Last thing- It's a cliche, but soccer really is a game of moments: Not to pile on Izzy even more than we already have, but that was just an absolutely horrific miss from her. If she scores --in the 87th minute, no less-- theres a pretty good chance they have three points on the board. Soph would have had an assist. Vibes would be totally different. You HAVE to score those, especially when your team is in poor form. A confident player keeps their head down and finishes, or takes a touch and slots home there. Yeah Washington had their moments of missed opportunity too, but MAN, that just needed to find the net for the whole team's sake and it fell to the wrong player.
Does Linnehan score? Maybe? Maybe not? It's a question worth asking tho!
She’s had a number of horrific misses this season. Her npxG/shot is literally *first in the entire league*. She consistently gets in all the right spaces but just cannot figure it out in front of goal.
That said, so MANY moments. Fleming takes the 96th minute off. Hubly loses Santos. Smith fails to pick out Hina on Arnold's long delivery. Morriss shanks it in the 89th. Kouassi in the 83rd. Moultrie doesn't turn over in the 58th. The CR doesn't whistle the goalmouth play dead. Coffey arrives a second too late in the 9th minute!
Would Linnehan have nicked the three points? Maybe.
I wonder if he is feeling the lack of depth in the team. There are times that he seems to want some of his better players available for all games so mixes and matches like that. If you play all your best players all of the time then your bench is dismal. In this particular case I feel for him.
Depth is for sure an issue, but the dude also has his only explosive winger locked to the bench while the 41 year old and Izzy play out of position. It's excruciating decision making.
Plus, when you don't have high level depth and your tactics aren't elevating, mixing and matching depth with starters doesn't work very well. There was no reason for Müller and Obaze to play with the kids and olds against CA on Wednesday if the rest of the starters were getting saved for today. Linnehan didn't start either match!
Phuoc asked the question about Linnehan postgame and Gale gave an unsurprisingly pretty poor answer about the things Izzy gives them in theory (but doesn't actually in real life).
He could have still had Izzy and Linnehan out there at the same time, for that matter. Vastly more like-for-like as a Spaanstra sub than, well, you know.
Also want to make sure I shoutout Phuoc for asking some good questions the last two postgames in particular, especially after a bunch of us got a tad pushy last week. Really appreciate it!
I think it's really good for coaches to hear that others are wondering about decisions they're making and while I haven't agreed with some of Gale's responses, it's important that he has to answer (and think about) them.
Kudos the Phouc. Question though. Was it Phuoc that said he'd interview the "management" and find out what their strategy was with the changes brought by the new CBA? I was thinking that would be full-page article about the ins-and-outs. The recruiting strategy for newly minted collegiate. The same for veterans. Is it wining and dining? Being charmed by those Thorns that were in the same sorority?
Obvs there will be other considerations - team location, hopes for playoff cash, teammates, coaching - but in a pure FA market it’s all about the cash.
The big wildcard will be how tough the league is enforcing the cap, and how good the clubs are at moneyball. On the one hand a plutocrat with no constraints on their wallet can simply buy championships (see: Olympique Lyon). On the other, smaller clubs good at finding and signing hidden gems can punch above their weight.
echoing this. ultimately, it's best for everyone - clubs, fans, players, staff, the league - if there are questions when it's clear interrogation is required.
I also think Phuoc is doing a nice job walking the line. He's had some helpful questions the last few matches. Thanks Phuoc, for bridging (or trying to) the gap between us and the coach/FO! I should say though, I thought I was pretty gentle with my ask for more informative questions, even if it was a little, uh, passionate after the last match lol. Just wanted a few more questions about tactics and choices to understand better...wasn't asking for them to interrogate!
But yes, very much agree with the bottom part of your comment...it was the exact reason I was asking in the first place.
I think we (you, me, everyone else who posted) were all pretty gentle with the requests, it's more that the initial request (I think it was yours?) ballooned into a whole bunch of people asking and posting all over the place so just wanted to make sure he/other STF folks didn't feel bombarded lol.
Have Thorns stopped posting post game interviews on YouTube? Or only post after wins? The past few weeks now where Phouc posts clips but nothing by the team.
Yeah, I noticed they stopped posting the pressers after the losses...at least lately. All the more importance for Phuoc to be asking those good questions, as he's been doing....
I think what’s critical is what the squad takes away from this.
If it’s “Damn, we were SO CLOSE! We do this against Chicago and we spank them 4-1!!” then great. The players you mentioned DID have good games, and the midfield looked more organized and composed.
If it’s “Well…fuck. We did SO much better and STILL got beat”? Then not so much.
This is the part we don't get to see. One of the many jobs of a head coach is head spinmeister. How does he talk about this game to the team? Who knows but if he takes the positives and build on them it will help. If he instead is a blamer, or worse yet, indifferent that matters too.
Yep. 100%. That's why I asked in the last "Riveting!" "What ARE you doing in training, Ken?" because it seems like a LOT of what we're seeing leads back to the gaffer.
Can he build off this improved performance (and figure out how to improve the defense's not-so-good performance)? Then that could be huge.
