Fifth place now. That's more like it! Way to go Thorns! Yes, games in hand yada yada, but it sure beats last place, where we were a week and a half ago.
Also, please be okay Morgan Weaver. Sending good vibes. Actually, just returning some of the good vibes you've sent us over these last few years.
That said, holy hell what is our backline doing? Consummate Vereran Becky Sauerbrunn playing like a U-17 and not a particularly gifted one at that. Hubly being Hubly, and everyone else - even usually reliable passers like Hina-San and Coffey giving away gifts left and right and Thorns getting stripped off the tackle like taking candy from babies? WTF?
Thank the soccer gods that the only way to stop Smith from scoring is with a cattle gate.
I’m happy the team has stopped the skid. But this still doesn’t look like a club that’s solid front to back. I hope the coaching staff doesn’t think so. C’mon folks; there’s still work to do.
If I had to guess, there's a rude awakening coming Saturday. The Spirit are tremendously well-coached and those are the teams the Thorns struggle against.
But, I'm ultimately not *too* concerned- They've turned it around --if somewhat unconvincingly-- to the point where they have their first three game winning streak since 2021(!), got Smith signed, and I've liked what I've seen from Linnehan, Obaze, and Müller. If they can get the manager hire right, the long-term ship is pointed in the right direction.
This is what I'm bracing for. We cannot play like that and expect to even get a draw. It'll be a heavy loss...I know they've been on the road a bit now, and it'll be the third game in a weeks time but those players that got some rest today who'll likely start will need to carry a lot (Sinc prob, Fleming, Obaze, Müller) and the players who played lots of minutes today, will likely start, and frankly need to have much better games (Brunn, Reyes, Hina) are gonna need to step their game up. Coffey needs to be cleaner as well. I also thought Janine has been a turnover machine game after game, and do that with Bethune, Sarr, and Rodman running the other way and our defense will collapse. We don't have the stability back there to be as messy as she's been. There are prob others also, I don't mean to single her out, but it's been a gripe of her play I've had since her first season and it's just the same as it was before.
What's annoying is that they're likely MORE tired because of the stupid decision to sit back after 10' than if we would've just kept letting our F's do what they do. How does coaching staff think we have the defense to sit back and absorb like that lol....
there's a gap starting to open up with the underlying numbers too. Pride .97 xGD/90, Current .75, Spirit .71, Courage .66, Louisville .60, Thorns .39. Everyone else is below 0.
That's a really small sample though, boosted heavily by Houston. I do think there is some increased confidence from winning games but as someone else said, you could've swapped these last two with the Gotham and Louisville games and that would probably have been more "fair."
With the caveat that I'm in a bit of a grouchy mood rn (was supposed to be on a flight to Peru but got F'd by Delta and am now in an airport hotel at LAX, long story), I'm slightly annoyed by that performance after the first two goals.
This cannot be a team that sits and counters for 80 minutes. It simply cannot. We ain't Chicago. The shape isn't good enough and our two CBs are slow and immobile. The Bay midfield and defense couldn't hang with Soph/Hina/Linnehan and were giving the ball away every time they were pressed, but whether through complacency or direction, the Thorns stopped pressing after the second goal and let Bay come at them.
Some notes:
- Hubly got beat on the 2nd goal, but Becky was at fault for both. Everyone is hammering Kelli (and she certainly didn't cover herself in glory 1v1 against Kundananji, though I'm not sure how anyone thought that would end well) but Becky's error on the 2nd and buying the fake shot on the first were prettyyy bad.
- Linnehan's so cool man. She does really well to check her run and stay onside on the first and then pounces on the rookie RB to feed Soph for the second. Looks like she's gonna have a bigger role to play assuming the Weaver injury is an ACL (turns out it can happen on grass too!).
- Obaze needs to start every match. I get the need to rotate wingers and midfielders, but CBs can play. She's not perfect, but her confidence and ability on the ball is just night and day compared to Hubly.
- Shelby made some nice catches and stops in traffic, which was good to see. Still awful with the ball at her feet.
- Need wayy more from Moultrie. I'll give her some grace because she's still 18, but she's gotta start showing up in these games if she wants that spot.
(Also, no recaps for the next few weeks cause idk if they have ion/NWSL+/Paramount+/CBSSports/etc in South America and I probs won't be watching a lot of NWSL anyhow lol)
Yeah, wasn't Linnehan's poise and patience on that checked run terrific? Backpedaling herself back onside and then one-timing an unreachable rocket. Very impressed, as I was with her subsequent steal and assist to Soph.
Btw, wasn't Soph's first goal eerily reminiscent of her championship goal? Thought she might break out the Shrug again.
And best wishes to Morgan. With all the joyous, unrelenting drive and chaos she brings to the pitch, it's especially disquieting to see her in such distress. But until I hear otherwise, I'll have a guarded optimism about her status: in several decades of observing college and pro sports, I've seen countless instances of injuries that looked terrible and ended up being relatively much less severe (Soph being the latest example). Here's hoping that's the case with our delightful #22.
