Some things are easy to make out - Scotland, London, Canada, a CBS Olympics pin. Other things are fuzzier -- "Greetings from Wa...?" Who's face is on the bill? What's the soccer pin on the 5 on the rotary phone -- is it a WWC thing?
Also, the lettering in the announcement looks like it includes some 0s, in "INC0MING 2 P0RTLAND."
Fleming's first goal for Canada was against Scotland, the money is toonies and loonies (Canadian two and one dollar coins), I assume the face on the money is King Charles, 202 is the first three numbers for the Chelsea hotel.
I'd imagine so since it's def her talking at the end and it would be weird if they did a double announcement. The Scotland thing is weird, but my weird Jessie Fleming deep cut is that I remember her first international goal coming against Scotland in 2015 so that could technically be it even if it's a weird thing to include.
If we can get one big name RB (and maybe another depth FB), as well as another experienced CB I'll feel much better about this season (though the depth behind the starters is still questionable.)
Seriously. There would still more than a few “ifs,” but they’d be almost exclusively around Norris. Really hope there’s one more signing in defense, even if it’s just a just a league average CB/RB. If one or both of OWK and Linehan pop.....this roster starts to look reallll good.
(I think I’ve also been underrating how helpful having Beckie back will be. She’s not a player I want to rely on, but she’s a real nice option as an occasional starter and crucially as someone to replace the Izzy/Vasconcelos wing minutes)
Yeah, Beckie I think also will do well in the system that Norris tends to use...with that inverted RW. She looked decent in preseason just before her ACL tear. Her tendency seems to be to tuck into midfield more and play a connector role, and she's quick. She's good depth as a winger (quite a bit better than Vasconcelos imo), since Weaver/Hina are prob the starters with Linnehan/Beckie as the subs. As you said, not to be relied upon to score a lot, but maybe if we change our expectations, we can at least count on her to be a decent connector and squad player. We don't actually have a lot of those, and they play a vital role as the depth before the deep squad players come in. She also has an on-field connection with Fleming from playing in Canada for many years, so that should pay off. Not bad...I think Linnehan should be at least as good as Vasconcelos in the beginning, but I'm trying not to heap too much expectation on her. (Also fun that she has an on-field connection with Sam as well, which should help her.)
Yeah Norris was handed a great squad last year and the second half of the season he blew it, so like you, I'm still not quite there yet. Even with the additions of Fleming and Obaze, I still think our squad overall is worse-off than it was in the playoffs last season based on our losses...and that's an issue. They still haven't filled the holes that were created....2 more decent signings and maybe it'll be a wash with last year's roster. But as of now, our defense really needed addressing, and all we've done is lose some of the better pieces we had back there....but again, I'll hold my final opinion there if we see A) an equal or better RB than Natu (not sure Obaze will be that immediately, if playing a FB.) as well as B) IF Obaze is the presumed starting RB, then a big signing for a starting quality CB. Hubly would ideally be the #3 with Nally #4.
We also have D'Aquila as Soph's backup and Provenzano as Sam's backup...and those will need to be addressed eventually as well...
I'd say that it's definitely worse off defensively, but I think it's more balanced everywhere else with Fleming, Beckie, and the rookies instead of Rocky, Dunn, Betfort, and Vasconcelos. In theory, Fleming solves the #8 problem and fits how Norris *says* he wants the team to play like a glove. Obviously the depth issues are VERY real, though I think Fleming or Hina starts at the 6 before Provenzano would.
I'm curious to see how they play. I'm not convinced Norris can get the team playing how I believe they can, but if he can, there could be some fireworks.
Oh yeah, that's def what I meant....we did sharpen the midfield (and got Beckie back) so I very much mean that we didn't solve our main issue (as good as Fleming is), and got worse on the defensive line, the big problem last season. We've gotten older and less talented and we'll have a GK who has only played 3 pro games in her life....and we were already one of the worst teams defensively. Seems bizarre they haven't addressed that yet.......and then yeah, the depth is a different convo. But that can be addressed in time by slowly making other acquisitions.
It could be some very pretty soccer from the midfield forward if he can unlock the potential....but boy, that backline stresses me out lol. We gonna win games 5-4 every time? I mean, I'll take the W, but I think the possibility for another Angel City embarrassment (or multiple) is there lol...