"Every minute Christine Sinclair plays the rest of this regular season, in the end, represents a theft; a theft from the crucial analysis and development of young players, their learning to play together as a unit, and therefore, a theft from the future of the organization."
Hell of a one-two punch, happy day! Sorry I’m going to be out of town tomorrow, I expect a pretty good reception from the crowd when she takes the field
I was on the fence about going tomorrow, but with this great news, they have just sold another ticket. It will be so amazing to have her back--she is the heart and soul of the Thorns, in my opinion.
Some good news while we're waiting for more supposed good news....looks like we have another Thorns beat writer entering the picture! Leo will have a weekly column with Willamette Week, and they went kinda hard in their first piece! Go show some support!
Wow, that's great- good on WW for getting a beat writer, and good on Leo for not being afraid to tell the truth right out of the gate. Hopefully he's not wished out into the cornfield because of it- it'd be nice to have Gale and others have to face some more critical questions, and for the Bhathals to have to see valid criticisms in print.
Lessons I learned by watch NWSL games this weekend:
1) No team counts on a single forward to take on the opposing defense all by herself (except the Thorns).
2) Most (nearly all) teams start with a front line that you can imagine it will be hours prior to when you turn on the TV to see the starting lineup (whether the team is on the top or the bottom of the standings).
3) I am insanely jealous of organized midfields (even if that team on the whole sucks).
I stg the Thorns are the worst coached team besides the Wave. There are styles of play that I don't necessarily like (Chicago, for instance)...but mostly every team looks more like a midseason team than us and SD.
and other than kc most of the top teams have a possession first coach that allows for 5 or 6 attackers to be in and around the box consistently. Gale is such old school English style of long ball to lone attacker and hope for the best.
Yikes the low block and counter put a bullet in me. Gio ball or Casey Stoney!!! All teams need the ability to counter, but to counter at select moments when the position of the ball and the opposing defense dictates it as the best option. But when that is your main offensive strategy and possession and build up is secondary then for me that is just poor. For the Thorns it seems that quick counters are the expectation and not situational. That is just poor soccer, but then again I am a soccer snob.
to argue your first point, i don't think the thorns rely on that rather soph just does it. you can see players open and asking for the ball but she either doesn't see them or ignores them. it's something she, the team, and gale need to work on and get her out of the habit of thinking it's a one woman show.
I disagree you can see it all over the field. From the movement off the ball to the first touch. It all says individual play and play direct. For good possession both the off ball movement and the first touch (indicating to teammates intention) would need to be fixed). Our backline has some semblance of possession but once the ball transitions to midfield it is all direct play.
Correct about noting the "all direct play" aspect. I keep looking for those triangles to form so that the mid-fielder on the ball has not just one, but two teammates to pass the ball to. For the Thorns it seems to never come about. If I'm seeing it correctly. Often this results in an attempt at a pass being sent on the ground trying to reach someone standing far on the other side. That pass is easily picked off by the opposition in the middle of the field who then goes on attack right toward our center back in front of them. I'm not saying the Thorns are the only team that happens to, but it still makes me crazy.
As a former striker/winger/goalscorer....it's more this than anything. Or, equally as much that Gale is a bad coach and his only tactics are...just give it to Soph and expect magic. There's no plan B. Of course she plays that way. Her striker tendencies of doing it herself are only greatly exacerbated by the team she's on and the coaches she's had here. (She still has the most assists on this team, btw!)
She's got work to do on her own despite the tactics, but when your team's survival depends on YOU scoring? When the talent dropoff around you is severe? If your coach only plays hero ball, then your goalscorer will keep doing what they've been coached to do...change that up and get her help, then it will slowly start to change (with more work on her part also, yes.)
You can't train a dog to hunt and then get mad when it brings back dead rats to leave on the back porch. That's not how forming or unlearning habits works, even down to the neurological/physiological/psychological level. Every game she plays with no help and heroball tactics, she carves that same groove over and over...but brains and habits are malleable/neuroplastic, provided there has been a change to the environment. But it has to be CONSISTENT changes to form new grooves in the brain to form new habits. This is all a bit in the weeds, but I firmly believe that her biggest problem is the coaching and the personnel. It won't be an overnight change, once those change...new habits take, on average, 66 days to take root. But it could be less, provided the work is done daily.
I definitely think she'll help her with her national team play...that transition has already begun. And it will be expedited because she has Mal and Trin next to her. Emma is a good coach and knows how to pull her out of those natural habits. I'm excited to see her grow over the years on the national team.
However, she plays the bulk of her time at club, where she is forced to practice these bad habits consistently. I don't think a small amount of time on the national team will be enough to override club play...BECAUSE she is being coached this way here. So, it's learned bad habits that exacerbate her natural striker tendencies...but also that's DUE TO bad coaching. As much as I hate to admit it, I sadly think that if nothing changes here, she won't grow (and would be better off on a more ambitious team.)
(Emma ought to have a conversation with the Bhathals so that the habits she’s trying to get to stick for her young striker are also being practiced at home/club with proper coaching.) :)
Which is why I know she's capable of it, it's just a matter of the right coach figuring out how to get her to do it for the club team. And her learning to trust her teammates.