NWSL is *much* easier to watch abroad. Every game is on NWSL.com (and I imagine NWSL+ if it's available). I just use the VPN that I use to watch Colombian soccer when I watch NWSL and then I don't have to look for where stuff is playing.
Could it be that maybe the change in play after the two goals was a deliberate (and I agree, bad) decision to save energy in a busy week? I mean, the contrast was so immediate and so instantaneous. It was go go go for 10 minutes, and then basically no attempts to get it into the attack third until Bay scored the equalizer.
I'm sure it was intentional to an extent, but both teams were on a short week and both were heavily rotated. If they had done it in the second half instead of after ten minutes, it would have been more understandable. Also, you actually expend more energy when you don't have the ball than when you do, so it would have been nice to see them take advantage Bay's youngsters in the first half and just possess a little even if they didn't press.
I will miss your comments. But hey man you said Bay was a pretty slow team other than Kundananji. But that team seems to have speed everywhere and outplayed the Thorns for 80% of the game.
I am just gutted about Weaver going down.
They did win but that win left me feeling worse than a loss.
I don’t think they did have speed anywhere else! Almost everything dangerous they did came through Kundananji.They did outplay the Thorns for large stretches but it wasn’t really due to pace.
In fact, the Thorns were the ones who were running them ragged with *their* pace up front in the first ten minutes, which is why it was annoying that they immediately fell into the low black.
Fair enough, I am still feeling terrible despite the win. For me that game was a lot of "Oh No we are going to lose" starting with initial bliss at the stat of the game and nervous tension after Soph scored the third goal.
I should know better to question the Savant who picked Orlando to finish in the top four. Have a good trip to Peru!
I wont get over this gloominess until I see a photo of Weaver with a smile saying she will get better soon.
On a positive note Soph had a hell of game; not just on offense, she was working like a mad woman on defense when they went own to 10. She will be tired on Saturday, but Washington played yesterday too and have to fly more than halfway across country.
I think that just like Hina was the key to improving the midfield since Gale took over Obaze is the steel and the calm that has improved the back line. I have generally liked Gales starting lineups and substitutions, but he missed last night. It was Sauerbrunn that needed the time off not Obaze.
Yep, I've been thinking about that a lot too. Why schedule teams for 3-day turnarounds when you don't have to? We and Spirit could both use an extra day to recover, so why not do it??
I'll bet it's TV-related, along with schedulers being ignorant of players' needs. It wouldn't be a scheduling conflict AFAIK, since the Timbers play Saturday and anyway theirs is an away game. Providence Park looks empty on Sunday.
They don't really have to do that much travel now. They only play 13 away matches - 1 visit per team. But they could probably do a MUCH better job of thinking about local weather conditions, duration of trips, time zones, etc.
Maybe it's not so bad looking at the season as a whole, and I'm certainly not pushing for conferences, but three games *plus* three flights (*plus* crossing time zones) in a week is too much.
Just saw today that Katie Duong has signed for Minnesota Aurora. Good for her, hope she succeeds!!
So looks like of our 5 drafted players, 3 are left: Asman, Linnehan, and OWK. My guess is Asman doesn't stick around through the offseason though, because we already have 4 keepers (and Bella on ML.)
Someone just posted this on the Thorns subreddit. What do you think, conspiracy theories or a possibility?
---
[quote]
I was at the game and I noticed they watered both sides of the pitch at halftime but they watered the thorns side second and seemingly for too long especially since it was already after sunset. A ton of players were slipping.
The bay fan next to us seemed to think they do that on purpose although I'm not going to take a random fans opinion on that as fact. But she seemed to think they intentionally over water their pitch because other teams won't be used to it. Especially teams that play on turf which doesn't slip as much. Starting to think that maybe all the knee injuries are because of inconsistent playing fields more than turf vs no turf. Seems like pitch firmness and water levels should be standardized to avoid teams just deciding they like to have an extra wet field... Or making one half more wet than the other.
My guess is a knee ligament. I'm hoping it's less serious than it looked. She was obviously in a ton of pain. Big loss for her and the thorns if it's a SEI. She wasn't putting up the numbers this year but her off ball work was still creating a lot of space. They always look more aggressive with her on the pitch.
Some teams do ask their groundskeepers to overwater to make the surface slicker, and vice versa. Tony Pulis at Stoke City was famous for asking the groundskeepers to leave the grass long and dry to make it harder on teams that liked to play fast possession styles.
Yeah, I actually just re-watched a different youtube broadcast of the game and they have a fixed camera at the centerline that was left on (you can see pre-match stuff and the halftime show) and I could see the sprinklers turn on for one side first (BFC attacking half) for about a minute, then shut off, than they turned on for the other side (Thorns attacking half) also for about a minute. Teams went back on the field right after. I went back and looked....I didn't time it to the second, but it was about a minute each side. There's no there there...
The field did look super wet, though...players were sliding around a bunch. Someone here said they use a hybrid turf.
No one has talked much about how we owe that win over Bay FC to goalkeeper error. Smith's final goal really should have been an easy block by their keeper (Proulx), but she misjudged it and we scored. We got lucky there, though it's also true that good luck happens when you keep trying.
