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To cap off an eventful news day in the league, the Thorns announced late this afternoon that they and Andressinha had agreed terms for mutual separation. Today’s earlier arrival of Raquel Rodriguez for Midge Purce meant the competition for spots for creative midfielders, already at a crunch point for the Thorns, was just about untenable. After two years with the Thorns and facing declining minutes, the two sides decided to go their separate ways.
Andressinha was brought to the club ahead of the 2018 season from the Houston Dash in a deal for Savannah Jordan. At Houston she was one of the most efficient offensive players in the league, taking charge of the offense as a true number ten. She had one of the highest shots to shots on target ratio in the league that year and was widely praised as the future of her national team.
It’s fair to say she never got quite the same chance at Portland. While by all accounts she was a beloved teammate and fought hard for her place in the team, she was only allowed to play her natural #10 position when Christine Sinclair was otherwise unavailable. The team’s experiment in playing her at the 6 was largely unsuccessful, and she didn’t have the speed in behind or the inclination to provide necessary width when playing out on the wing. The Thorns just didn’t have a place on the field for her when the squad was at full strength.
She’s still responsible for some special moments, most memorably a goal from a direct free kick against Orlando this past season, her only one in Thorns colors.
From here she appears to be headed back to Brazil to prepare for the Olympic games and get playing time. It’s similar to what she did to prepare for the World Cup last season, and staring down an uncertain spot in the team at a decisive point in her career, it’s not at all unreasonable for her to decide that waiting for her time to lead the Thorns would never arrive and to make it a permanent move rather than just a loan.
In the press release sent by the club, Andressinha expressed her thanks on departure: “To all the staff, my teammates and the fans in Portland, you welcomed me in an heartwarming way during my time with the club,” said Andressinha. “Even a few thousand miles away from the people I love, you made me feel at home. Thank you all for all the support.”