Her learning to trust her teammates involves the teammates earning her trust - and that involves giving her attacking partners who *can* earn her trust.
Exactly. And on this roster, excluding those likely to be miles behind the play because Father Time bats last, that means two players: Weaver, who's been unavailable, and Hina, who's been getting played too deep to be a factor in those rapid Smith attacks most of the time.
Missing a second scorer, which has been true most of the season without Weaver. But that is not a team that should be losing three straight games, scoring twice and conceding 7.
Yeah, the Sam Kerr Experience shows that you CAN get all the goals from one striker…but you have to at least have a credible second (and third, if possible) option to keep the defenders from just piling on your star. Without Weaver as that threat and playing obvious non-serious “threats” like D’Aquila Ken makes life way easier for his opponents. Unfortunately given his answer to Phuoc’s question about Izzy I’m pretty sure he doesn’t see that
Chawinga is perhaps the closest to Sam in the NWSL. But Chawinga -- as fearsome as she is -- is less of a finisher. Although she's plenty lethal, she has fewer ways of killing you than Sam did.
Good, not great, roster with a glaring problem. Scoring. Sugita got a nice goal last game but it doesn't happen much. Smith is their only scary threat so she gets all kinds of attention. In addition to the attention, when Smith scores it is way too often because of brilliant individual play all by herself. The best passers on the team are Moultrie, Coffey and Sugita. All three being played as midfielders. None of them up on the front line. Maybe the new wings will grow into it but at the moment there's a cap on scoring that's going to drag them down.
Morgan Weaver's absence really makes a difference in that roster. Although, it used to be that even Weaver drew frustration on this board for her (lack of) finishing chances and for not being able to carry the offense if Smith was out. Now, we're left wishing just to have her back in the conversation.
Still, a Smith/Weaver/Turner front line, with Spaanstra and Linnehan coming on late, sure does look a lot better on paper than what's going on now.
Morgan Weaver is not anybody's primary scorer but she's not a black hole either. Plus, she provides a Route 2 to Smith's Route 1 and she has chemistry with Smith. The length of time she's been out worries me and since I don't think we are contenders this season it might be better just to get her fully healthy first before playing her.
I agree. At this point, why risk bringing Weaver back? She should just continue to rehab and be 100% ready for next season. It's clear that the Thorns aren't going to win anything this season.
Pro players don’t think that way and frankly, Weaver’s health could be a turning point in terms of capabilities. Likely they aren’t going anywhere, but this team has talent and no one thought Gotham was going anywhere last year
Agree fully about Weaver. Even her presence means defenders have to make choices rather than just triple team Soph.
Turner, Spaanstra, and Linnehan are promising, but they are all still basically rookies. They will likely develop into good-to-very good players, but that's not what we have right now. They aren't gamechangers, and in addition to Weaver, I still think we are missing one other proven goalscorer up top if we want to compete in 2025. They should really be targeting a big name winger this offseason if they have any ambition at all.
Kind of my feeling. Maybe not elite but talent aplenty to win games and compete for the shield*. Now then, how does one assemble and use the talent on game day?
*Granting that nobody anticipated Orlando's historic run.
I'm on the verge of saying "Never mind the playoffs. The objective is to say who starts. Don't mess around. Put them out there; same for every game. See who gets it and who doesn't. Who stays for another season. Who frees up cap room as they leave."
Well Sinc won't be here in 2025, and if D'Aquila also goes away, we'd have Soph and Turner as the 9's. Kizer is a good backup 9. Also (much more) capable of playing wider, and also, dropping into midfield. She's a good middle ground between Soph and Turner with a lot of league experience. And prob wasn't expensive. It's just an easy level-up when we have the space, provided they don't plan on keeping D'Aquila (they shouldn't.) I've always thought she was underrated, and she actually IS a good utility forward who can perform pretty well at all positions and off the bench. I want a GM who can be opportunistic and always be looking to improve positions, if possible, even if incremental or seemingly insignificant.
KK seems more invested in whatever the “Karina LeBlanc Foundation” is than running a proper top club. Let her go do it! She’s way more meant for that type of work than the grind of being a top GM.
An interesting element of the coaching discourse is that Gale is just *killing himself* with his personnel choices. He seems allergic to just playing his best players, all together, at the same time. For a dude who isn't doing so hot on the tactical side either, I can't fathom why he keeps digging his own grave even deeper with his team selection! If you're not creating winning moments with your tactics, you need to help yourself out my guy!
Other than that: excellent games from Reyes, Hina, and Arnold. Each team had a few blown chances and a draw probably would have been the right result- That was the sort of performance that should, in theory, translate to next week.....but I guess we'll find out soon enough!
Apparently she was able to re-negotiate for the rest of this year too instead of playing on her current deal, which is where the 5 comes from. Good for her tbh- I'm sure her AAV is at least 50% higher what it was.
One downvote for Portland for being difficult to work with questioning their valuation of specific players. Personally don’t have a problem with that point.