Pretty good schedule. Houston and Orlando away in May isn't too bad.
Seems very spread out and moreso than in previous years which is interesting because we are playing 26 games, up from 22 games last year. I know there is the Olympic break in the middle, but the rest of the schedule seems light.
Also only 2 conflicts with Timbers games - not bad. On a side note, I find it interesting that there doesn't seem to be much crossover between fan groups, at least on STF. I am much more of a Thorns fan and WoSo fan in general, but I try to watch every game of both teams.
I watch almost every Timbers game and go to a few in person every year, but I'm much more of a fair-weather Timbers fan whereas I have season tickets for the Thorns and follow them pretty religiously. I also find that the Thorns community on STF is much active and (broad strokes) interesting than that for the Timbers, so I rarely comment on any Timbers posts even though I try to watch all the games. Added to the Paulson stuff and the roster mismanagement over the last few years, and it's been much easier to focus on the Thorns.
NWSL is also just way more fun for me than watching MLS for me. The gap between the NWSL level relative to the European leagues and the MLS relative to the European leagues is significantly smaller. We don't get to watch someone Soph's caliber play for the Timbers.
I am all in the Thorns and have been since day one. In 2019 we dropped our Timbers season tickets because going to the games started feeling like an obligation instead of a delight. We went to 2015 MLS Cup - but by 2018 we couldn't be arsed even with it right here. We still watch most of the games on Apple TV but we never, ever watch any other MLS - something else we used to do.
Thorns and woso in general are easy to support. Besides the great entertainment, we feel like our money and time is also supporting a worthwhile cause - equity & respect. I have never felt that for MLS, even pre-scandal. NWSL is responsive to the fans' interest - we want the players treated like respected individuals and they are, compared to MLS or any other league. MLS cares about what I will spend money on, they survey my interest in shirts and bettng and in-stadium payment methods.
Maybe NWSL is naive and mostly I hope they stay that way.
Yeah, you pretty much described my fandom of the two in a nutshell. I don't follow European soccer so although I know the Timbers are a huge step down, I don't think about it. That is, until World Cup comes around and it's like yeah, Timbers and MLS pale in comparison to put it mildly.
I presume this will be front-paged. Anyhoo, it's official.
Wednesday, Jan 31, 2024, 08:00 AM
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC have acquired Canadian international midfielder Jessie Fleming via transfer from Chelsea FC for an undisclosed fee, through the 2026 season, pending the receipt of her P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
“I am very excited to be joining the Portland Thorns. More than anything, I am looking forward to being a part of the incredible community surrounding the team that is so often talked about with Portland,” Fleming said. “I feel honored to represent these people and this city, and cannot wait to get started.”
Assuming you're talking about the Kassouf report, I saw that too. He's the only one who is reporting that though, everyone else is sticking with the $317K. I posted this in the other thread, but I wonder if there are add-ons or performance-based bonuses that would bring it higher?
Per Linehan, she has heard from a "Thorns source" that the fee is actually $255K plus add-ons.....so this is all over the place. Obviously the Thorns source would want to make the deal sound cheaper, so grain of salt etc. My guess is Kassouf got some weird info and that the deal is probably about what was originally reported.
Fleming almost universally voted as "most likely to study the other team" by her teammates....which makes a ton of sense if you've watched her talk about soccer (or play!).
It's almost certainly not, it's a leak that went live on EAFC (used to be FIFA) along with a bunch of unreleased NWSL/MLS kits. Probably looks a little better in person....but still! Not great!
It also looks what Jonah Henderson (a local kit guy) said about our away kit a few weeks ago…”dark kit with a green that looks grey.” He also said the home kit was red. Looks like we just picked the template for our away, as did Gotham and the Spirit from these examples. Curious if Orlando chose the template for their home, and they’ll have the purple and black fade.
I can see it looking pretty good, if a tad dull. I love the idea of a green away kit and red home. I'd like Orlando's a lot more if was a Houston Dash kit.
I hope that I have this correct, but it looks like ION is broadcast on channel 22-1. I was worried that we wouldn’t get these games, but I see it on my tuner. Please let me know if anyone else also sees ION. Thanks!
