I’ll repeat what I said on the match thread: to be an “epic collapse” this would have had to have been 1,000 times better from both squad and coach. Instead the squad looked like shit from the opening whistle, rode a freakish lucky goal, Bixby, and the woodwork for an hour until the shifty defending, poor individual play, and lack of a coherent tactical plan put them to the sword.
We didn’t deserve points from this shitshow, and deservedly didn’t get any.
I hope this provokes some anger and soul-searching. I hope Norris looks hard at himself. I hope to hell that Paulson gets off his dead ass and gets the new broom in here ASAP. Because there’s no excuses for the dross we all just watched. None.
Apparently it’s supposed to be done by the end of the year so I imagine there are SOME humans on the other end of the purse strings. Who they are, we don’t know, but I hope they saw that…
Outside of Dunn, Weaver, and Bixby … that was embarrassing. Also, Sugita was doing well at forward. Sinclair is not a forward. Why the tactical change at this point?
Re: Sinc, my guess is that’s what Norris had written on his sub list (“Sinclair on 64’”) and Weaver was gassed. Norris seems to have a preset sub scheme that is hard to shake.
And I completely agree on Bixby. Weaver I’m not so sure; I’m only at 31’ on tape and after the fluke goal she’s been kind of invisible. And I’d call Dunn “too little too late”. That’s on Norris, not her; she looked good but by the time she came on the rout was complete. Putting a rock in jello doesn’t make the jello stronger…
I am not sure why that is a fluke goal. Hustle, aggressiveness and a nice touch made that goal. She is a hard worker and has improved her touch. We have been calling her chaos muppet, and at least twice has turned that defensive hard work into a goal.
These things are always a crapshoot as to who gets nominated, who wins, and why, but I'm glad to see that my eyes didn't deceive me and that others see Ribbons has improved that much since she was here in PDX. There were times during the WWC when I thought she looked like the best player on the pitch, or at least the best Matilda on it.
Two NWSL players. Literally every other nominee from European clubs. Not a single WE League player (like Mina Tanaka and Riko Ueki, for example), despite Japan's superior showing at WWC23 and the leagues depth and quality, but plenty of players from one-team leagues in Europe whose national teams were terrible Down Under (Popp, Diani, Oberdorf, Reynard) or weren't even there (Ewa Pajor). Honestly, the award is a joke.
And yet Keira Walsh who won Champions League with Barca and got to the WC semi didn't even get nominated. I'm always a little annoyed at these lists, but this one feels particularly bad.
Well deserved for Sophia but it is Aitana Bonmati's. I would love to see Sam Kerr get the award but her team did not win the World Cup. Happy for Raso too!
Seemed like they reported for a league match and a Challenge Cup broke out. Only it was not a Challenge Cup starting XI.
Can't explain the bipolar nature of this squad--the 10-on-11 match was so much better when it should rightly have been a disaster like yesterday. For certain, Loovulle's hammer-and-tongs start caught Portland by surprise and they never really had field composure afterwards. It was gratifying to see Morgan try and pull the team onto her shoulders--we're seeing a leader grow before our eyes. And that's my sole positive from the entire debacle.
Okay, Bella played her guts out and was the sole reason the Thorns were not behind for 85 minutes.
That game felt a lot like last year's NWSL Championship game: One team clearly better, the other team proud just to have made it that far, one goal in each half for the winner, the losing team not able to generate much danger....
None of that was good, and the thorns have put themselves in a bit of a hold.
I don’t blame Norris for the whole team forgetting how to pass. When Sam Coffey is cheaply giving up the ball in your third, that’s a sign that things aren’t going well.
However the game management from the head coach is bad. There are numerous things you can do: switch the system at half time, because it wasn’t working. Make subs at half time - bring in Crystal Dunn, for example. Maybe Reyna Reyes for Kuikka who quite frankly did not look like a professional soccer player.
But Norris did none of that. He doesn’t react, his subs are safe, conservative subs, and not for the first time the thorns have been blitzed away from home and just had nothing to offer in response. Houston, Orlando, Louisville. 3 games where the Thorns led. Not a single point from those 3 games.
Well said. Norris didn't sub until the 66th minute despite the team playing dismally except for Morgan Weaver's stellar first-half moment. He didn't sub despite overwhelming proof that this team wilts in high heat and humidity, even with a lead.