4 votes for Sophia Smith as the NWSL player they’d start a roster with topping the list
Most importantly, open statements by most GMs that:
- Player empowerment has gone too far (not surprised to see that)
- Teams are cheating the salary cap (and other rules, apparently), including by funneling money outside of contract. Most of the GMs don't think the NWSL has an effective system for accountability or compliance.
most obvious potential example is Cyrstal Dunn- perhaps the Thorns were also cheating on the salary cap with her by directing more money to her husband's trainer salary, Which could also make it make even more sense that his firing caused a rift, since that might've shut down a good part of what she was supposed to be getting paid?
He also probably felt hung out to to dry, with the year suspension and his firing. When he asked for the meds from a doctor and was told yes you can have them, to give to players. He also handed what he still had back when the team's medical doctor asked for them back. Said medical doctor gets a slap on the wrist and a review of meds prescribed for a year, but is still employed and no suspension of license. Dunn and Spouse probably don't see giving such drugs without the players knowing what was in it so much worse was worth such a harsh penalty. He wants to hide under the doctor's approval.
Extra money was also probably a part of it as well.
IIRC, wasn't her specific complaint as a FA was she "didn't feel valued"? While that could mean "we're looking to get younger/cut costs," I think it would just as plausibly mean the scenario you propose here.
Since we have no realistic chance of competing for a home playoff match, and since NC just pulled 4 points ahead of us with 7 matches to go, I'm now confining my focus to "The Race for 6th Place," where we currently occupy the pole position.
A win on Friday and we'll sit 7 points clear of Chicago for 6th! (Find your joy where you can!)
Sorry. I don't believe there is any Olympics revenge that's not at the next Olympics or the next World Cup.
Marta, no longer the immature 16 year old that she once was. All the temper tantrums. She's now mature, and has earned my respect. She's now happy with all she's accomplished; bowing out of the national team with a medal hung around her neck.
Last thing- It's a cliche, but soccer really is a game of moments: Not to pile on Izzy even more than we already have, but that was just an absolutely horrific miss from her. If she scores --in the 87th minute, no less-- theres a pretty good chance they have three points on the board. Soph would have had an assist. Vibes would be totally different. You HAVE to score those, especially when your team is in poor form. A confident player keeps their head down and finishes, or takes a touch and slots home there. Yeah Washington had their moments of missed opportunity too, but MAN, that just needed to find the net for the whole team's sake and it fell to the wrong player.
Does Linnehan score? Maybe? Maybe not? It's a question worth asking tho!
D'Aquila also had that horrific miss, on a wide-open net from even closer distance, a couple of games ago. Not a good look.
She must do a better than this in training because Gale keeps giving her a lot of minutes.
She’s had a number of horrific misses this season. Her npxG/shot is literally *first in the entire league*. She consistently gets in all the right spaces but just cannot figure it out in front of goal.
WOW that's nuts lmao
Welll...yes.
That said, so MANY moments. Fleming takes the 96th minute off. Hubly loses Santos. Smith fails to pick out Hina on Arnold's long delivery. Morriss shanks it in the 89th. Kouassi in the 83rd. Moultrie doesn't turn over in the 58th. The CR doesn't whistle the goalmouth play dead. Coffey arrives a second too late in the 9th minute!
Would Linnehan have nicked the three points? Maybe.
But so many OTHER questions..!
I wonder if he is feeling the lack of depth in the team. There are times that he seems to want some of his better players available for all games so mixes and matches like that. If you play all your best players all of the time then your bench is dismal. In this particular case I feel for him.
Depth is for sure an issue, but the dude also has his only explosive winger locked to the bench while the 41 year old and Izzy play out of position. It's excruciating decision making.
Plus, when you don't have high level depth and your tactics aren't elevating, mixing and matching depth with starters doesn't work very well. There was no reason for Müller and Obaze to play with the kids and olds against CA on Wednesday if the rest of the starters were getting saved for today. Linnehan didn't start either match!
Begging Rob to consider actually starting his best 11 just once.
You monster!
🤗😂
:-D :-D Good one.
I know, I have made my one and only defense of Rob Gale and I have no more in me. Just musing.
On what planet does Sinc sub on after playing 90+ Wednesday night? [Am being told Mars, on account of the gravity differential.]
Did Linnehan get caught tagging Ken's Subaru or something? How is she in the doghouse and not on the field when speed is needed?
So many questions.
https://x.com/StumptownFooty/status/1832512011164635213
Phuoc asked the question about Linnehan postgame and Gale gave an unsurprisingly pretty poor answer about the things Izzy gives them in theory (but doesn't actually in real life).
It’s not only nonsense - it’s awful talent evaluation of a player you’ve had for 18 months
He could have still had Izzy and Linnehan out there at the same time, for that matter. Vastly more like-for-like as a Spaanstra sub than, well, you know.
Very true- I don’t love the auto-assumption that the decision was Izzy vs. Linnehan instead of Sinc vs. Linnehan lol
I had the same feeling but thought Sincy made some good contributions when she subbed in.
Also want to make sure I shoutout Phuoc for asking some good questions the last two postgames in particular, especially after a bunch of us got a tad pushy last week. Really appreciate it!
I think it's really good for coaches to hear that others are wondering about decisions they're making and while I haven't agreed with some of Gale's responses, it's important that he has to answer (and think about) them.