In Portland & Salem ION is 22-1 over the air. If you have an LG smart TV, ION is channel 201, ION + is 202. If you are an Amazon Prime subscriber (which will be showing some games too) ION is included on the FreeVee app. I used the LG TV channels to watch the Draft and the video and audio quality was solid.
IMHO the unanswered question is whether she has recovered her speed following rehab: she always had wheels off and on the ball and coach never had the chance to put her into play in games that mattered, so there's the whole player-coach-lineup thing to tackle, essentially from scratch.
Anybody catch that Turnbow retired a few days ago? Hung em up after just 2 years as a pro and playing in 40 matches for SD. Apparently moving to Nashville and going into commercial real estate. The Reddits have it that she has a beau who is attending Belmont.
Wow, shocker. Further evidence the median pro salary remains well below what one can finagle with a degree.
Retires having won 1 'ship, 1 shield, 1 POTY, so not a bad show for the sports period of her journey. That edition of the Broncos will always be one of my NCAA favorite squads.
"With the 2024 Thorns FC regular season approaching quickly, we wanted to invite our biggest fans to get together to celebrate the beginning of the season and create an opportunity to meet and mingle with the new Thorns Leadership!"
So, on the plus side, a "happy hour" is happening next Monday with KK, Lisa, and Alex. On the downside, it's a lottery for who gets to attend. Should be exciting regardless! Hopefully someone here is able to go- I certainly intend to if possible.
We're having a subscribers meeting to poll whether to scrape off the field so they can re-stripe the parking lot beneath, then plop the field back in place. I'm a solid "maybe."
Also not sure if anyone saw, but Taylor Porter is back in San Diego with the Wave as an NRI (where she's from and where she's been an NRI in previous seasons.)
KC brought in Sophia Braun... who is from Beaverton, played for Jesuit, went to Gonzaga, and has 25 caps for Argentina.
She's a CB, but couldn't we have brought her here?
She's also not very good... literally may not be an upgrade on Nally (not really, but kinda).
I'd hope we'd shoot a little higher if we're bringing someone else in.
That said, I would take just about any league-average defender at this point.
Banger goal at the World Cup, though: https://www.foxsports.com/watch/play-68ad049cb000102
Yes I think that's everyone's one and only data point on her lol
She was also practicing here with Thorns players in the offseason...
So, sounds like we had our opportunity if we wanted it.
https://twitter.com/ThornsFC/status/1752437501644652858
Ok supersleuths, put it together here.
Some things are easy to make out - Scotland, London, Canada, a CBS Olympics pin. Other things are fuzzier -- "Greetings from Wa...?" Who's face is on the bill? What's the soccer pin on the 5 on the rotary phone -- is it a WWC thing?
Also, the lettering in the announcement looks like it includes some 0s, in "INC0MING 2 P0RTLAND."
Is this all just for Jessie Fleming?
Looks like something I wake up to in the middle of the night when I've fallen asleep on the couch while watching TV.
"Gimme an iphone and a gallon of kombucha, I'll get you a video by morning."
"Deal."
Fleming's first goal for Canada was against Scotland, the money is toonies and loonies (Canadian two and one dollar coins), I assume the face on the money is King Charles, 202 is the first three numbers for the Chelsea hotel.
Oh, you're good!
I thought the coins were toonies and loonies, but I couldn't place the face on the bill. Are the King Chuck Funnybucks out yet?
As for the Chelsea hotel bit? That's brilliant.
Two more things I want to know:
(1) Where the hell did they find a rotary phone?
(2) How does a 25 year old know how to operate it?
020 is there area code for London
Well done!
I kept thinking of the country code.
I'd imagine so since it's def her talking at the end and it would be weird if they did a double announcement. The Scotland thing is weird, but my weird Jessie Fleming deep cut is that I remember her first international goal coming against Scotland in 2015 so that could technically be it even if it's a weird thing to include.
If we can get one big name RB (and maybe another depth FB), as well as another experienced CB I'll feel much better about this season (though the depth behind the starters is still questionable.)
Seriously. There would still more than a few “ifs,” but they’d be almost exclusively around Norris. Really hope there’s one more signing in defense, even if it’s just a just a league average CB/RB. If one or both of OWK and Linehan pop.....this roster starts to look reallll good.
