Stumptown Footy - Portland Thorns at Washington Spirit: Coverage HubYou are my sunshine, my only sunshine.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/31537/stumptown-fave.jpg2018-05-22T22:14:17-07:00http://www.stumptownfooty.com/rss/stream/171364452018-05-22T22:14:17-07:002018-05-22T22:14:17-07:00Thorns FC: Twelve seconds of brilliance
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OLocuhTnQOaXe1yBVZkW17vE2DM=/0x1:1800x1201/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59821271/27747180668_7b3efc094e_o.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kris Lattimore</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="bZL11h">A forward scored.</p>
<p id="8Txfai">The defense didn’t derp. (Well, <em>mostly</em> didn’t derp, and when they did they weren’t punished for it, as we’ll see.)</p>
<p id="6dA2z5">As a result, the Portland Thorns <a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/19/17372976/recap-thorns-shut-out-washington-spirit-1-0-on-the-road">took three points</a> <a href="http://www.nwslsoccer.com/games/info/7ewshqys1qgg2yolkrquirmy">off Washington</a> on the road.</p>
<p id="Ng8o3b">I want to be thrilled about this. I want to be sunshine and sparkles and unicorns dancing on rainbows. I want to say that this is the beginning of Glorious Summer, that all the clouds that loured o’er our Thorns’ house are in the deep bosom of Great Seneca Creek buried.</p>
<p id="dPoYdV">But I can’t quite yet. Because remember the part about the defense <em>mostly</em> not derping? That didn’t mean that the Thorns defense didn’t have some horrifying moments. Eighty-nine minutes of comfort, sixty seconds of terror, remember? </p>
<p id="JB5qrN">Here’s that minute.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nh9PQ6hcT2J_Y8LqGf-s7bUVt98=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10918217/54th_minute_01.jpg">
<cite>Image by go90. Licensed under Fair Use.</cite>
</figure>
<p id="XJ2s7s">Portland is pushed well up in attack when Andressinha puts a heavy touch to a <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293432/tobin-heath">Tobin Heath</a> pass and then loses the battle for the loose ball to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/285627/tori-huster">Tori Huster</a>. One touch from Huster and she’s off to the races.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/D2IBoGLiFcBEOetdt5lu6Owk1jE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10918359/54th_minute_02.jpg">
<cite>Image by go90. Licensed under Fair Use.</cite>
</figure>
<p id="IXZREg">Huster has three good options but the one that matters is <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/285653/mallory-pugh">Mallory Pugh</a>, who is in front of her in the screenshot above. Huster slips the ball up to Pugh, who sprints through the Portland midfield into Washington’s attacking third.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/M_4IMLKFQpRUKIBCQaWA4zuy3ys=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10918571/54th_minute_03.jpg">
<cite>Image by go90. Licensed under Fair Use.</cite>
</figure>
<p id="sMn0zU">Pugh’s motor is such that she just blows past Emily Menges, one of the fastest Thorns, in a dead run. Emily Sonnett is now the last defender, and she’s stabbed on what chess players call a “fork”; Pugh can make two possible attacking moves - a run directly at goal, or a pass to Ashley Hatch - and Sonnett can’t possibly cover them both.</p>
<p id="CL3iGj">Instead, inexplicably, Sonnett does neither. She simply continues to run ahead of Pugh, who has eons of time and acres of space to slide the ball over to Hatch.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2tMNLmzzrdid5aEAKDn91oX4wmM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10919115/54th_minute_04.jpg">
<cite>Image by go90. Licensed under Fair Use.</cite>
</figure>
<p id="YQjqMb">The Thorns are caught dead. The goal gapes in front of Hatch, who simply has to strike a ball into the far upper corner to put the Spirit up 1-nil.</p>
<p id="bKlcDu">She doesn’t. Instead, Hatch knuckles a shot wide of the near post and the Thorns dodge the bullet. </p>
<p id="wn5IOh">But that’s what I meant by “mostly” not derping; the Thorns defense <em>still</em> needs to keep working on not getting taking these random mental vacations. Last Saturday, they got away with it because Washington couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. Seattle or North Carolina won’t have that problem.</p>
<p id="mRek1Y">The less-derping is important, because the Thorns still aren’t scoring much. Creating chances? Yes, and some good ones. </p>
<p id="DrveiO">Finishing? Well, the original title of this was going to be <em>Thorns FC: Eighty-nine minutes of frustration, twelve seconds of brilliance</em>, but I decided to go straight to the good news instead.</p>