Kudos the Phouc. Question though. Was it Phuoc that said he'd interview the "management" and find out what their strategy was with the changes brought by the new CBA? I was thinking that would be full-page article about the ins-and-outs. The recruiting strategy for newly minted collegiate. The same for veterans. Is it wining and dining? Being charmed by those Thorns that were in the same sorority?
CREAM; “cash rules everything around me”.
Obvs there will be other considerations - team location, hopes for playoff cash, teammates, coaching - but in a pure FA market it’s all about the cash.
The big wildcard will be how tough the league is enforcing the cap, and how good the clubs are at moneyball. On the one hand a plutocrat with no constraints on their wallet can simply buy championships (see: Olympique Lyon). On the other, smaller clubs good at finding and signing hidden gems can punch above their weight.
Which of these, or both, will happen..?
echoing this. ultimately, it's best for everyone - clubs, fans, players, staff, the league - if there are questions when it's clear interrogation is required.
I also think Phuoc is doing a nice job walking the line. He's had some helpful questions the last few matches. Thanks Phuoc, for bridging (or trying to) the gap between us and the coach/FO! I should say though, I thought I was pretty gentle with my ask for more informative questions, even if it was a little, uh, passionate after the last match lol. Just wanted a few more questions about tactics and choices to understand better...wasn't asking for them to interrogate!
But yes, very much agree with the bottom part of your comment...it was the exact reason I was asking in the first place.
I think we (you, me, everyone else who posted) were all pretty gentle with the requests, it's more that the initial request (I think it was yours?) ballooned into a whole bunch of people asking and posting all over the place so just wanted to make sure he/other STF folks didn't feel bombarded lol.
Yeah, I posted initially. But yeah, it's true....as often is the case here lol. I should post...less. Lol.
Accountability is good for everyone, though, as you say.
Posting the losses away is the healthy thing to do, that's what I always say!
(although I did take an STF posting break for five days after the Bay game and it did feel pretty good)
It helps to process hard times as a group sometimes haha.
I did that also at some point last week or so, but it was more life/work-related and yeah, I did feel...lighter. Haha. (bookmarking)
Have Thorns stopped posting post game interviews on YouTube? Or only post after wins? The past few weeks now where Phouc posts clips but nothing by the team.
Yeah, I noticed they stopped posting the pressers after the losses...at least lately. All the more importance for Phuoc to be asking those good questions, as he's been doing....
I think what’s critical is what the squad takes away from this.
If it’s “Damn, we were SO CLOSE! We do this against Chicago and we spank them 4-1!!” then great. The players you mentioned DID have good games, and the midfield looked more organized and composed.
If it’s “Well…fuck. We did SO much better and STILL got beat”? Then not so much.
I guess we’ll see next weekend.
This is the part we don't get to see. One of the many jobs of a head coach is head spinmeister. How does he talk about this game to the team? Who knows but if he takes the positives and build on them it will help. If he instead is a blamer, or worse yet, indifferent that matters too.
Yep. 100%. That's why I asked in the last "Riveting!" "What ARE you doing in training, Ken?" because it seems like a LOT of what we're seeing leads back to the gaffer.
Can he build off this improved performance (and figure out how to improve the defense's not-so-good performance)? Then that could be huge.
To (sorta) quote President Eisenhower:
"Every minute Christine Sinclair plays the rest of this regular season, in the end, represents a theft; a theft from the crucial analysis and development of young players, their learning to play together as a unit, and therefore, a theft from the future of the organization."
Ike said that.
I like Ike.
Also, undoubtedly true that Sinclair began her career during the Eisenhower administration.
The famous GOAT-Industrial Complex speech.
Ike never did question the Domin-GOAT Theory, did he?
https://x.com/phuocerman/status/1834313593363595769?s=46
It was a Weaver extension and she’s playing tomorrow
Hell of a one-two punch, happy day! Sorry I’m going to be out of town tomorrow, I expect a pretty good reception from the crowd when she takes the field
I was on the fence about going tomorrow, but with this great news, they have just sold another ticket. It will be so amazing to have her back--she is the heart and soul of the Thorns, in my opinion.
Yep, def what I thought. It's a nice bonus to have her available tomm! 5 years is crazy.
Edit: 4 years lmao
Some good news while we're waiting for more supposed good news....looks like we have another Thorns beat writer entering the picture! Leo will have a weekly column with Willamette Week, and they went kinda hard in their first piece! Go show some support!
https://x.com/notaleobutleo/status/1834064190979670495
Wow, that's great- good on WW for getting a beat writer, and good on Leo for not being afraid to tell the truth right out of the gate. Hopefully he's not wished out into the cornfield because of it- it'd be nice to have Gale and others have to face some more critical questions, and for the Bhathals to have to see valid criticisms in print.
Got mad respect for Leo, former Franklin alum and GK!
Lessons I learned by watch NWSL games this weekend:
1) No team counts on a single forward to take on the opposing defense all by herself (except the Thorns).
2) Most (nearly all) teams start with a front line that you can imagine it will be hours prior to when you turn on the TV to see the starting lineup (whether the team is on the top or the bottom of the standings).