The only thing is that the "forgetting how to pass" has been a recurring theme when an opponent presses this squad. You'd think after seeing that repeatedly the coaching staff would spend some time going back to Soccer 101 with this group.
So not ON the coaching, perhaps...but kinda makes you wonder if he's not seeing this stuff...
Don’t want to misery-wallow too much, but MAN, that was the first time I’ve watched a Thorns game and thought they looked fully clueless the full 90. Worst performance of the season (maybe ever) easily. Tactics horrendous. Kuikka absolutely *dreadful*. Hubly -- and the whole team-- totally uncertain in everything she/they did. That was a BAD, spoon-caliber Louisville 11 and they were still the better team by far. Absolutely no excuse for that garbage, Soph or no Soph.
Small consolation- Bixby looked awesome and assertive for the first time in a while and that was the last of the Southern road games; they've looked comfortably better at home. They’re still somehow top of a bad league (and could be until next weekend with Seattle below the line), but they gotta get six of nine at home.
See y’all in the Reign preview, got nothin else to say bout this one! Excited for next Saturday- Hopefully they respond to the fan energy and cool weather cause they can't afford another loss.
Oh, there’s been worse. Six-nil to the Damned in 2019? I think we dropped some bad losses to FCKC (7-1?) back in the day.
But I agree that this was the most hapless, demoralizing outing this season. I didn’t see a loss. I saw a whipping. I hope the squad is angry about that.
Sam Laity out at Houston after not even a full season.
AC with an interim. KC with an interim. Wouldn't be surprised to see a new coaching search at Chicago with the new ownership. New franchise Bay FC still haven't announced a new coach yet. Vltako will probably go to one of those (KC, if I'm guessing.)
Hoping that our slow dragging sale doesn't mean we have the last pick of the litter if, in fact, our new owners will wanna change up the staff here at the Thorns. Lots of shuffling to happen for many teams in the next several months and into the offseason, and we still need a head trainer/Pierre Soubrier replacement. We also hired some random no names as assistants (not talking about Vytas.) One guy came from some low table Canadian men's team, and the other from a second or third division English team. From what I've heard, staff is very thin and very green behind the scenes. Hope new owners are walking and chewing gum at the same time, before all the top recruits that are left are taken....
Is it performance-based? Houston hasn't gotten it done, but in the NWSL you always have to ask why a coach was let go and/or why a team didn't perform.
Yeah, they specifically said this wasn't because of any off-field issues...strictly performance-based. Apparently there were mixed reactions amongst the players. Compared to what they did last year (though, quite an over-performance imo), Laity never set them up well to succeed. I was often baffled by some of his tactical and roster decisions. Either way....leaves another open seat at the top.
No one has yet figured out how to use Ebony Salmon, both in Louisville and Houston. And Ordonez has been basically irrelevant this year after a dynamite rookie season.
Good news for Laity, though: He no longer has to live in Houston.
Wednesday Addams (Sarah Lowdon) did a good job last year, it seemed- maybe she's ready to take over for good. With all the coaching changes going on, by the time the Thorns get new people on board the 2024 season might be a mess. At the very least it seems likely it'll be KK sitting in to get the least out of a 3rd straight NWSL draft for the Thorns in January.
Agreed on Daly, who seemed a great leader as well as player.
This season has been a shame for Diana Ordonez, who specifically asked into Houston so she could play closer to her family in Mexico. She was a real force and a golden boot candidate last year for NCC, but she seems very underutilized in Houston this year.
One thing mentioned by the Houston FO in the presser was that they specifically wanted to prioritize previous HC experience. I think Lowdon turned it down in the past, but I also think now they don't want another coach without more than interim HC experience.
This is great for Hinata-senshu, at least in terms of experience (and salary, I suspect), but I hope she avoids the curse of Japanese women in English and/or American football: being played out of position. Her breakout goal scoring performance notwithstanding, she's more of a facilitating midfielder (with pace) than a pure scorer. Her goals at WWC23 were a by-product of the way the Nadeshiko play...which is NOT how ManU plays.
I'll be hoping for her to shine. I will not, obviously, be cheering for her side overall (*shudder*). ;P
Chicago No Stars beat DC Kang 2-0. So they did us a solid AND they returned KCFUBAR to last place.