At this point I'm starting to get hopeful that Weaver's injury isn't an ACL tear, because it's my understanding that the test for that is fairly fast and reliable.
It’s true but you generally need to wait until initial swelling goes does in the knee before you can do all the imaging. That’s why the longer that things go on, the more I generally think it’s more than just “twisted ankle” or something of the sort. Usually if an injury necessitates imaging, it’s likely more serious regardless. Still though, a sprain or an MCL would be better news.
Did you happen to hear which part of the body the injury was? Seemed like a knee to me, but thought maybe her ankle also…
Just looked at the standings and noticed that SD Wave have scored all of 4 goals this year. (Well, 5 if you count the Challenge Cup, but I don't.) Half of those 4 came last weekend. I realize they've played only 5 games, 2 fewer than we have, but still it's a paltry number for a team with Jaedyn Shaw, Alex Morgan, and several other good forwards. For comparison, the Thorns have scored 15 (that means 8 by non-Sophia-Smiths), the Current 20 (!), the Spirit also 15, the Pride 13, and the Courage 12.
I personally don't think any of those players are better than replacement level, especially with with the injection of front line talent most NWSL teams have gotten with the cap spike.
(Stoney also refuses to use either Ali or Bennett lol)
Did anyone else find it a bit odd that in the second half added time last night the Thorns didn’t take the ball to the corner to finish off the game instead of continuing to attack the goal even though they were up a goal?
Intervention required: As one hate-watches NJ-NC tomorrow, alligator breakout; sweet comet of doom; bees, bees, bees; Norwegian death-polka festival...what sad fate should one wish upon Red Bull Arena?
Apropos of nothing... USLSL has 16 franchises listed, though it looks like only about 1/2 of them will start in 2024. They are: Brookyln, Carolina, Chattanooga, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Madison, Lexington, Oakland, Palm Beach, Phoenix, Spokane, Tampa Bay, Tucson, Washington DC.
Spirit and a WSL club rumored to be interested in Mariona Caldentey for the summer window...
I just can't get over thinking about a Barcelona player moving to Leesburg, VA in player housing lmao...literally nothing to do out there. (Kuikka turned them down because of it...)
Does that mean it's enough for a player to live in DC proper? From what I heard, it's not...Kuikka flew to DC to check out all options and Leesburg is where most (or all) players live, and (expectedly) it was pretty terrible and it was what made her decide against DC (despite being offered $$$.) Obv Caldentey is on a diff level and could prob easily pay for her own place in DC on her own. Regardless...kind of a funny scenario to think about. I laughed at something I heard Ashley Sanchez say about how leaving Spirit was actually nice because there was more to do in NC than in Leesburg lol.
Probably depends on how much she’s getting paid, but you could be right, idk. I figure someone coming from Barcelona wouldn’t looove living in far out suburban DC and would be paid enough so that she didn’t have to, but I suppose I could be wrong lol
Because Linnehan already looks good as a left winger, I'd rather get another top-notch centerback. We're leaking way too many goals and I think CB is the place to strengthen.
BTW I suspect Linnehan won't always look this good, because rookies almost always go through some ups and downs. But her flying start is very promising.
Yeah, and defenders will also become clued in to how fast Linnehan is and defend differently. As you say, that should open up other areas, hopefully ones we can exploit.
Is Linnehan a lefty? Her goal was left foot and wonderfully placed.
Soph's goal was one of the easiest she'll have but only today am I seeing the keeper grabbing her jersey as she trots past. "Rather take the red then let this s*!t happen." I blame the gloves.
I was like "Soph would never do that because she is too goal hungry, but man, she should've taken a dive as soon as that goalie pulled her jersey"... Easy DOGSO red and we're sitting pretty one woman up and playing against a backup keeper.
AND probably still a goal up because of the resulting PK.
But I'm happy Smith didn't go down, because I'd rather win fairly than by diving - even if it wouldn't technically have been a dive because of the shirt pull. I think to make a fall like that look real you have to anticipate it and react instantly, and I'd prefer that Smith's anticipation is for scoring a goal rather than falling over.
I feel the same way, which is a MAJOR reason why I like women's soccer vs. men's. Not only that play, but there was another instance of one of our players with a physical play against Bay in our box and they could have gone down and appealed for a call but didn't. I turned to my wife and said if this was men's, there would be a guy rolling around and endless complaining afterward with an angry huddle around the ref.
Then you don't know if the ref consciously or subconsciously feels like he/she missed a call so a future call against the team who might have "gotten away with one" is looked at with a jaundiced eye as a potential "make-up call." It is never-ending with the theatrics and complaining. Just stay on your feet if you can and keep playing.
Idk if this is a hot take or not, but the position they REALLY need help in is the six. I think they can survive with a combination of Linnehan/Dias/Beckie/whomever on the wing and I'm fine with Obaze and Becky for the rest of the season even if it's not ideal, but if Sam goes down --even for a few weeks-- it's absolutely game over.
True that! That is apparently the least deep position on the Thorns. I think Sam is a lock for the Olympics so Yikes!