(I think I’ve also been underrating how helpful having Beckie back will be. She’s not a player I want to rely on, but she’s a real nice option as an occasional starter and crucially as someone to replace the Izzy/Vasconcelos wing minutes)
Yeah, Beckie I think also will do well in the system that Norris tends to use...with that inverted RW. She looked decent in preseason just before her ACL tear. Her tendency seems to be to tuck into midfield more and play a connector role, and she's quick. She's good depth as a winger (quite a bit better than Vasconcelos imo), since Weaver/Hina are prob the starters with Linnehan/Beckie as the subs. As you said, not to be relied upon to score a lot, but maybe if we change our expectations, we can at least count on her to be a decent connector and squad player. We don't actually have a lot of those, and they play a vital role as the depth before the deep squad players come in. She also has an on-field connection with Fleming from playing in Canada for many years, so that should pay off. Not bad...I think Linnehan should be at least as good as Vasconcelos in the beginning, but I'm trying not to heap too much expectation on her. (Also fun that she has an on-field connection with Sam as well, which should help her.)
Yeah Norris was handed a great squad last year and the second half of the season he blew it, so like you, I'm still not quite there yet. Even with the additions of Fleming and Obaze, I still think our squad overall is worse-off than it was in the playoffs last season based on our losses...and that's an issue. They still haven't filled the holes that were created....2 more decent signings and maybe it'll be a wash with last year's roster. But as of now, our defense really needed addressing, and all we've done is lose some of the better pieces we had back there....but again, I'll hold my final opinion there if we see A) an equal or better RB than Natu (not sure Obaze will be that immediately, if playing a FB.) as well as B) IF Obaze is the presumed starting RB, then a big signing for a starting quality CB. Hubly would ideally be the #3 with Nally #4.
We also have D'Aquila as Soph's backup and Provenzano as Sam's backup...and those will need to be addressed eventually as well...
I'd say that it's definitely worse off defensively, but I think it's more balanced everywhere else with Fleming, Beckie, and the rookies instead of Rocky, Dunn, Betfort, and Vasconcelos. In theory, Fleming solves the #8 problem and fits how Norris *says* he wants the team to play like a glove. Obviously the depth issues are VERY real, though I think Fleming or Hina starts at the 6 before Provenzano would.
I'm curious to see how they play. I'm not convinced Norris can get the team playing how I believe they can, but if he can, there could be some fireworks.
Oh yeah, that's def what I meant....we did sharpen the midfield (and got Beckie back) so I very much mean that we didn't solve our main issue (as good as Fleming is), and got worse on the defensive line, the big problem last season. We've gotten older and less talented and we'll have a GK who has only played 3 pro games in her life....and we were already one of the worst teams defensively. Seems bizarre they haven't addressed that yet.......and then yeah, the depth is a different convo. But that can be addressed in time by slowly making other acquisitions.
It could be some very pretty soccer from the midfield forward if he can unlock the potential....but boy, that backline stresses me out lol. We gonna win games 5-4 every time? I mean, I'll take the W, but I think the possibility for another Angel City embarrassment (or multiple) is there lol...
https://x.com/tayvincent6/status/1752768989498114333?s=20
This is two Welsh players signed for the Reign today alone, which brings their total number to three....same as Portland’s Canadian crew.
Oh, the locker room conversations that Fishlock, James, and Woodham will have... that no one else will understand.
No kidding. Harkens back to when we had Vlade and Pesha and Hido, all chattering in Serbian on the court.
"Strategy, or they making fun of my shorts?"
"Dunno, man."
Who gets award for longest home town name? They can't all be from Cardiff.
Hey, if they can get Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey to pen a duet team song, I may have to rethink my pathological hatred of the Reign.
Especially if they rename the club "FC Thunderfinger" or "FC Goldenball"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAz3_nRNfbA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxHF4B6Yyn0
"Fish...FINGAH!"
https://x.com/katetigchelaar/status/1752518142239162718?s=20
Throwback to this classic
OMG that account is a treasure trove.
https://twitter.com/katetigchelaar/status/1657804718867898368
Lone instance of the twit's chron randomizer being a benefit.
Pretty good schedule. Houston and Orlando away in May isn't too bad.
