Thorns Preseason Match Preview
Who to watch for when the Portland Thorns take on the Utah Royals at home on March 7th
Providence Park will come to life in red and black for the first time this year. The last time Thorns’ scarves and tifos brought the stadium to life was in the Christine Sinclair’s final game in November of last year. This preseason match against the Utah Royals looks to set the scene for the rest of the season, which has so far been overshadowed by injuries.
Most of us watching this game will be looking for the bright spots on the pitch, so here are a few players to watch:
Reyna Reyes
Reyes has quickly become a veteran of the backline since the departure of Becky Sauerbrunn and Kelli Hubly. She will be an anchor to the defense against a powerful Utah offense and will provide some steadiness at a loud Providence Park under the lights.
Bella Bixby
If we see an appearance within 90 minutes from Bixby we can expect a strong outpouring of love, and a stronger performance in net. Bella made her first appearance since giving birth to her daughter in the Coachella Valley Invitational last month and had some incredible saves. No doubt that her and Mackenzie Arnold have enough experience under pressure to hold it down in goal.
Sam Coffey
With some questions concerning the Thorns’ defense and offense, our eyes will be on a strong midfield consisting of Jessie Fleming, Olivia Moultrie, Hina Sugita, and USWNT midfielder Sam Coffey. Sam has proven time and time again that she can hold a midfield for the defense and find outlets for the offense. It will be Coffey that gives a sense of urgency and direction into the attacking third.
The Forwards
Most everyone at Providence Park will be scanning the stadium and stands for Sophia Wilson (née Smith) after yesterday’s announcement that she and her husband are expecting a little one.
If the Thorns are going to play a full season without her, they need to refine and find a formation that works without her as well. Deyna Castellanos, Payton Linnehan, and Reilyn Turner each play a different style than Wilson, so there will have to be some adaptation for sure and some creative uses of our midfield lineup. Regardless, with what we know of each of these players, we should be expecting results in the back of the net.
With tomorrow’s game fast approaching, what will you be looking for from the Thorns’ performance?
Sadly, there will be no streaming coverage of this game. SeatGeek still has tickets available for the 7pm kickoff!
Am I insane or did that go relatively better than expected?