Last year Porter was the backup, not great, but we knew who would replace Sam. What about Olivia Wade Katoa? She is 5'8" strong, good passer was an attacking midfielder in college. Julie Ertz started out as a forward/midfielder then moved to CB and then finished her career as one of the best DMF in the world. OWK evidently looked pretty good in the pre-season friendlies. Several people have mentioned trying Izzy at CB. Is that crazy or worth a try? Marisa Sheva played in 10 matches for the Spirit last year and is a little bit more of and attacking mid and only 5'3". She got some playing time last night and did well during a stressful patch of 10 v 11.
Izzy is absolutely not technical enough or a good enough passer to be a 6...that's wild imo lol. OWK actually WAS a 6 for most of her time at BYU....she was only moved to a 10 the final year (5th year) of her college career because of team needs. Her production went way up as a 10, though, and I imagine that's what we drafted her for. I imagine her or Kling would fill in, although Kling has not looked great there the few times we've seen her. Apparently Mallie McKenzie has also played CDM, but honestly don't wanna see an undrafted NRI come in there (especially when our defense is still a bit questionable.) It is kinda weird we didn't just keep Porter since we have literally no one...she went to San Diego for preseason and didn't even make the roster. Maybe OWK has a higher ceiling, though? But yeah, I would've really liked to have gotten a semi-experienced backup 6!
It really depends on what the coaching staff sees in the players on the team. I would like to see depth in the mid-field, but perhaps they see Kling and Muller as mid-field depth. If so, wing back becomes an area of need. We should expect to see the current starting mid-field to be gone during the international break (Coffey, Fleming and Sugita, possibly Moultre?) so that would be my biggest concern. Forward seems to have the coverage, with Linnehan, D'Aquilla, Diaz and Sinclair available.
I know we'd have the roster space for it if we had another SEI (please no!), but doesn't the trade window not reopen until August? I'm unclear on how this works...I'm not sure we can actually bring someone in until then?
I don't think that's the case unfortunately. I know there are such things as injury replacement players, but I don't remember the context for them. I doubt it'd be in this case, though, because we have a full roster of people who can play.
I think there's a summer Euro window, so we might be able to sign a player, but they may not be able to join (or be announced) until our next transfer window opens in August. There are folks in this thread who know those rules better than I do...
If it WERE possible though, we def need a top CB who can control the line. Becky has been fading unfortunately, and Hubly/Obaze are not going to be that backline general we need. I also prefer to see less of Hubly in general...Obaze needs an experienced partner with her looking forward.
Agree. My two biggest concerns coming into the season were Hogan and Sauerbrunn. I got a lot of pushback for my concerns about Becky, but age, mileage, and injuries eventually catch up, and it looks like that time has come.
Obaze has been a nice surprise that she looks so good, smart and poised at such a young age. I agree, get her an experienced partner. Push Becky to the bench in a reserve role and push "derp-per-game" Hubly further down the bench.
Fifth place now. That's more like it! Way to go Thorns! Yes, games in hand yada yada, but it sure beats last place, where we were a week and a half ago.
Also, please be okay Morgan Weaver. Sending good vibes. Actually, just returning some of the good vibes you've sent us over these last few years.
Imagine how we'd all be feeling if we didn't have Soph extended right now. She's on *7 goals and 3 assists* through seven games. Insane stuff!
Also, Sam has the "proud mama bear mixed with cheshire cat" look down pat: https://x.com/Phuocerman/status/1786068566351175936
Hey, I’ll take it!
That said, holy hell what is our backline doing? Consummate Vereran Becky Sauerbrunn playing like a U-17 and not a particularly gifted one at that. Hubly being Hubly, and everyone else - even usually reliable passers like Hina-San and Coffey giving away gifts left and right and Thorns getting stripped off the tackle like taking candy from babies? WTF?
Thank the soccer gods that the only way to stop Smith from scoring is with a cattle gate.
I’m happy the team has stopped the skid. But this still doesn’t look like a club that’s solid front to back. I hope the coaching staff doesn’t think so. C’mon folks; there’s still work to do.
If I had to guess, there's a rude awakening coming Saturday. The Spirit are tremendously well-coached and those are the teams the Thorns struggle against.
But, I'm ultimately not *too* concerned- They've turned it around --if somewhat unconvincingly-- to the point where they have their first three game winning streak since 2021(!), got Smith signed, and I've liked what I've seen from Linnehan, Obaze, and Müller. If they can get the manager hire right, the long-term ship is pointed in the right direction.
This is what I'm bracing for. We cannot play like that and expect to even get a draw. It'll be a heavy loss...I know they've been on the road a bit now, and it'll be the third game in a weeks time but those players that got some rest today who'll likely start will need to carry a lot (Sinc prob, Fleming, Obaze, Müller) and the players who played lots of minutes today, will likely start, and frankly need to have much better games (Brunn, Reyes, Hina) are gonna need to step their game up. Coffey needs to be cleaner as well. I also thought Janine has been a turnover machine game after game, and do that with Bethune, Sarr, and Rodman running the other way and our defense will collapse. We don't have the stability back there to be as messy as she's been. There are prob others also, I don't mean to single her out, but it's been a gripe of her play I've had since her first season and it's just the same as it was before.