3) I am insanely jealous of organized midfields (even if that team on the whole sucks).
I stg the Thorns are the worst coached team besides the Wave. There are styles of play that I don't necessarily like (Chicago, for instance)...but mostly every team looks more like a midseason team than us and SD.
and other than kc most of the top teams have a possession first coach that allows for 5 or 6 attackers to be in and around the box consistently. Gale is such old school English style of long ball to lone attacker and hope for the best.
Still lots of Route One out there. Parsons would revert to it when his usual defend-and-counter was stymied. Its old school but not Dark Ages old…
Yikes the low block and counter put a bullet in me. Gio ball or Casey Stoney!!! All teams need the ability to counter, but to counter at select moments when the position of the ball and the opposing defense dictates it as the best option. But when that is your main offensive strategy and possession and build up is secondary then for me that is just poor. For the Thorns it seems that quick counters are the expectation and not situational. That is just poor soccer, but then again I am a soccer snob.
What makes no sense to me is that Sugita and Fleming who have good ball control with plus passing skills with other clubs
"Gale is such old school English style of long ball to lone attacker and hope for the best."
ROFL. I had the very same thought myself; but then I thought, "Naaah, he can't be THAT old."
to argue your first point, i don't think the thorns rely on that rather soph just does it. you can see players open and asking for the ball but she either doesn't see them or ignores them. it's something she, the team, and gale need to work on and get her out of the habit of thinking it's a one woman show.
I disagree you can see it all over the field. From the movement off the ball to the first touch. It all says individual play and play direct. For good possession both the off ball movement and the first touch (indicating to teammates intention) would need to be fixed). Our backline has some semblance of possession but once the ball transitions to midfield it is all direct play.
Correct about noting the "all direct play" aspect. I keep looking for those triangles to form so that the mid-fielder on the ball has not just one, but two teammates to pass the ball to. For the Thorns it seems to never come about. If I'm seeing it correctly. Often this results in an attempt at a pass being sent on the ground trying to reach someone standing far on the other side. That pass is easily picked off by the opposition in the middle of the field who then goes on attack right toward our center back in front of them. I'm not saying the Thorns are the only team that happens to, but it still makes me crazy.
Smith has it in her toolkit. On the national team, she plays pretty well with Swanson and Rodman. It just doesn't happen enough here.
Rodman > Izzy. After you've seen 90% of attempted assists end up in the parking lot, maybe you decide to take the shot yourself.
As a former striker/winger/goalscorer....it's more this than anything. Or, equally as much that Gale is a bad coach and his only tactics are...just give it to Soph and expect magic. There's no plan B. Of course she plays that way. Her striker tendencies of doing it herself are only greatly exacerbated by the team she's on and the coaches she's had here. (She still has the most assists on this team, btw!)
She's got work to do on her own despite the tactics, but when your team's survival depends on YOU scoring? When the talent dropoff around you is severe? If your coach only plays hero ball, then your goalscorer will keep doing what they've been coached to do...change that up and get her help, then it will slowly start to change (with more work on her part also, yes.)
You can't train a dog to hunt and then get mad when it brings back dead rats to leave on the back porch. That's not how forming or unlearning habits works, even down to the neurological/physiological/psychological level. Every game she plays with no help and heroball tactics, she carves that same groove over and over...but brains and habits are malleable/neuroplastic, provided there has been a change to the environment. But it has to be CONSISTENT changes to form new grooves in the brain to form new habits. This is all a bit in the weeds, but I firmly believe that her biggest problem is the coaching and the personnel. It won't be an overnight change, once those change...new habits take, on average, 66 days to take root. But it could be less, provided the work is done daily.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Legit curious what a year under Hayes will tease out of Soph's toolkit. Beyond "you're going ninety" I mean.
I definitely think she'll help her with her national team play...that transition has already begun. And it will be expedited because she has Mal and Trin next to her. Emma is a good coach and knows how to pull her out of those natural habits. I'm excited to see her grow over the years on the national team.
However, she plays the bulk of her time at club, where she is forced to practice these bad habits consistently. I don't think a small amount of time on the national team will be enough to override club play...BECAUSE she is being coached this way here. So, it's learned bad habits that exacerbate her natural striker tendencies...but also that's DUE TO bad coaching. As much as I hate to admit it, I sadly think that if nothing changes here, she won't grow (and would be better off on a more ambitious team.)
(Emma ought to have a conversation with the Bhathals so that the habits she’s trying to get to stick for her young striker are also being practiced at home/club with proper coaching.) :)
Hi Ted!
Which is why I know she's capable of it, it's just a matter of the right coach figuring out how to get her to do it for the club team. And her learning to trust her teammates.
Her learning to trust her teammates involves the teammates earning her trust - and that involves giving her attacking partners who *can* earn her trust.
Exactly. And on this roster, excluding those likely to be miles behind the play because Father Time bats last, that means two players: Weaver, who's been unavailable, and Hina, who's been getting played too deep to be a factor in those rapid Smith attacks most of the time.
I think Linnehan is at least a possibility. No idea why she hasn't played.