Seems very spread out and moreso than in previous years which is interesting because we are playing 26 games, up from 22 games last year. I know there is the Olympic break in the middle, but the rest of the schedule seems light.
Also only 2 conflicts with Timbers games - not bad. On a side note, I find it interesting that there doesn't seem to be much crossover between fan groups, at least on STF. I am much more of a Thorns fan and WoSo fan in general, but I try to watch every game of both teams.
I watch almost every Timbers game and go to a few in person every year, but I'm much more of a fair-weather Timbers fan whereas I have season tickets for the Thorns and follow them pretty religiously. I also find that the Thorns community on STF is much active and (broad strokes) interesting than that for the Timbers, so I rarely comment on any Timbers posts even though I try to watch all the games. Added to the Paulson stuff and the roster mismanagement over the last few years, and it's been much easier to focus on the Thorns.
NWSL is also just way more fun for me than watching MLS for me. The gap between the NWSL level relative to the European leagues and the MLS relative to the European leagues is significantly smaller. We don't get to watch someone Soph's caliber play for the Timbers.
I went from season ticket holders to both to giving up my Timbers season tickets and I stopped watching them all together because of Paulson.
I am all in the Thorns and have been since day one. In 2019 we dropped our Timbers season tickets because going to the games started feeling like an obligation instead of a delight. We went to 2015 MLS Cup - but by 2018 we couldn't be arsed even with it right here. We still watch most of the games on Apple TV but we never, ever watch any other MLS - something else we used to do.
Thorns and woso in general are easy to support. Besides the great entertainment, we feel like our money and time is also supporting a worthwhile cause - equity & respect. I have never felt that for MLS, even pre-scandal. NWSL is responsive to the fans' interest - we want the players treated like respected individuals and they are, compared to MLS or any other league. MLS cares about what I will spend money on, they survey my interest in shirts and bettng and in-stadium payment methods.
Maybe NWSL is naive and mostly I hope they stay that way.
Yeah, you pretty much described my fandom of the two in a nutshell. I don't follow European soccer so although I know the Timbers are a huge step down, I don't think about it. That is, until World Cup comes around and it's like yeah, Timbers and MLS pale in comparison to put it mildly.
I am primarily a Timbers fan because there are so many points of engagement , but I've had such an amazing time at Thorns games I'm becoming 50/50.
It frustrates me enormously that the teams don't have equal pay / facilities and I hope this changes with time.
Did I read somewhere that there is only one purpose built womens soccer stadium in the US?
"Are you free on March 16?"
Who wants to know?
Not "free," but "available for a low, low price."
I presume this will be front-paged. Anyhoo, it's official.
Wednesday, Jan 31, 2024, 08:00 AM
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC have acquired Canadian international midfielder Jessie Fleming via transfer from Chelsea FC for an undisclosed fee, through the 2026 season, pending the receipt of her P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
“I am very excited to be joining the Portland Thorns. More than anything, I am looking forward to being a part of the incredible community surrounding the team that is so often talked about with Portland,” Fleming said. “I feel honored to represent these people and this city, and cannot wait to get started.”
I just saw a report that the transfer fee actually works out to $380K. Wowza.
At current exchange rate that's 300k pounds; perhaps they were negotiating in Tory Money?
Assuming you're talking about the Kassouf report, I saw that too. He's the only one who is reporting that though, everyone else is sticking with the $317K. I posted this in the other thread, but I wonder if there are add-ons or performance-based bonuses that would bring it higher?
I think I saw it somewhere else.
Per Linehan, she has heard from a "Thorns source" that the fee is actually $255K plus add-ons.....so this is all over the place. Obviously the Thorns source would want to make the deal sound cheaper, so grain of salt etc. My guess is Kassouf got some weird info and that the deal is probably about what was originally reported.
Jessie Fleming is in Portland, so announcements should be imminent(!):
https://www.reddit.com/r/Thorns/comments/1adgc5b/comment/kk1em9q/?share_id=58HTHhIvX6rLzyw4ExMAX&utm_content=2&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1
On the topic of Jessie Fleming-related content, this is a fun video TSN did 6 months ago with the Canadian nats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAzEvEezMeo
Fleming almost universally voted as "most likely to study the other team" by her teammates....which makes a ton of sense if you've watched her talk about soccer (or play!).