What's annoying is that they're likely MORE tired because of the stupid decision to sit back after 10' than if we would've just kept letting our F's do what they do. How does coaching staff think we have the defense to sit back and absorb like that lol....
From my perspective, this is payback for the Gotham and Louisville game. Should have won both of those and lost this one in terms of caliber of play
there's a gap starting to open up with the underlying numbers too. Pride .97 xGD/90, Current .75, Spirit .71, Courage .66, Louisville .60, Thorns .39. Everyone else is below 0.
Also since Gale took over, the Thorns xGD/90 is at 0.73, up there with the Spirit and Courage. (You're also using FBRef's xGD, yes?)
Yep.
That's a really small sample though, boosted heavily by Houston. I do think there is some increased confidence from winning games but as someone else said, you could've swapped these last two with the Gotham and Louisville games and that would probably have been more "fair."
With the caveat that I'm in a bit of a grouchy mood rn (was supposed to be on a flight to Peru but got F'd by Delta and am now in an airport hotel at LAX, long story), I'm slightly annoyed by that performance after the first two goals.
This cannot be a team that sits and counters for 80 minutes. It simply cannot. We ain't Chicago. The shape isn't good enough and our two CBs are slow and immobile. The Bay midfield and defense couldn't hang with Soph/Hina/Linnehan and were giving the ball away every time they were pressed, but whether through complacency or direction, the Thorns stopped pressing after the second goal and let Bay come at them.
Some notes:
- Hubly got beat on the 2nd goal, but Becky was at fault for both. Everyone is hammering Kelli (and she certainly didn't cover herself in glory 1v1 against Kundananji, though I'm not sure how anyone thought that would end well) but Becky's error on the 2nd and buying the fake shot on the first were prettyyy bad.
- Linnehan's so cool man. She does really well to check her run and stay onside on the first and then pounces on the rookie RB to feed Soph for the second. Looks like she's gonna have a bigger role to play assuming the Weaver injury is an ACL (turns out it can happen on grass too!).
- Obaze needs to start every match. I get the need to rotate wingers and midfielders, but CBs can play. She's not perfect, but her confidence and ability on the ball is just night and day compared to Hubly.
- Shelby made some nice catches and stops in traffic, which was good to see. Still awful with the ball at her feet.
- Need wayy more from Moultrie. I'll give her some grace because she's still 18, but she's gotta start showing up in these games if she wants that spot.
(Also, no recaps for the next few weeks cause idk if they have ion/NWSL+/Paramount+/CBSSports/etc in South America and I probs won't be watching a lot of NWSL anyhow lol)
Please tell me you got there ok?! So sorry to hear about that, seemed like a nightmare!
Yeah, wasn't Linnehan's poise and patience on that checked run terrific? Backpedaling herself back onside and then one-timing an unreachable rocket. Very impressed, as I was with her subsequent steal and assist to Soph.
Btw, wasn't Soph's first goal eerily reminiscent of her championship goal? Thought she might break out the Shrug again.
And best wishes to Morgan. With all the joyous, unrelenting drive and chaos she brings to the pitch, it's especially disquieting to see her in such distress. But until I hear otherwise, I'll have a guarded optimism about her status: in several decades of observing college and pro sports, I've seen countless instances of injuries that looked terrible and ended up being relatively much less severe (Soph being the latest example). Here's hoping that's the case with our delightful #22.
NWSL is *much* easier to watch abroad. Every game is on NWSL.com (and I imagine NWSL+ if it's available). I just use the VPN that I use to watch Colombian soccer when I watch NWSL and then I don't have to look for where stuff is playing.
Could it be that maybe the change in play after the two goals was a deliberate (and I agree, bad) decision to save energy in a busy week? I mean, the contrast was so immediate and so instantaneous. It was go go go for 10 minutes, and then basically no attempts to get it into the attack third until Bay scored the equalizer.
I'm sure it was intentional to an extent, but both teams were on a short week and both were heavily rotated. If they had done it in the second half instead of after ten minutes, it would have been more understandable. Also, you actually expend more energy when you don't have the ball than when you do, so it would have been nice to see them take advantage Bay's youngsters in the first half and just possess a little even if they didn't press.
Agree with everything.
As for watching the games elsewhere, there is this site:
https://livetv781.me/enx/allupcomingsports/1/
Just need an internet connection, good anti-virus software and ad-block on your browser.
I will miss your comments. But hey man you said Bay was a pretty slow team other than Kundananji. But that team seems to have speed everywhere and outplayed the Thorns for 80% of the game.
I am just gutted about Weaver going down.
They did win but that win left me feeling worse than a loss.
I don’t think they did have speed anywhere else! Almost everything dangerous they did came through Kundananji.They did outplay the Thorns for large stretches but it wasn’t really due to pace.
In fact, the Thorns were the ones who were running them ragged with *their* pace up front in the first ten minutes, which is why it was annoying that they immediately fell into the low black.
Fair enough, I am still feeling terrible despite the win. For me that game was a lot of "Oh No we are going to lose" starting with initial bliss at the stat of the game and nervous tension after Soph scored the third goal.