Pride (In the Name of Love) aren't doing us any favors, though, currently down 0-1 to PSWST. They've been playing -1 since the 5th minute, after a red card on Moorhouse. Speaking of keepers not in the game, I see that Phallon T-J is sitting again today. Whatupwiddat?
Better shot now that Houston just got a red in the 36th minute. Man, are we the only team who hasn't gotten to have a free shot at 3 points because of a red on the opposition? Dammit Orlando! Dammit Houston!
I think that's being generous to Rhian. Remember she managed to lose the Shield despite having Smith all year and a goal differential of +25 (+12 higher than second best OL Reign's +13). We had so. many. dumb ties and played Sinclair over half the total minutes available in the season (and would likely have played her more if she wasn't away with the CWNT). The problem is that both coaching hires were lazy inside hires of Karina and Sinclair's friends, neither of which was ready to coach at this level.
eh, results and performances were really good after June, especially when she ditched the back 3. Despite losing Smith, Sauerbrunn (and Coffey for a bit) and not having Dunn, they won 10 of their final 17 and only lost 2.
The manner of playing was way more convincing than pretty much any stretch Norris has had.
At the same time, were on track to finish anywhere between 2 points ahead of last year as a few points behind. The league is super close, e.g. 11th place Chicago can (I think) end up ahead of 1st place San Diego at this point, but I still think our coaching this year and last could be better and I think we have been coasting on raw talent rather than serious coaching prowess. We can't really keep this up as the Thorns stop being *the* premier destination crowd and we have the NWSL salary cap where it is. Players can make more money in Europe and play in front of bigger crowds in Mexico.
What I make of it is that you can be a crap human being and be good at your job (hi, Paul Riley!), and be a decent person who isn't very competent in their position.
That's unfortunate but more common that I'd like it to be.
That said...I wonder if the last couple of Timbers seasons in particular don't suggest that GW was losing a step and MP was falling behind the bank-account-arms-race? With the smaller roster, lower cap, and the decent work Parsons had been doing helping target players he wanted the Thorns don't look so bad. But the Timbers recent signings have been pretty underwhelming since the close of the Valeri Era.
So I have to suspect that GW's rep might not be so high had he not been canned when he was...
Yeah... KK has signed what? Two or three good players? Other than Coffey (who was a steal at the 12th pick), Yazmeen Ryan (who was also a no-brainer) and Sugita (actually a good signing that required some scouting and actually sorting out things), KK hasn't really done a whole lot.
Yeah apparently parity just means everyone is mediocre? Gives bottom table teams some hope and mid table teams a shot at silverware, but really has made for some garbage football this season.
Often wonder how we'd be looking if we were able to retain our coach and our end of season form/decisions (Rhian did take over half the season to fix her errors and still started Sinclair most games), but I agree, I feel like we'd be eating up the league this season so long as Rhian didn't tinker much more.
Problem being that the damn thing is the Microsoft of social media. It sucks - not least because it is run by a petulant Nazi manbaby - but it’s still more functional than it’s alternatives for getting basic info out quickly en masse.
I loathe Excel. But it’s the default spreadsheet app, and there’s no real getting around that…
Very early Twitter (I refuse...) adopter here. It's always been the best social media platform for quick dissemination of simple info...and still is. It can also be a "wretched hive of scum and villainy," but that's true of literally every social platform. Twitter is better at most about giving you the tools to curate what you see, how you participate. As Thornando says, the big problem is the inability to see stuff in the "For You" mode chronologically (Following mode is different, but much narrower). I'm probably going to switch to a paid account soon (it's cheap) for that reason...and in the probably ridiculous anticipation of making my presence there something that matters in the j-metal community (and thus a small revenue generator).
I don't honestly care that much that Musk is a tool. About the only billionaire oligarch I can think of offhand that I _don't_ want to shove headfirst into a wood chipper and use for fertilizer is Michelle Kang, so it's a bit six-of-one, half-a-dozen-of-the-other for me in that respect.
Remains an insult to one of the best LA rock bands.
Currently, the Nitter extension for reading Tweet threads in a browser is being allowed to function, eliminating the non-chron sort one gets trying to do so with no extension.
"I bought it and I done broke it" is one way to whittle down one's savings account.