<p id="CqMZIl">And the good news began with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293438/christine-sinclair">Christine Sinclair</a> doing what Sinclair does; creating something out of nothing by tackling an opponent for gain.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qRYRr1kheMD-JYhs80R0C5jz7WI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10919647/Carpenter_goal_01.jpg">
<cite>Image by go90. Licensed under Fair Use.</cite>
</figure>
<p id="KrysMV">Sinclair sees Meggie Dougherty Howard dithering around and closes her down from behind, poking the ball away to Ellie Carpenter. Carpenter dishes to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293434/lindsey-horan">Lindsey Horan</a>, who sees Heath breaking downfield and deftly switches the point of attack.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/luyNGU6wGBlG6fjm8Edo_1Bz22o=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10919823/Carpenter_goal_02.jpg">
<cite>Image by go90. Licensed under Fair Use.</cite>
</figure>
<p id="zWO0hv">Notice several things in the screenshot above. First, Carpenter took off right after her pass to Horan and is rocketing towards the Washington goal. She’s gaining ground on Taylor Smith, whose attention is divided between Carpenter and the ball. Second, look at all the space Washington’s backline has given Carpenter, Heath, and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic. </p>
<p id="0wdz1S">A lot of good things can happen for Portland when they get that kind of space.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0OTmp4kmubRRGPL8xkW1pdxlFls=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10920383/Carpenter_goal_03.jpg">
<cite>Image by go90. Licensed under Fair Use.</cite>
</figure>
<p id="2NNZAV">Notice where Smith is now; still ball-side, goal-side of Carpenter, making the Australian an unattractive pass option for Heath. Crnogorcevic has a little more space but still has a ball-side goal-side defender, so Heath is the most dangerous attacking Thorn. Aubrey Bledsoe has reacted to this by shifting all the way across her goalmouth to stop Heath’s shot.</p>
<p id="QjiPak">Carpenter doesn’t let up, however. She kicks in the afterburners and gets <em>just</em> enough space in front of Smith as Heath, sensibly realizing that her shot is likely to be within Bledsoe’s reach, crosses the ball.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kUH8FpBE6MUwqpNOpMeaTh0ON8Q=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10920931/Carpenter_goal_04.jpg">
<cite>Image by go90. Licensed under Fair Use.</cite>
</figure>
<p id="pbNkHa">Bledsoe is stranded, Smith beaten, Carpenter smashes the cross home, and it’s 0-1 Portland.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TycSAgS6kHEF73fU43ApjdoyzEQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10921191/Carpenter_goal_05.jpg">
<cite>Image by go90. Licensed under Fair Use.</cite>
</figure>
<p id="lbO386">That’s terrific buildup and a good finish. Portland has been doing a lot of the former over the past several matches, but the latter? Not so much. </p>
<p id="ojptFZ">The Thorns needed someone who could score off the run of play. That someone was preferably a forward, to give the midfield a chance to do what Horan and Heath did here, create the goal. So Carpenter did just what she needed to do, at a point in the match when the Thorns <em>really</em> needed her to do it. For that, here’s a big <em>“oi oi oi”</em> to ya, mate. </p>
<p id="L7nfGN">I don’t want to make too much of this. It was a road win; that’s good. The Thorns generally looked more composed in back and one of their forwards scored.</p>
<p id="XtkKut">But it was also against the tire fire that is Washington, and it still featured a lot of the same issues Portland has had all season; a potentially disastrous defensive derp, which luckily didn’t get punished, and failure to finish.</p>
<p id="P615bl">That will see off the teams like Washington and Sky Blue. </p>
<p id="65tEJA">But against North Carolina? </p>
<p id="CKmKil">Hmmm.</p>
<h3 id="gJ0gCv">Player Ratings and Comments</h3>
<p id="r4KtR4"><strong>Crnogorcevic</strong> (<em>81’ -</em> +6/-0 : +2/-1 : +8/-1) Another frustrating match from the Swiss forward. Lots of action, especially early in the match, but nothing much to show for it. Her InStat metrics reflect her performance; 71% pass completion - lowest of the starters - and only successful 64% of the time in her attacks, also the lowest of the team outside Tyler Lussi. Crnogorcevic also lost 10 of her 13 individual challenges, and turned over the ball 12 times with only 2 recoveries.</p>
<p id="0QwH1z">I like Crnogorcevic’s energy, and she seems to have the nose for the ball a good forward needs. But at some point she needs to turn all that into goals if she’s going to continue to start.</p>