I should know better to question the Savant who picked Orlando to finish in the top four. Have a good trip to Peru!
I wont get over this gloominess until I see a photo of Weaver with a smile saying she will get better soon.
On a positive note Soph had a hell of game; not just on offense, she was working like a mad woman on defense when they went own to 10. She will be tired on Saturday, but Washington played yesterday too and have to fly more than halfway across country.
I think that just like Hina was the key to improving the midfield since Gale took over Obaze is the steel and the calm that has improved the back line. I have generally liked Gales starting lineups and substitutions, but he missed last night. It was Sauerbrunn that needed the time off not Obaze.
I might be wrong on everything else I say for the rest of the year, but my preseason faith in Orlando will sustain me for many moons.
Hina is obviously an in pen starter, but she had a rough night last night.
The opposite of the Gotham game where we outplayed them most of the game and lost. Maybe similar to the Louisville game as well
Is the league 'avin a laff" putting Thorns and Spirit on a 3-day turnaround and playing Saturday, not Sunday like, say, Bay and Chicago?
If, as I'm reading, knee injuries have become epidemic proper rest and conditioning are foundational to prevention.
Yep, I've been thinking about that a lot too. Why schedule teams for 3-day turnarounds when you don't have to? We and Spirit could both use an extra day to recover, so why not do it??
Stadium availability? TV schedule? Got to have the ION doubleheader!
Another case where player welfare should be given higher priority than it is.
I'll bet it's TV-related, along with schedulers being ignorant of players' needs. It wouldn't be a scheduling conflict AFAIK, since the Timbers play Saturday and anyway theirs is an away game. Providence Park looks empty on Sunday.
Yeah, and that pressure is never going away, at least as long as people want to watch.
Increasing roster size and raising the salary cap in proportion might help, although it may not decrease the demands on starters very much.
Dividing the league into conferences to reduce travel would probably help too.
They don't really have to do that much travel now. They only play 13 away matches - 1 visit per team. But they could probably do a MUCH better job of thinking about local weather conditions, duration of trips, time zones, etc.
Maybe it's not so bad looking at the season as a whole, and I'm certainly not pushing for conferences, but three games *plus* three flights (*plus* crossing time zones) in a week is too much.
Even worse than I thought. From the PTFC match preview.
"Saturday, May 4, 2024, 06:00 AM"
Just saw today that Katie Duong has signed for Minnesota Aurora. Good for her, hope she succeeds!!
So looks like of our 5 drafted players, 3 are left: Asman, Linnehan, and OWK. My guess is Asman doesn't stick around through the offseason though, because we already have 4 keepers (and Bella on ML.)
Do we know why we didn't hang on to the draftee whose name I can't remember? Just performance?
Kaufusi? Probably. I mean, she was kind of a shot in the dark. New FO Thorns drafting has been more miss than hit...
Someone just posted this on the Thorns subreddit. What do you think, conspiracy theories or a possibility?
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I was at the game and I noticed they watered both sides of the pitch at halftime but they watered the thorns side second and seemingly for too long especially since it was already after sunset. A ton of players were slipping.
The bay fan next to us seemed to think they do that on purpose although I'm not going to take a random fans opinion on that as fact. But she seemed to think they intentionally over water their pitch because other teams won't be used to it. Especially teams that play on turf which doesn't slip as much. Starting to think that maybe all the knee injuries are because of inconsistent playing fields more than turf vs no turf. Seems like pitch firmness and water levels should be standardized to avoid teams just deciding they like to have an extra wet field... Or making one half more wet than the other.
My guess is a knee ligament. I'm hoping it's less serious than it looked. She was obviously in a ton of pain. Big loss for her and the thorns if it's a SEI. She wasn't putting up the numbers this year but her off ball work was still creating a lot of space. They always look more aggressive with her on the pitch.
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No, that's BS. Bay FC doesn't even have their own grounds crew. It's the Earthquakes crew and you don't see that at Quakes games.
Some teams do ask their groundskeepers to overwater to make the surface slicker, and vice versa. Tony Pulis at Stoke City was famous for asking the groundskeepers to leave the grass long and dry to make it harder on teams that liked to play fast possession styles.
Not sure if that’s the case for Bay, however.
Yeah, I actually just re-watched a different youtube broadcast of the game and they have a fixed camera at the centerline that was left on (you can see pre-match stuff and the halftime show) and I could see the sprinklers turn on for one side first (BFC attacking half) for about a minute, then shut off, than they turned on for the other side (Thorns attacking half) also for about a minute. Teams went back on the field right after. I went back and looked....I didn't time it to the second, but it was about a minute each side. There's no there there...
The field did look super wet, though...players were sliding around a bunch. Someone here said they use a hybrid turf.
No one has talked much about how we owe that win over Bay FC to goalkeeper error. Smith's final goal really should have been an easy block by their keeper (Proulx), but she misjudged it and we scored. We got lucky there, though it's also true that good luck happens when you keep trying.
Let’s not talk about easy goalkeeping errors losing games please. The Thorns have been the most negatively impacted team in the league with that
Euh. I saw a couple of her other games and I didn't think she was that great. More realistically she had a few errors like that each game.
