Some takeaways from the the Thorns' debut

The Thorns started their season on the road against a Kansas team that got tired of being a pushover last year. They’re in a new era under former USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski who knows the hows and whys of the NWSL.

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The last time the Thorns lost in a debut was in 2018 when they played at Cary, against North Carolina Courage and lost 0-1. Nonetheless, no team could beat them in a debut by multiple goals until this game.

The first part looked really bad. The team looked disjointed, the defense was all over the place — including goalkeeper Shelby Hogan — and it took a half for the midfield to show what they could do.

Problems in the backline

We talked about how cautiously optimistic we had to be with the defense and sadly, this match showed that our fears were justified. Of course, it didn’t help that three out of the four defenders were debuting in the NWSL, nor that those four players in the backline had ever played together before in an official game.

The problems in the backline were many, with one of them being miscommunication. Of course, the most clear example of that is the first goal scored by KC.

Say whatever you want about Shelby Hogan — she didn’t have a good game either — but this goal is more on Isabella Obaze than on the goalkeeper. We say this because for some reason Obaze expected that Hogan would get out of the box to clear that ball when that wasn’t her job in this play in particular. If no defender was there, then of course Hogan wouldn’t have any other option but to sweep or clear that ball. But this was the centre-back’s ball to deal with, not Hogan’s. Not that we are looking for a scapegoat, no. A team doesn’t get scored on five times just because one player messed up. That’s a team effort too.

Another problem Portland had to deal with was KC’s couple of Brazilians, Bia Zaneratto and Debinha, who had a field day with the backline. They did whatever they wanted either because the centrebacks gave them too much space or because they were faster and were playing on the defender’s backs.

Even when Debinha was subbed out, Bia kept having fun with our defense. In the following video, you’ll see how the Brazilian leaves Kelli Hubly behind in a run near the sidelines with the ball in perfect control on her feet. Then when she arrives at the box Obaze and Müller focus on Bia completely forgetting about Kristen Hamilton who’s totally unmarked and has the chance to shoot. Thank goodness, Müller remembers to watch her back and blocks the shot on time.

Portland made things way too easy for KC. The second goal scored by the home team leaves this pretty clear. The team didn’t close its lines and let two late runners rush to the box completely unmarked after the clearance by Müller. Hubly tried to double down on her defensive effort, but she was far enough to get there in time to block any shot, which gave the rookie fullback Ellie Wheeler a chance to put the ball in the back of the net.

The second half was better as a whole but the fourth goal scored by KC showed Portland’s problems were far from over. Too many things happened in that goal, starting with Nicole Payne losing the ball in a long pass, Hubly losing Temwa Chawinga and the miscommunication with Hogan, the goalkeeper getting out of her line and not being able to keep the ball, and finally Obaze not reacting quickly enough to prevent Hamilton from shooting.

Problems in the midfield

The Thorns midfield was far from the unit we saw last season. Of course, their newest Canadian addition was going to bring some quality but also a new piece needs time to adjust no matter how good she might be.

When we talk about problems in the midfield we don’t only refer to the midfielders but also what is going on there, like when Portland went through transition phases.

In the clip above we can see how short sloppy passes such as the one Müller sends to Morgan Weaver gifted the ball to KC way too many times and kept making the job too easy for the home team.

In addition to that, we can see how Fleming was too slow to react after a pass which gave KC an opportunity for a fast counterattack where Debinha almost scored. We can also see how Kansas pressed Payne so she would lose possession. The home team did that repeatedly during the game. The PSG player was the target more than once when pressing was the matter at hand.

A misunderstanding between Hubly and Sam Coffey caused another turnover. Coffey points out to Fleming so she can pass the ball to her but she’s well marked and Hubly tries to pass to Coffey instead. The latter didn’t expect that and therefore Portland lost possession. Then not even four players can dispossess Bia who switches the point of attack.

Sophia Smith, we see you

Kansas did a great job not letting Sophia step a foot inside the box in the first half.

Of course, she can score by shooting outside the box as she did in the first goal for Portland but of course, that’s harder to do… not that there is something too hard for Smith when it comes to scoring.

As she showed in this game, you can never count her out. According to Opta with the brace scored on Saturday, she became only the third player to score in her team's season opener in four different seasons. Who are the other two? Christine Sinclair and Megan Rapinoe… a very exclusive club.

Leaving aside the wonders Smith does in the final third, it was good to see the team taking advantage of one of the numerous turnovers KC had. Props to Fleming for recovering the ball after Lo’eau Labonta’s poor first touch.

As wonderful as Smith’s first goal was, you cannot help but be amazed by her second tally of the afternoon. Even when two defenders were breathing down her neck, she managed to turn and finish with her left foot to the far post. INCREDIBLE.

Janine Beckie, welcome back!

After a cruel ACL injury left her out of her first season as a thorn and the World Cup with Canada last year, it was so good to see her subbing in the second half for Christine Sinclair.

It is safe to say that Portland’s captain is not a winger but Beckie is and she left it pretty clear in the 45 minutes she played in that right wing. What is more, she showed she could be one of the most important players for Portland this year. Her energy in the final third was unmatchable.

Enjoy the following video with some of Beckie’s best actions against KC. She did everything: recoveries, key passes, crosses, through passes, tackles, goals… maybe the only thing missing was her on goal.

Despite the loss, Portland showed their attack is still electric and now they have another weapon who can score. That’s a welcome addition because the team was very dependent on Smith for that end last year and it was hard for the team to find another player who would score consistently.

A few more points

We didn’t talk much about Jessie Fleming but by just looking at her stats, we can say she had a good game. She was the thorn with the most passes (60) and most passes completed (47). She excelled at duels won (10), chances created (4), and tackles (7).

To conclude, we can say that the fact that Portland scored three goals in 20 minutes proved that the attack is the least of their concerns. Of course, the Department of Defense is the weakest line and needs to be fixed ASAP. Looking at the score, the Thorns could’ve easily won this game if they wouldn’t have made so many mistakes in the first half. Rewatching this match we can say that KC didn’t win this game but Portland lost it.

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