Looks like Puget Sound WoSo Team will get a new owner before 24 too. Who knows? Maybe they'll even get a sensible name like, I don't know, Seattle Reign FC?
Both Thorns and PSWST met deadline for preliminary aspects of sale, with multiple bidders still involved for each.
And according to Linehan, Heather Davis is repping the Thorns on the Board of Governors.
My guess is that if the sales go thru soon enough the new owners will want their own people in. Norris is a Paulson guy, so he’s probably gone. Harvey? She predates OLR, and while I think she has issues w knockout games she’s been successful in general. So my guess would be no more than 50-50 she’d get canned…
Yeah I’d imagine KK and Norris and both gone. There’s an interesting, if unlikely hypothetical where the Thorns finish the season hot, win the shield, championship, or both; and make the decision a little more challenging for the incoming owner. I hope they clean house regardless or at least move KK into another ambassador-style role.
I’d quibble a little bit with Harvey being successful, at least during her most recent Reign stint- she got a shield last year (though only because of a major Thorns choke job), but she’s been entirely mediocre otherwise. She’s someone woso media like, but her overall lack of post season success with the Reign is pretty glaring. She’s someone that we’d be consistently furious with if she was Portland’s manager because her teams play with no creativity whatsoever. Not someone I want with the USWNT, for sure.
For a long time she had Parsons’ number, so I can’t slag off on her too hard; yeah, her teams grind out ugly games…but they’re usually in the playoffs, and , frankly, that’s more than their mediocre support deserves. They should have drawn tens of thousands when they weee winning shields in 2014 and 2015 and Seattle yawned…
Yeah, considering LH's roster that she's had (esp recently) I'd bet that other HC's could be at least as successful as her with it. Hard to tank too hard with that roster...Her play style is kinda boring and predictable as well, but that's more a personal opinion.
Lesle Gallimore was just appointed GM a few months ago and I'm guessing is hoping new owners stick with her (otherwise she wouldn't have left her longtime prior position- or at least maybe has some assurances) Is the coach the GM's decision to swap, or the owners? One of the first things Gallimore did was extend LH's contract through 2025, so I don't think she goes anywhere so long as Gallimore is in charge...
I’ll repeat what I said on the match thread: to be an “epic collapse” this would have had to have been 1,000 times better from both squad and coach. Instead the squad looked like shit from the opening whistle, rode a freakish lucky goal, Bixby, and the woodwork for an hour until the shifty defending, poor individual play, and lack of a coherent tactical plan put them to the sword.
We didn’t deserve points from this shitshow, and deservedly didn’t get any.
I hope this provokes some anger and soul-searching. I hope Norris looks hard at himself. I hope to hell that Paulson gets off his dead ass and gets the new broom in here ASAP. Because there’s no excuses for the dross we all just watched. None.
And I hope the new owners were watching this shitshow…
We don’t even know if there ARE new owners. But this was embarrassing for everyone, regardless.
Apparently it’s supposed to be done by the end of the year so I imagine there are SOME humans on the other end of the purse strings. Who they are, we don’t know, but I hope they saw that…
Outside of Dunn, Weaver, and Bixby … that was embarrassing. Also, Sugita was doing well at forward. Sinclair is not a forward. Why the tactical change at this point?
Re: Sinc, my guess is that’s what Norris had written on his sub list (“Sinclair on 64’”) and Weaver was gassed. Norris seems to have a preset sub scheme that is hard to shake.
And I completely agree on Bixby. Weaver I’m not so sure; I’m only at 31’ on tape and after the fluke goal she’s been kind of invisible. And I’d call Dunn “too little too late”. That’s on Norris, not her; she looked good but by the time she came on the rout was complete. Putting a rock in jello doesn’t make the jello stronger…
I am not sure why that is a fluke goal. Hustle, aggressiveness and a nice touch made that goal. She is a hard worker and has improved her touch. We have been calling her chaos muppet, and at least twice has turned that defensive hard work into a goal.
NC Courage: 7 NWSL trophies, or 1 for every NC fan in attendance today.
Wow, Soph is nominated for Ballon d'Or.
https://nitter.net/ballondor/status/1699467942436512245#m
And well-deserved, says I.
ETA Ribbons also nominated. Thorns represent!