Not that I'm particularly high on Hogan at the moment, but I'm glad we have Hogan instead of Proulx.
What’s funny is that our new GK coach developed Proulx when they were both in Australia (Melbourne, I think?)
Is that why Proulx rhymes with beer?
At this point I'm starting to get hopeful that Weaver's injury isn't an ACL tear, because it's my understanding that the test for that is fairly fast and reliable.
Assuming that silence from the Thorns communications team has a logical, positive reason? Weird, but ok! I'm on board! Let's roll :-)
Haha I will admit probably naive, but I'd have expected a post from Weaver by now if it was an ACL, so I'm trying to be hopeful.
I haven’t heard anything specific from the team yet, will see if I can get a direct answer tomorrow. Hoping that is a positive.
Thanks Phuoc!
It’s true but you generally need to wait until initial swelling goes does in the knee before you can do all the imaging. That’s why the longer that things go on, the more I generally think it’s more than just “twisted ankle” or something of the sort. Usually if an injury necessitates imaging, it’s likely more serious regardless. Still though, a sprain or an MCL would be better news.
Did you happen to hear which part of the body the injury was? Seemed like a knee to me, but thought maybe her ankle also…
Nah, haven't heard anything more, but if we don't have an update by the game tomorrow I might be able to make some more inquiries...
Well injury report out today says it’s her knee 😔
If I had to guess after watching the replay a few times it could be a left knee hyperextension.
Just looked at the standings and noticed that SD Wave have scored all of 4 goals this year. (Well, 5 if you count the Challenge Cup, but I don't.) Half of those 4 came last weekend. I realize they've played only 5 games, 2 fewer than we have, but still it's a paltry number for a team with Jaedyn Shaw, Alex Morgan, and several other good forwards. For comparison, the Thorns have scored 15 (that means 8 by non-Sophia-Smiths), the Current 20 (!), the Spirit also 15, the Pride 13, and the Courage 12.
I'm just wondering if any nuetrals are planning on watching the Reign v Wave rockfight by choice tonight...
It's a combination of Casey Stoney committing crimes against soccer and the fact that, before the Sanchez trade, it really was JUST Morgan and Shaw.
They've also got Jakobsson, Doniak, Barcenas, Elyse Bennett, Amirah Ali.... they should be able to score a couple, you'd think.
I personally don't think any of those players are better than replacement level, especially with with the injection of front line talent most NWSL teams have gotten with the cap spike.
(Stoney also refuses to use either Ali or Bennett lol)
And their injury list is loooooong this weekend.
Did anyone else find it a bit odd that in the second half added time last night the Thorns didn’t take the ball to the corner to finish off the game instead of continuing to attack the goal even though they were up a goal?
Yes, I thought it odd and commented such at the time.
Yep, especially down a player.
Intervention required: As one hate-watches NJ-NC tomorrow, alligator breakout; sweet comet of doom; bees, bees, bees; Norwegian death-polka festival...what sad fate should one wish upon Red Bull Arena?
Asking for a friend.
Is anyone else having trouble getting tickets to the Green and Gold game?
Can we pick our regular seats or how does it work?
Finally got it to work through the app. But I think it’s just GA
I just got 2, no issues
I tried 20 times via app and web. Emailed my ticket rep and got fixed up in 15 minutes.
Apropos of nothing... USLSL has 16 franchises listed, though it looks like only about 1/2 of them will start in 2024. They are: Brookyln, Carolina, Chattanooga, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Madison, Lexington, Oakland, Palm Beach, Phoenix, Spokane, Tampa Bay, Tucson, Washington DC.
Spokane has company west of the Appalachians? Progress!
Spirit and a WSL club rumored to be interested in Mariona Caldentey for the summer window...
I just can't get over thinking about a Barcelona player moving to Leesburg, VA in player housing lmao...literally nothing to do out there. (Kuikka turned them down because of it...)
I imagine Mariona Caldentey would select the “non player housing with stipend” option given who she is tbf lol
The commute could still be murder, though, and what would compensate for having to train at Segra Field?
Does that mean it's enough for a player to live in DC proper? From what I heard, it's not...Kuikka flew to DC to check out all options and Leesburg is where most (or all) players live, and (expectedly) it was pretty terrible and it was what made her decide against DC (despite being offered $$$.) Obv Caldentey is on a diff level and could prob easily pay for her own place in DC on her own. Regardless...kind of a funny scenario to think about. I laughed at something I heard Ashley Sanchez say about how leaving Spirit was actually nice because there was more to do in NC than in Leesburg lol.
Probably depends on how much she’s getting paid, but you could be right, idk. I figure someone coming from Barcelona wouldn’t looove living in far out suburban DC and would be paid enough so that she didn’t have to, but I suppose I could be wrong lol
IF Weaver is SEI (and let's hope she's not!!!) would we rather recruit:
1. A like-for-like replacement
2. Another position. And if so, which one?
Because Linnehan already looks good as a left winger, I'd rather get another top-notch centerback. We're leaking way too many goals and I think CB is the place to strengthen.
