give back 2
Kentucky woman
She gets to know you
She gets to hold you
Yellow card, Kentucky woman