Aw, it's almost like we're learning about *all* the Thorns here!
Good god that video is hilarious. Telling, in its own way. Love learning the nicknames.
Question unasked: who would you want to have your back in a barfight. USWNT perpetual answer: Kelly O'Hara.
Oh, you mean "Hold My Beer" O'Hara?
I mean the easy answer is Buchanan lol
Good for us!
https://x.com/ziplocker_/status/1751306438868402333?s=20
Send Nike straight to hell pls. The home kit better be better than this.
I recognize that Orlando kit from somewhere...
https://www.alamy.com/mold-on-an-orange-image217191299.html
Reeeeally hope that’s a fake, it seems too bland to be real
It's almost certainly not, it's a leak that went live on EAFC (used to be FIFA) along with a bunch of unreleased NWSL/MLS kits. Probably looks a little better in person....but still! Not great!
It also looks what Jonah Henderson (a local kit guy) said about our away kit a few weeks ago…”dark kit with a green that looks grey.” He also said the home kit was red. Looks like we just picked the template for our away, as did Gotham and the Spirit from these examples. Curious if Orlando chose the template for their home, and they’ll have the purple and black fade.
I'm fine with Portland going with something more conservative, solid colors, not a pastel.
I can see it looking pretty good, if a tad dull. I love the idea of a green away kit and red home. I'd like Orlando's a lot more if was a Houston Dash kit.
Talk about 1 extreme to the other
Wow! BORING. But I guess if the players like it and I can read the numbers and names, I am good with it.
I hope that I have this correct, but it looks like ION is broadcast on channel 22-1. I was worried that we wouldn’t get these games, but I see it on my tuner. Please let me know if anyone else also sees ION. Thanks!
Yeah, ION is 22-1. It's also streaming in it's own free app on basically all devices.
In Portland & Salem ION is 22-1 over the air. If you have an LG smart TV, ION is channel 201, ION + is 202. If you are an Amazon Prime subscriber (which will be showing some games too) ION is included on the FreeVee app. I used the LG TV channels to watch the Draft and the video and audio quality was solid.
Really hoping Beckie steps up this year. She's been better for Canada than for the Thorns, but I hope that turns around soon.
IMHO the unanswered question is whether she has recovered her speed following rehab: she always had wheels off and on the ball and coach never had the chance to put her into play in games that mattered, so there's the whole player-coach-lineup thing to tackle, essentially from scratch.
Anybody catch that Turnbow retired a few days ago? Hung em up after just 2 years as a pro and playing in 40 matches for SD. Apparently moving to Nashville and going into commercial real estate. The Reddits have it that she has a beau who is attending Belmont.
Wow, shocker. Further evidence the median pro salary remains well below what one can finagle with a degree.
Retires having won 1 'ship, 1 shield, 1 POTY, so not a bad show for the sports period of her journey. That edition of the Broncos will always be one of my NCAA favorite squads.
https://x.com/mparsons_1/status/1752376113001578797?s=20
Mark Parsons gets it! Good thing the NWSL transfer cap is $500K and the salary cap is $2.75 mil!
(yes I'm going to keep beating this dead horse because the lack of foresight on this from the league drives me insane)
Annual members just received the following email:
"With the 2024 Thorns FC regular season approaching quickly, we wanted to invite our biggest fans to get together to celebrate the beginning of the season and create an opportunity to meet and mingle with the new Thorns Leadership!"
So, on the plus side, a "happy hour" is happening next Monday with KK, Lisa, and Alex. On the downside, it's a lottery for who gets to attend. Should be exciting regardless! Hopefully someone here is able to go- I certainly intend to if possible.
Gotta huddle here and crowdsource the questions and comments for Lisa, Alex, and KK in case any of us win the lottery/get invited to happy hour.
It's not a bad idea, but they should also do as they did last year - a little q&a panel and smorgie at the Park.
We're having a subscribers meeting to poll whether to scrape off the field so they can re-stripe the parking lot beneath, then plop the field back in place. I'm a solid "maybe."
Also not sure if anyone saw, but Taylor Porter is back in San Diego with the Wave as an NRI (where she's from and where she's been an NRI in previous seasons.)
Good for her!