BTW I suspect Linnehan won't always look this good, because rookies almost always go through some ups and downs. But her flying start is very promising.
For one thing, opposing defenders will start marking her. But that's useful too.
Yeah, and defenders will also become clued in to how fast Linnehan is and defend differently. As you say, that should open up other areas, hopefully ones we can exploit.
Is Linnehan a lefty? Her goal was left foot and wonderfully placed.
Soph's goal was one of the easiest she'll have but only today am I seeing the keeper grabbing her jersey as she trots past. "Rather take the red then let this s*!t happen." I blame the gloves.
I was like "Soph would never do that because she is too goal hungry, but man, she should've taken a dive as soon as that goalie pulled her jersey"... Easy DOGSO red and we're sitting pretty one woman up and playing against a backup keeper.
AND probably still a goal up because of the resulting PK.
But I'm happy Smith didn't go down, because I'd rather win fairly than by diving - even if it wouldn't technically have been a dive because of the shirt pull. I think to make a fall like that look real you have to anticipate it and react instantly, and I'd prefer that Smith's anticipation is for scoring a goal rather than falling over.
I feel the same way, which is a MAJOR reason why I like women's soccer vs. men's. Not only that play, but there was another instance of one of our players with a physical play against Bay in our box and they could have gone down and appealed for a call but didn't. I turned to my wife and said if this was men's, there would be a guy rolling around and endless complaining afterward with an angry huddle around the ref.
Then you don't know if the ref consciously or subconsciously feels like he/she missed a call so a future call against the team who might have "gotten away with one" is looked at with a jaundiced eye as a potential "make-up call." It is never-ending with the theatrics and complaining. Just stay on your feet if you can and keep playing.
I would like this post multiple times if I could.
Idk if this is a hot take or not, but the position they REALLY need help in is the six. I think they can survive with a combination of Linnehan/Dias/Beckie/whomever on the wing and I'm fine with Obaze and Becky for the rest of the season even if it's not ideal, but if Sam goes down --even for a few weeks-- it's absolutely game over.
True that! That is apparently the least deep position on the Thorns. I think Sam is a lock for the Olympics so Yikes!
Last year Porter was the backup, not great, but we knew who would replace Sam. What about Olivia Wade Katoa? She is 5'8" strong, good passer was an attacking midfielder in college. Julie Ertz started out as a forward/midfielder then moved to CB and then finished her career as one of the best DMF in the world. OWK evidently looked pretty good in the pre-season friendlies. Several people have mentioned trying Izzy at CB. Is that crazy or worth a try? Marisa Sheva played in 10 matches for the Spirit last year and is a little bit more of and attacking mid and only 5'3". She got some playing time last night and did well during a stressful patch of 10 v 11.
Izzy is absolutely not technical enough or a good enough passer to be a 6...that's wild imo lol. OWK actually WAS a 6 for most of her time at BYU....she was only moved to a 10 the final year (5th year) of her college career because of team needs. Her production went way up as a 10, though, and I imagine that's what we drafted her for. I imagine her or Kling would fill in, although Kling has not looked great there the few times we've seen her. Apparently Mallie McKenzie has also played CDM, but honestly don't wanna see an undrafted NRI come in there (especially when our defense is still a bit questionable.) It is kinda weird we didn't just keep Porter since we have literally no one...she went to San Diego for preseason and didn't even make the roster. Maybe OWK has a higher ceiling, though? But yeah, I would've really liked to have gotten a semi-experienced backup 6!
It really depends on what the coaching staff sees in the players on the team. I would like to see depth in the mid-field, but perhaps they see Kling and Muller as mid-field depth. If so, wing back becomes an area of need. We should expect to see the current starting mid-field to be gone during the international break (Coffey, Fleming and Sugita, possibly Moultre?) so that would be my biggest concern. Forward seems to have the coverage, with Linnehan, D'Aquilla, Diaz and Sinclair available.
I know we'd have the roster space for it if we had another SEI (please no!), but doesn't the trade window not reopen until August? I'm unclear on how this works...I'm not sure we can actually bring someone in until then?
Oh yeah I was operating under the assumption that SEI are exceptions to the trade window, but that's more based on hope than knowledge.
I don't think that's the case unfortunately. I know there are such things as injury replacement players, but I don't remember the context for them. I doubt it'd be in this case, though, because we have a full roster of people who can play.
I think there's a summer Euro window, so we might be able to sign a player, but they may not be able to join (or be announced) until our next transfer window opens in August. There are folks in this thread who know those rules better than I do...
If it WERE possible though, we def need a top CB who can control the line. Becky has been fading unfortunately, and Hubly/Obaze are not going to be that backline general we need. I also prefer to see less of Hubly in general...Obaze needs an experienced partner with her looking forward.
Agree. My two biggest concerns coming into the season were Hogan and Sauerbrunn. I got a lot of pushback for my concerns about Becky, but age, mileage, and injuries eventually catch up, and it looks like that time has come.
Obaze has been a nice surprise that she looks so good, smart and poised at such a young age. I agree, get her an experienced partner. Push Becky to the bench in a reserve role and push "derp-per-game" Hubly further down the bench.