These things are always a crapshoot as to who gets nominated, who wins, and why, but I'm glad to see that my eyes didn't deceive me and that others see Ribbons has improved that much since she was here in PDX. There were times during the WWC when I thought she looked like the best player on the pitch, or at least the best Matilda on it.
I think the only other NWSL nominee was Debinha. As always, the award is heavily tilted toward Europe.
Two NWSL players. Literally every other nominee from European clubs. Not a single WE League player (like Mina Tanaka and Riko Ueki, for example), despite Japan's superior showing at WWC23 and the leagues depth and quality, but plenty of players from one-team leagues in Europe whose national teams were terrible Down Under (Popp, Diani, Oberdorf, Reynard) or weren't even there (Ewa Pajor). Honestly, the award is a joke.
And yet Keira Walsh who won Champions League with Barca and got to the WC semi didn't even get nominated. I'm always a little annoyed at these lists, but this one feels particularly bad.
Yeah, that was a shocker!
True, and at least a few of the players nominated are former NWSLers: Kerr, Raso, Daly. So that bumps the list to 2 current and 3 former NWSLers.
Well deserved for Sophia but it is Aitana Bonmati's. I would love to see Sam Kerr get the award but her team did not win the World Cup. Happy for Raso too!
Too bad. I’d have liked to see Racing get some silverware.
Seemed like they reported for a league match and a Challenge Cup broke out. Only it was not a Challenge Cup starting XI.
Can't explain the bipolar nature of this squad--the 10-on-11 match was so much better when it should rightly have been a disaster like yesterday. For certain, Loovulle's hammer-and-tongs start caught Portland by surprise and they never really had field composure afterwards. It was gratifying to see Morgan try and pull the team onto her shoulders--we're seeing a leader grow before our eyes. And that's my sole positive from the entire debacle.
Okay, Bella played her guts out and was the sole reason the Thorns were not behind for 85 minutes.
That game felt a lot like last year's NWSL Championship game: One team clearly better, the other team proud just to have made it that far, one goal in each half for the winner, the losing team not able to generate much danger....
Good observation!
KC: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
OLR: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Congrats to Louisville and NC for making it to the final.
Oh, and now we finally have some idea why Phallon T-J is sitting -- she's rumored to be heading to ManU.
None of that was good, and the thorns have put themselves in a bit of a hold.
I don’t blame Norris for the whole team forgetting how to pass. When Sam Coffey is cheaply giving up the ball in your third, that’s a sign that things aren’t going well.
However the game management from the head coach is bad. There are numerous things you can do: switch the system at half time, because it wasn’t working. Make subs at half time - bring in Crystal Dunn, for example. Maybe Reyna Reyes for Kuikka who quite frankly did not look like a professional soccer player.
But Norris did none of that. He doesn’t react, his subs are safe, conservative subs, and not for the first time the thorns have been blitzed away from home and just had nothing to offer in response. Houston, Orlando, Louisville. 3 games where the Thorns led. Not a single point from those 3 games.
Also three games in which the Thorns were listless in the heat and humidity. A training/conditioning issue, perhaps?
Another commonality is both Houston and Louisville were the second match of road trips where they were away for over a week. Maybe that's a factor.
Well said. Norris didn't sub until the 66th minute despite the team playing dismally except for Morgan Weaver's stellar first-half moment. He didn't sub despite overwhelming proof that this team wilts in high heat and humidity, even with a lead.
The only thing is that the "forgetting how to pass" has been a recurring theme when an opponent presses this squad. You'd think after seeing that repeatedly the coaching staff would spend some time going back to Soccer 101 with this group.
So not ON the coaching, perhaps...but kinda makes you wonder if he's not seeing this stuff...
Don’t want to misery-wallow too much, but MAN, that was the first time I’ve watched a Thorns game and thought they looked fully clueless the full 90. Worst performance of the season (maybe ever) easily. Tactics horrendous. Kuikka absolutely *dreadful*. Hubly -- and the whole team-- totally uncertain in everything she/they did. That was a BAD, spoon-caliber Louisville 11 and they were still the better team by far. Absolutely no excuse for that garbage, Soph or no Soph.
Small consolation- Bixby looked awesome and assertive for the first time in a while and that was the last of the Southern road games; they've looked comfortably better at home. They’re still somehow top of a bad league (and could be until next weekend with Seattle below the line), but they gotta get six of nine at home.
