Preview & Match Thread: Portland Thorns vs Utah Royals
An important game will be played in Providence Park.
With no wins since July 5th, the Thorns will host Utah on Saturday, October 6th at 7 PM PT.
The opponent
Portland is hanging to its playoff spot by a thread. So there is no better opponent at this point of the season than the Royals. Why? Well, they’re penultimate in the table with a -19 goal differential.
At the same time, maybe this is not the best time to face them. Why? Just like the Thorns, they were on a losing streak - until they played Louisville, that is. Utah just ended that bad streak last Saturday and, although their playoff hopes are almost nonexistent, they have nothing to lose and have better momentum than the Thorns.
To add more, the pieces they have brought this season are clicking. Just like Portland, they tended to rely too much on their best attacker, rookie Ally Sentnor. Nonetheless, they were forced to play without her when she left for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and find the back of the net in another way. Interim head coach Jimmy Coenraets brought Mina Tanaka, Claudia Zornoza, and Chloé Lacasse in the latest window to get results and added to Ana Tejada, they have been improving this team little by little. And when Sentnor gets back on the team, it should only get better.
The Thorns will have to be careful with Lacasse who can do a lot of damage if they give her some space, and whoever is on that left side for this game will have to follow her closely.
With this being the last encounter of these two teams in 2024, Utah has the scales in its favor. Even though their first meeting this year finished with a scoreless draw, the Royals beat Portland in the Summer Cup 3-1 with two former thorns, Hannah Betfort and Michelle Vasconcelos, scoring to get this win plus a goal scored by Sentnor.
The Thorns
There isn’t much to say about the Thorns other than they need to get it together — starting from the FO to the coaching staff and the players as well.
The return of Morgan Weaver has been a blessing and it looks like Christine Sinclair’s retirement announcement has given her the boost needed to not even care if there’s not much gas in the tank anymore. She has been playing better and being involved as much as she can in the team’s looks.
It is also good to know that Payton Linnehan is back and well. She was supposed to be for Portland what Ally Sentnor has been for the Royals but injuries have affected her rookie year tremendously. So, it was encouraging to see her starting in the latest Concacaf Champions Cup and maybe that indicates the team can rely on her for the few games Portland has left.
The Thorns will need all the help they can get. With Hina Sugita out for who knows how long — there’s no update on her status and it looks like the season is over for her — and Sophia Smith being in a “week-to-week” basis update, their last three games of the season will be a test they need to pass if they want to be in playoffs.
Possible lineups
Racing Louisville
Mandy Haught
Griffitts - Del Fava - Riehl - Burns
Tejada - Zornoza
Laccase - Foederer - Sentnor
Betfort
Portland Thorns
Arnold
Hubly - Sauerbrunn - Reyes
Turner - Moultrie - Coffey - Fleming - Müller
Weaver - Sinclair
Come chat through the match in the comments!
The only thing I want to see at the presser is KK and RG resigning while apologizing for their manifest Incompetence.
If only we had some attacking players with a bit of spark and attacking fire on the bench to bring in. Someone like, say, a Payton Linnehan or an Alexa Spaanstra...