Portland Thorns at Kansas City Current: Season Opener Preview

The Thorns face the Kansas City Current in their away game season opener on Saturday, March 15th at 9:45am PT

Photo Credit: Kelsey Baker

If you were lucky enough to see the Portland Thorns take on the Utah Royals at home last Friday night, you saw an exciting 90 minutes — especially considering the looming questions coming out of preseason. The midfielders kept possession for a lot of the game, the defenders showed up steadily, and the forwards had lots of chances on goal.

A collective sigh of relief could be heard in Providence Park, despite losing 1-0. Although Portland still lacks clarity around some roles on the pitch in regards to Olivia Moultrie and bench depth for the centerbacks, it’s clear that the Thorns won’t just be playing defensively for draws and clean sheets.

Starting Lineup

Tomorrow morning the Thorns face the Current on the road in a season opener that is bound to be loud and fiery with a stadium presence that rivals Providence Park. It would be wise for Rob Gale to keep the same lineup as we saw against, Utah except for a small change in the midfield. Knowing the strength of the Current’s midfielders and forwards, it would be a smart decision to pivot to a 4-4-2 diamond with Sam Coffey holding defensively and Jessie Fleming pushing offensively.

KC Current’s Offensive Depth

The biggest test tomorrow will be navigating the speed and tenacity of Temwa Chawinga, who netted 20 goals alone last season, helping the Current secure fourth place in the NWSL. Keep an eye on Reyna Reyes and Kaitlyn Torpey as they might switch positions (LB/RB) to match the speed of Chawinga up top.

Potentially holding at the base of Kansas City’s midfield is former Thorn Rocky Rodríguez. As we all know, Rodríguez brings strength, composure, and a wicked shot from outside the box. Expect a strong contest between her and Coffey in the Thorns’ defensive third if Rodríguez gets minutes. Besides Rodríguez, the Current has so much depth on their offensive bench with Debinha, Vanessa DiBernardo, Michelle Cooper, Lo’eau LaBonta, and Claire Hutton (recently capped for the USWNT).

Thorns’ Objectives

Offensively, the Thorns need to capitalize on their chances when they come. During Friday night’s game, we saw so many opportunities on goal that weren’t reflected on the scoreboard. It’s obvious that Portland was able to find the ball to Deyna Castellanos, Moultrie, and Payton Linnehan — now the team needs to prove that these goal scorers can find the back of the net.

This game is certainly not one to write off. The Thorns have so much to prove after three SEI’s and Sophia Wilson’s announcement that she won’t be playing this season. The Thorns look organized, fast, and eager to find their footing in a new lineup.

How To Watch

Catch the game on ABC or ESPN+

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What are you hoping to see from the Thorns as they open their season in Kansas City?