See y’all in the Reign preview, got nothin else to say bout this one! Excited for next Saturday- Hopefully they respond to the fan energy and cool weather cause they can't afford another loss.
Really makes those lost 2 points last weekend feel worse…1 point out of 6 when it should’ve been 6 is so frustrating.
Oh, there’s been worse. Six-nil to the Damned in 2019? I think we dropped some bad losses to FCKC (7-1?) back in the day.
But I agree that this was the most hapless, demoralizing outing this season. I didn’t see a loss. I saw a whipping. I hope the squad is angry about that.
That was the first game I ever took my dad to, and he didn’t return until this season lol.
I recall our game in Orlando and Houston looking pretty pretty similar though, honestly. Orlando especially. We were outplayed and hapless.
I think the 2018 Final was the most brutal. Just to get so close and get comprehensively stomped.
Given the overall success of this club we’ve seen a lot of ugly soccer, too.
OT: Janine Beckie has gotten engaged to former soccer player Ethan Sonis. Best wishes to both of them!
Sam Laity out at Houston after not even a full season.
AC with an interim. KC with an interim. Wouldn't be surprised to see a new coaching search at Chicago with the new ownership. New franchise Bay FC still haven't announced a new coach yet. Vltako will probably go to one of those (KC, if I'm guessing.)
Hoping that our slow dragging sale doesn't mean we have the last pick of the litter if, in fact, our new owners will wanna change up the staff here at the Thorns. Lots of shuffling to happen for many teams in the next several months and into the offseason, and we still need a head trainer/Pierre Soubrier replacement. We also hired some random no names as assistants (not talking about Vytas.) One guy came from some low table Canadian men's team, and the other from a second or third division English team. From what I've heard, staff is very thin and very green behind the scenes. Hope new owners are walking and chewing gum at the same time, before all the top recruits that are left are taken....
Now I can finally admit this...
I can't ever hear Sam's last name without immediately adding a Jerry Lewis impression to it.
"Hey, LAITY!"
https://youtu.be/6WMr8ZISY-c
Is it performance-based? Houston hasn't gotten it done, but in the NWSL you always have to ask why a coach was let go and/or why a team didn't perform.
Yeah, they specifically said this wasn't because of any off-field issues...strictly performance-based. Apparently there were mixed reactions amongst the players. Compared to what they did last year (though, quite an over-performance imo), Laity never set them up well to succeed. I was often baffled by some of his tactical and roster decisions. Either way....leaves another open seat at the top.
No one has yet figured out how to use Ebony Salmon, both in Louisville and Houston. And Ordonez has been basically irrelevant this year after a dynamite rookie season.
Good news for Laity, though: He no longer has to live in Houston.
Kassouff tweet paraphrasing Houston GM;
https://twitter.com/JeffKassouf/status/1699504074809360421?s=20
Wednesday Addams (Sarah Lowdon) did a good job last year, it seemed- maybe she's ready to take over for good. With all the coaching changes going on, by the time the Thorns get new people on board the 2024 season might be a mess. At the very least it seems likely it'll be KK sitting in to get the least out of a 3rd straight NWSL draft for the Thorns in January.
What they really need to do is fix that climate. Soccer? In Houston? During summer?
Also, they're boring w/o Rachel Daly.
Agreed on Daly, who seemed a great leader as well as player.
This season has been a shame for Diana Ordonez, who specifically asked into Houston so she could play closer to her family in Mexico. She was a real force and a golden boot candidate last year for NCC, but she seems very underutilized in Houston this year.
It's easier to score lots of goals when you have Debinha and Carson Pickett to give you perfect assists.
They're also missing Shea Groom this season, who certainly would help fill that feisty non-boring role (for better or worse).
Only fire they still have is Jane Campbell.
I'd put Allysha Chapman on that list too. But yes, it's pretty thin.
They really SHOULD be better than they are, with Ordonez, Sanchez, Salmon, Alozie, Prince, Chapman, Campbell...
A fine keeper indeed.
One thing mentioned by the Houston FO in the presser was that they specifically wanted to prioritize previous HC experience. I think Lowdon turned it down in the past, but I also think now they don't want another coach without more than interim HC experience.
OT: WWC23 Golden Boot winner Hinata Miyazawa to Manchester United!