<p id="O4mKnu"><strong>Purce</strong> (<em>64’ -</em> +6/-6 : +4/-2 : +10/-8) After flirting with mediocrity over the past two games, Midge Purce finally turned in an outright poor performance against the Spirit. All her metrics are sub-par; passing, tackling, and successful attacking actions all in the 70% range or below. </p>
<p id="1KIIN9">But then, in the 62nd minute, there was this.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LqYYgsiQGUB1RHbhT7wYxBM4MbI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10937805/Purce_no_call_04.jpg">
<cite>Image by go90. Licensed under Fair Use.</cite>
</figure>
<p id="wXFfbq">Try as I might I cannot find any way to see this as anything but a straight red for denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity, or a yellow and a penalty kick.</p>
<p id="s9Lcr4">So for all that she didn’t have a great match, Purce <em>should</em> have earned Portland the chance to go up a player, or a goal. She didn’t, and that’s something for the Professional Referee Organization to ponder.</p>
<p id="G4JlbX"><strong>Heath</strong> (+2:-3 : +5/-0 : +7/-3) Struggled to get going; in the 20th minute Heath managed to dribble around in a circle in the Washington penalty area for what seemed like a full six or seven seconds without getting a shot off. In the 21st, had a terrific opportunity 10 yards from goal but shot right at Bledsoe. </p>
<p id="tdTTYM">Heath did better in the second half, including the cross that made the goal, but you could tell that she was frustrated with her troubles getting unstuck in the early part of the match. </p>
<p id="Q09cYK">I like Heath’s straw-that-stirs-the-drink energy. I <em>don’t</em> like that she’s still turning the ball over a <em>lot</em>; Heath lost 13 of 19 challenges. She had 10 of the Thorns’ 61 total turnovers, and recovered only 3 of Portland 74 recoveries. That’s a big part of why Heath’s net PMR is only +4; for every ankle-breaking dribble or clever pass, she booted the ball away or got tackled and lost possession.</p>
<p id="rW0wa5">What bugs me about this is I’m still not sure whether this give-and-take is a feature or a bug with Heath. Is this just a hangover of the long injury layoff that she’ll work her way out of? Or is this all the Heath we’re going to get in 2018? I want it to be the former, but after two full games I’m just a trifle spooked.</p>
<p id="Sn8ARL"><strong>Sinclair</strong> (+3/-4 : +8/-2 : +11/-6) That toe-poke that started the goal sequence says all you need to say about Christine Sinclair in Washington. Rough night wrestling with Sullivan, who won all 3 of their individual battles, and a 50% overall success rate in her challenges. But count Sinclair out of a match and she’ll do some little thing that turns you inside out, like that tackle.</p>
<p id="PamRwo"><strong>Carpenter</strong> (<em>26’ -</em> +3/-1) Lifted the Thorns in the final stages of what had been a slogging match with her energy and opportunism. I will be interested to see what Carpenter can do with more time on the pitch as an attacker; she did well in her 81 minutes against Orlando, too. Perhaps it’s time to give her a start at forward and let her go the distance against, say, Utah this coming Friday.</p>
<p id="awXEhz"><strong>Lussi</strong> (<em>9’ -</em> No rating)</p>
<p id="u8JGAk"><strong>Andressinha</strong> (<em>72’ -</em> +3/-3 : +2/-2 : +5/-5) The Brazilian did not have a good match, and her metrics show it; her InStat Index of 171 is the second-lowest on the team and the fifth-worst overall (Hatch and Purce are tied at 151, and Washington’s Mallory Eubanks and Huster are the joint “winners” the <em>Ballon d’Nope</em>, each<em> </em>with 146). Andressinha looked tired and slow in Maryland, hopefully just the effect of a player having an off day, but after 70-odd minutes of futility she can have no complaints at being yanked late in the match.</p>
<p id="9PX5FH"><strong>Horan</strong> (+4/-3 : +4/-3 : +8/-6) Another good evening at work for Lindsey Horan; her pass completion and successful attacking action percentages were both in the 80s, and she provided two key passes, including leading to the goal. Bossed Huster like a boss, winning 5 of their 7 duels, and was a pest to the Spirit in general all match, winning 12 of her 19 total challenges. Perhaps not “Great Horan” great, but pretty darn good.</p>
<p id="3DXBoh"><strong>Boureille</strong> (<em>18’ -</em> +1/-0) Came in when Andressinha had become a liability and did the job she was undoubtedly asked to do; Boureille won 2 balls back while not losing any possession, and won 2 of her 3 duels. Not as effective going forward, but that wasn’t really critical given the game state.</p>