Look at this matchday roster, without thinking about the season:
F: Smith, Spaanstra, Turner, Linnehan, D'Aquila
M: Coffey, Sugita, Fleming, Moultrie, Sinclair
D: Muller, Sauerbruun, Obaze, Hubly, Reyes, Payne
GK: Arnold, Hogan
Doesn't that SOUND like a team that should be able to win some games?
Missing a second scorer, which has been true most of the season without Weaver. But that is not a team that should be losing three straight games, scoring twice and conceding 7.
Yeah, the Sam Kerr Experience shows that you CAN get all the goals from one striker…but you have to at least have a credible second (and third, if possible) option to keep the defenders from just piling on your star. Without Weaver as that threat and playing obvious non-serious “threats” like D’Aquila Ken makes life way easier for his opponents. Unfortunately given his answer to Phuoc’s question about Izzy I’m pretty sure he doesn’t see that
True dat.
In Sam's two years in Chicago
Kerr: 34 goals, 9 assists
Nagasato: 12 goals, 15 assists
that was also ages ago nwsl defenses are just more organized and better now adays.
And Sam was Sam.
Have seen nobody like her, then or today, and can't count the ways she could score.
"And then, Sam Kerr happens" has been said by more than one coach who had both a plan and the execution to face her and yet....
Chawinga is perhaps the closest to Sam in the NWSL. But Chawinga -- as fearsome as she is -- is less of a finisher. Although she's plenty lethal, she has fewer ways of killing you than Sam did.
Nor sitting 3 points out of 7th and 5 points out of 8th.
Good, not great, roster with a glaring problem. Scoring. Sugita got a nice goal last game but it doesn't happen much. Smith is their only scary threat so she gets all kinds of attention. In addition to the attention, when Smith scores it is way too often because of brilliant individual play all by herself. The best passers on the team are Moultrie, Coffey and Sugita. All three being played as midfielders. None of them up on the front line. Maybe the new wings will grow into it but at the moment there's a cap on scoring that's going to drag them down.
Morgan Weaver's absence really makes a difference in that roster. Although, it used to be that even Weaver drew frustration on this board for her (lack of) finishing chances and for not being able to carry the offense if Smith was out. Now, we're left wishing just to have her back in the conversation.
Still, a Smith/Weaver/Turner front line, with Spaanstra and Linnehan coming on late, sure does look a lot better on paper than what's going on now.
Morgan Weaver is not anybody's primary scorer but she's not a black hole either. Plus, she provides a Route 2 to Smith's Route 1 and she has chemistry with Smith. The length of time she's been out worries me and since I don't think we are contenders this season it might be better just to get her fully healthy first before playing her.
Her biggest value is she creates spacing for Smith and prevents teams from triple coverage on her.
I agree. At this point, why risk bringing Weaver back? She should just continue to rehab and be 100% ready for next season. It's clear that the Thorns aren't going to win anything this season.
Pro players don’t think that way and frankly, Weaver’s health could be a turning point in terms of capabilities. Likely they aren’t going anywhere, but this team has talent and no one thought Gotham was going anywhere last year
If she can get back to contact-ready form, even limited to 20 minutes, hang a sign from Christine's neck "-->22" and make that enforceable.
Agree fully about Weaver. Even her presence means defenders have to make choices rather than just triple team Soph.
Turner, Spaanstra, and Linnehan are promising, but they are all still basically rookies. They will likely develop into good-to-very good players, but that's not what we have right now. They aren't gamechangers, and in addition to Weaver, I still think we are missing one other proven goalscorer up top if we want to compete in 2025. They should really be targeting a big name winger this offseason if they have any ambition at all.
Kind of my feeling. Maybe not elite but talent aplenty to win games and compete for the shield*. Now then, how does one assemble and use the talent on game day?
*Granting that nobody anticipated Orlando's historic run.
Thorns led today for 11 minutes. Last time they led was July 5.
I'm getting more depressed.
:-)
If you expect to loose, you're never disappointed!
This is the corrolary to Pascal's Wager.
Which includes games against Bay FC and Seattle, both at home.
Honestly, who are we better than? Houston? That's a short list.
I'm on the verge of saying "Never mind the playoffs. The objective is to say who starts. Don't mess around. Put them out there; same for every game. See who gets it and who doesn't. Who stays for another season. Who frees up cap room as they leave."
Same. There is zero point in playing Sinc and Izzy any more. And we know what Hubly is by now.
Oh, we could lose to Houston if we had another chance.
In other news…Cece Kizer to Gotham lol (but why?)
(Wish our GM was awake and/or as opportunistic as Averbusch)
It’s honestly impressive how they can sign everyone. The level of their GM vs our GM is on a different planet
Starts each day with a fully charged phone.
It’s the type of opportunistic thing I would’ve done also. Replacing D’Aquila with Kizer is a super easy level-up.
This! Easiest call to make
Instead we will get D’Aquila on the wing for another season or two.
Please, no!