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/37015/12956026/hinata-miyazawa-manchester-united-sign-womens-world-cup-golden-boot-winner
This is great for Hinata-senshu, at least in terms of experience (and salary, I suspect), but I hope she avoids the curse of Japanese women in English and/or American football: being played out of position. Her breakout goal scoring performance notwithstanding, she's more of a facilitating midfielder (with pace) than a pure scorer. Her goals at WWC23 were a by-product of the way the Nadeshiko play...which is NOT how ManU plays.
I'll be hoping for her to shine. I will not, obviously, be cheering for her side overall (*shudder*). ;P
Chicago No Stars beat DC Kang 2-0. So they did us a solid AND they returned KCFUBAR to last place.
Pride (In the Name of Love) aren't doing us any favors, though, currently down 0-1 to PSWST. They've been playing -1 since the 5th minute, after a red card on Moorhouse. Speaking of keepers not in the game, I see that Phallon T-J is sitting again today. Whatupwiddat?
Wave match coming up. I think they have as good a shot at the shield as anybody and have been playing good lately.
Better shot now that Houston just got a red in the 36th minute. Man, are we the only team who hasn't gotten to have a free shot at 3 points because of a red on the opposition? Dammit Orlando! Dammit Houston!
Two games in a row straight reds. Crazy!
Man, no one in this league is very good. If Rhian hadn’t had to resign, the thorns would be running away with the shield.
I think that's being generous to Rhian. Remember she managed to lose the Shield despite having Smith all year and a goal differential of +25 (+12 higher than second best OL Reign's +13). We had so. many. dumb ties and played Sinclair over half the total minutes available in the season (and would likely have played her more if she wasn't away with the CWNT). The problem is that both coaching hires were lazy inside hires of Karina and Sinclair's friends, neither of which was ready to coach at this level.
eh, results and performances were really good after June, especially when she ditched the back 3. Despite losing Smith, Sauerbrunn (and Coffey for a bit) and not having Dunn, they won 10 of their final 17 and only lost 2.
The manner of playing was way more convincing than pretty much any stretch Norris has had.
At the same time, were on track to finish anywhere between 2 points ahead of last year as a few points behind. The league is super close, e.g. 11th place Chicago can (I think) end up ahead of 1st place San Diego at this point, but I still think our coaching this year and last could be better and I think we have been coasting on raw talent rather than serious coaching prowess. We can't really keep this up as the Thorns stop being *the* premier destination crowd and we have the NWSL salary cap where it is. Players can make more money in Europe and play in front of bigger crowds in Mexico.
The Thorns success now seems largely just the fruit of the roster talent that Mark Parsons' seeded. Maybe meh coach, but potentially great GM?
Parsons and (Gavin) Wilkinson. I've talked with agents about this. They miss Gavin and don't think much of KK. Make of that what you will.
What I make of it is that you can be a crap human being and be good at your job (hi, Paul Riley!), and be a decent person who isn't very competent in their position.
That's unfortunate but more common that I'd like it to be.
That said...I wonder if the last couple of Timbers seasons in particular don't suggest that GW was losing a step and MP was falling behind the bank-account-arms-race? With the smaller roster, lower cap, and the decent work Parsons had been doing helping target players he wanted the Thorns don't look so bad. But the Timbers recent signings have been pretty underwhelming since the close of the Valeri Era.
So I have to suspect that GW's rep might not be so high had he not been canned when he was...
Yeah... KK has signed what? Two or three good players? Other than Coffey (who was a steal at the 12th pick), Yazmeen Ryan (who was also a no-brainer) and Sugita (actually a good signing that required some scouting and actually sorting out things), KK hasn't really done a whole lot.
Yeah apparently parity just means everyone is mediocre? Gives bottom table teams some hope and mid table teams a shot at silverware, but really has made for some garbage football this season.
Often wonder how we'd be looking if we were able to retain our coach and our end of season form/decisions (Rhian did take over half the season to fix her errors and still started Sinclair most games), but I agree, I feel like we'd be eating up the league this season so long as Rhian didn't tinker much more.
And the league will be even more diluted next year, with two more teams adding in.
Huge week for Loovull.
3 matches in 8 days. Win at home over Portland, win on the road over Reign, loss on the road to NC.
Per Clarke from Berman (via Xitter): 1) Thorns sale on track to be done before ‘24, and
2) Paulson off NWSL Board. No ID on who’s been rep for Portland.
