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Portland Thorns FC Get 8th Pick in NWSL Supplemental Draft; Rosters Capped at 18-20 Players

As with the NWSL College Draft, the Portland Thorns FC were given the last pick in the upcoming supplemental draft.

As Andy pointed out earlier today, the Supplemental Draft is coming up in just under a week on February 7th. This is the final draft in which the Portland Thorns FC (and other NWSL clubs) can acquire players before the season begins this April. Here is the draft order:

1) Washington Spirit
2) Seattle Reign FC
3) Boston Breakers
4) Chicago Red Stars
5) Sky Blue FC
6) FC Kansas City
7) Western New York
8) Portland Thorns FC

What's interesting here is that for the second time, the Portland Thorns have come up with the last pick. I can certainly agree with the college draft, but I'm not sure if the Thorns are still considered to be that much better at this point. Here was the criteria for placing teams:

The selection order for the draft was determined by several factors, including the order in which the college draft was conducted and how teams have been impacted by the projected absences of previously allocated national team players for all or part of the inaugural season.

It's well known at this point that two of the Thorns' players are going to be absent: Tobin Heath and Amber Brooks, both of whom signed with European clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich respectively. So why didn't this factor into the placement at all? Or if it did, why did it apparently have no effect?

I wasn't expecting a top pick because Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair are still two of the best players in the world, but maybe a 6th or 7th pick? I don't know, but it seems odd to me.

Each team is expected to pick between 8-10 players in the draft, though rosters will be capped at 18-20 players.

What do you think of the Thorns' placement in the Supplemental Draft?