It's true from a talent persepctive but also I don't want another striker-cum-winger we have plenty of those lol
Well Sinc won't be here in 2025, and if D'Aquila also goes away, we'd have Soph and Turner as the 9's. Kizer is a good backup 9. Also (much more) capable of playing wider, and also, dropping into midfield. She's a good middle ground between Soph and Turner with a lot of league experience. And prob wasn't expensive. It's just an easy level-up when we have the space, provided they don't plan on keeping D'Aquila (they shouldn't.) I've always thought she was underrated, and she actually IS a good utility forward who can perform pretty well at all positions and off the bench. I want a GM who can be opportunistic and always be looking to improve positions, if possible, even if incremental or seemingly insignificant.
Fair, I've never been quite a big a fan of her because she's such a tweener. But yes, decent player.
But also, midseason FAs are gonna pick teams at the top and trophy hunt, that's just how it is!
KK seems more invested in whatever the “Karina LeBlanc Foundation” is than running a proper top club. Let her go do it! She’s way more meant for that type of work than the grind of being a top GM.
I would love to know how they are affording all of these players.
Most NWSL players still don't make very much money, plus they get exemptions for the SEIs.
Maybe Sarah Gordon’s partner suddenly has a new job for the Gotham organization?
Hahaha. I was going to suggest having a crush could be another new CBA recruiting strategy.
Heaven forbid KC faces her in the playoffs. "I had to sell my new house on account of you assholes! This golazo's for you!"
An interesting element of the coaching discourse is that Gale is just *killing himself* with his personnel choices. He seems allergic to just playing his best players, all together, at the same time. For a dude who isn't doing so hot on the tactical side either, I can't fathom why he keeps digging his own grave even deeper with his team selection! If you're not creating winning moments with your tactics, you need to help yourself out my guy!
Other than that: excellent games from Reyes, Hina, and Arnold. Each team had a few blown chances and a draw probably would have been the right result- That was the sort of performance that should, in theory, translate to next week.....but I guess we'll find out soon enough!
https://www.thorns.com/news/thorns-fc-have-reached-a-contract-extension-agreement-with-morgan-weaver
I *could* be wrong but they definitely did their math wrong here no? Seems like four to me!
(Still an awesome long term deal tho)
Lol Phuoc reports 4, Thorns report 5.
Going with Phuoc, you, and math here.
Apparently she was able to re-negotiate for the rest of this year too instead of playing on her current deal, which is where the 5 comes from. Good for her tbh- I'm sure her AAV is at least 50% higher what it was.
Thanks for the clarity...yeah that def makes sense. Was she still on her rookie contract?
Nah, she signed a two year extension a few years back.
Oh, right
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/41089452/nwsl-gm-survey-league-execs-draft-uswnt-rule-breaking-more
Getting Kassouf for ESPN is a solid get.
One downvote for Portland for being difficult to work with questioning their valuation of specific players. Personally don’t have a problem with that point.
4 votes for Sophia Smith as the NWSL player they’d start a roster with topping the list
Most importantly, open statements by most GMs that:
- Player empowerment has gone too far (not surprised to see that)
- Teams are cheating the salary cap (and other rules, apparently), including by funneling money outside of contract. Most of the GMs don't think the NWSL has an effective system for accountability or compliance.
All that empowerment and yet, that was conducted BEFORE the new CBA.
most obvious potential example is Cyrstal Dunn- perhaps the Thorns were also cheating on the salary cap with her by directing more money to her husband's trainer salary, Which could also make it make even more sense that his firing caused a rift, since that might've shut down a good part of what she was supposed to be getting paid?
He also probably felt hung out to to dry, with the year suspension and his firing. When he asked for the meds from a doctor and was told yes you can have them, to give to players. He also handed what he still had back when the team's medical doctor asked for them back. Said medical doctor gets a slap on the wrist and a review of meds prescribed for a year, but is still employed and no suspension of license. Dunn and Spouse probably don't see giving such drugs without the players knowing what was in it so much worse was worth such a harsh penalty. He wants to hide under the doctor's approval.
Extra money was also probably a part of it as well.
IIRC, wasn't her specific complaint as a FA was she "didn't feel valued"? While that could mean "we're looking to get younger/cut costs," I think it would just as plausibly mean the scenario you propose here.
"If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying "
THE RACE FOR 6TH PLACE
Since we have no realistic chance of competing for a home playoff match, and since NC just pulled 4 points ahead of us with 7 matches to go, I'm now confining my focus to "The Race for 6th Place," where we currently occupy the pole position.
A win on Friday and we'll sit 7 points clear of Chicago for 6th! (Find your joy where you can!)
PTS BEHIND, GAMES REMAINING
6. POR --, 7
7. BAY -3, 7
8. CHI -4 7
9. AC -6, 7
10. SEA -7, 7
11. LOU -8, 7
12. SD -9, 7
13. UTAH -10, 7
14. HOU -11, 7
Marta just beat Naeher with a rocket. Some post-Olympics revenge.
Also, one of the most inadvertently hilarious phrases ever uttered:
"A free kick to the Pride."
I'm sure she would have preferred to do that AT the Olympics.
Sorry. I don't believe there is any Olympics revenge that's not at the next Olympics or the next World Cup.
Marta, no longer the immature 16 year old that she once was. All the temper tantrums. She's now mature, and has earned my respect. She's now happy with all she's accomplished; bowing out of the national team with a medal hung around her neck.