If I'm not mistaken, the correct way to pronounce Xitter is "Shitter," as in "Merry Christmas! Shitter was full!" https://youtu.be/5OzEcY4Qg-Q?t=22
So I’ve heard.
Problem being that the damn thing is the Microsoft of social media. It sucks - not least because it is run by a petulant Nazi manbaby - but it’s still more functional than it’s alternatives for getting basic info out quickly en masse.
I loathe Excel. But it’s the default spreadsheet app, and there’s no real getting around that…
Very early Twitter (I refuse...) adopter here. It's always been the best social media platform for quick dissemination of simple info...and still is. It can also be a "wretched hive of scum and villainy," but that's true of literally every social platform. Twitter is better at most about giving you the tools to curate what you see, how you participate. As Thornando says, the big problem is the inability to see stuff in the "For You" mode chronologically (Following mode is different, but much narrower). I'm probably going to switch to a paid account soon (it's cheap) for that reason...and in the probably ridiculous anticipation of making my presence there something that matters in the j-metal community (and thus a small revenue generator).
I don't honestly care that much that Musk is a tool. About the only billionaire oligarch I can think of offhand that I _don't_ want to shove headfirst into a wood chipper and use for fertilizer is Michelle Kang, so it's a bit six-of-one, half-a-dozen-of-the-other for me in that respect.
It's his prerogative to rename Twitter to X, but Musk remains a twit.
Remains an insult to one of the best LA rock bands.
Currently, the Nitter extension for reading Tweet threads in a browser is being allowed to function, eliminating the non-chron sort one gets trying to do so with no extension.
"I bought it and I done broke it" is one way to whittle down one's savings account.
Yep, Shitter is full of useful information and impossible to scroll through chronologically without an account. Damn you, petulant Nazi manbaby!
Looks like Puget Sound WoSo Team will get a new owner before 24 too. Who knows? Maybe they'll even get a sensible name like, I don't know, Seattle Reign FC?
Both Thorns and PSWST met deadline for preliminary aspects of sale, with multiple bidders still involved for each.
And according to Linehan, Heather Davis is repping the Thorns on the Board of Governors.
They should get a new manager too
(Yeah, I said it!)
My guess is that if the sales go thru soon enough the new owners will want their own people in. Norris is a Paulson guy, so he’s probably gone. Harvey? She predates OLR, and while I think she has issues w knockout games she’s been successful in general. So my guess would be no more than 50-50 she’d get canned…
Yeah I’d imagine KK and Norris and both gone. There’s an interesting, if unlikely hypothetical where the Thorns finish the season hot, win the shield, championship, or both; and make the decision a little more challenging for the incoming owner. I hope they clean house regardless or at least move KK into another ambassador-style role.
I’d quibble a little bit with Harvey being successful, at least during her most recent Reign stint- she got a shield last year (though only because of a major Thorns choke job), but she’s been entirely mediocre otherwise. She’s someone woso media like, but her overall lack of post season success with the Reign is pretty glaring. She’s someone that we’d be consistently furious with if she was Portland’s manager because her teams play with no creativity whatsoever. Not someone I want with the USWNT, for sure.
For a long time she had Parsons’ number, so I can’t slag off on her too hard; yeah, her teams grind out ugly games…but they’re usually in the playoffs, and , frankly, that’s more than their mediocre support deserves. They should have drawn tens of thousands when they weee winning shields in 2014 and 2015 and Seattle yawned…
Yeah, considering LH's roster that she's had (esp recently) I'd bet that other HC's could be at least as successful as her with it. Hard to tank too hard with that roster...Her play style is kinda boring and predictable as well, but that's more a personal opinion.
Lesle Gallimore was just appointed GM a few months ago and I'm guessing is hoping new owners stick with her (otherwise she wouldn't have left her longtime prior position- or at least maybe has some assurances) Is the coach the GM's decision to swap, or the owners? One of the first things Gallimore did was extend LH's contract through 2025, so I don't think she goes anywhere so long as Gallimore is in charge...
Which team? Thorns or PSWST?
Both, but was referring to Harvey.
I agree. Something isn't clicking up there.
Davis was my first thought. So the Paulson thing is symbolic; Davis is his bobo. But at least they DID make the gesture.