<p id="RJc17c"><strong>Klingenberg</strong> (+0/-1 : +2/-4 : +2/-5) The Thorns fullbacks didn’t shine in Maryland, and Kling’s night was perhaps the sketchiest of the two. Lost possession 8 times while recovering possession only twice. To put this in perspective, the Thorns backline recovered a total of 48 loose balls, including Britt Eckerstrom’s 6 pickups. None of her backline teammates recovered less than 12 balls. Lost 5 of 8 challenges, including 3 of 4 to Pugh. Her lack of situational awareness nearly gifted Washington the equalizer in the 90th minute when she ran around like a headless chicken completely losing track of both her mark (Sullivan) and the ball. Luckily Sullivan whiffed her shot and Eckerstrom collected safely. </p>
<p id="rmLUL0"><strong>Menges</strong> (+5/-1 : +4/-1 : +9/-2) InStat has her and Eckerstrom tied for best player on the pitch at 207, and I agree; that was a Great Wall of Emily performance. Perhaps the vintage Great Wall moment was in the 20th minute, when Menges hauled down Pugh from behind and bodied her off the ball after the Spirit striker had dribbled through the entire Portland squad and had Eckerstrom dead to rights, 4 yards from goal. Welcome back, Menges. We missed you.</p>
<p id="QQWGkw"><strong>Sonnett</strong> (+3/-2 : +2/-2 : +5/-4) Emily Sonnett had a generally solid match other than her indecision in the 54th minute shown above. Didn’t have to do anything spectacular (which is why her PMR isn’t gaudy), just stuck to her marks and cleaned up her defensive third like a good center back should, helping to keep the sheet clean. That’s fine.</p>
<p id="nCTl0P"><strong>Reynolds</strong> (+3/-6 : +3/-0 : +6/-6) Kat Reynolds was pretty much owned by the Spirit’s attackers; she lost 6 of her 11 challenges, including going 3-for-8 against Estafania Banini, who just plain broke Reynolds’ ankles in the 37th minute to win a corner kick.</p>
<p id="LRoNpA">I’ll give Reynolds credit for this; she learns from others’ mistakes. In the 34th minute she and Eckerstrom both arrived at a Washington cross at the same time as Hatch. Reynolds and the ball ended up with Reynolds supine and the ball lodged underneath Reynold’s legs. This was almost exactly the position as <a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/4/24/17273362/thorns-fc-simply-difficult">Horan found herself</a> the last time the two teams played, in the 37th minute goalmouth scramble that led to the Ordega goal.</p>
<p id="oaYuvX">Reynolds <em>didn’t</em> try and get up and in doing so give Hatch a chance to poke at the ball the way Ordega did. Reynolds just lay quietly over the ball, holding it still until Eckerstrom could grab it and kill off the play. Smart, Reynolds. Smart.</p>
<p id="Hs9OMT"><strong>Eckerstrom</strong> (+2/-0 : +2/-1 : +4/-1) Britt Eckerstrom had a fine evening. She had little to do - thanks, backline! - but did what she needed to do, including strong takes in the 32nd, 33rd, and the 87th minute, as well as a fine save on a nasty Sullivan shot in the 94th minute to seal the win.</p>
<p id="WkM7wl"><strong>Coach Parsons:</strong> The last couple of matches I’ve given Parsons stick for his substitutes. This time? Bravo, coach. You put Carpenter in and four minutes later she scores. That’s genius because you knew that was going to happen, right?</p>
<p id="9663h2">Kidding aside, subbing out Purce for Carpenter and Andressinha for Boureille were timely and effective moves, in both cases relieving a player who was struggling with one that did better, or, at least, well enough. </p>
<p id="upU1Q4">Beyond being the substitution savant, Parsons learned a tactical lesson from the last match, going to the 4-2-3-1 that had proved effective against Orlando late. As his preferred XI settles in, the defense is looking more composed. Now it’s up to the coach and his attackers to find a way to turn all those opportunities and all that good buildup into goals.</p>
<p id="mKWl6O">That is all the more important with Utah coming to Portland this coming Friday. While the Royals can’t score worth a lick - their 7 goals in 8 matches is second only behind the punchless <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/houston-dash">Houston Dash</a> - they <em>can</em> defend. Utah’s 5 goals conceded - 0.62 goals per game - is the best in the NWSL.</p>
<p id="abcX1V">So, Thorns forwards, keep scoring. Defense, don’t derp - or, at least, derp <em>less</em>.</p>
<p id="hNyg38">Let’s send these lionesses home without their pelts.</p>
<p id="ebwENh"></p>
<p id="xdue2o"></p>
<p id="yEAhc3"></p>
<p id="cy97If"></p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/22/17377402/thorns-fc-twelve-seconds-of-brillianceJohn Lawes2018-05-22T10:00:02-07:002018-05-22T10:00:02-07:00Hammered Rivets: Quick recap
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Xcb1juBN-TQ85xX8TbRFAs0qLUw=/0x1:1800x1201/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59813345/Kris_Lattimore.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kris Lattimore</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After the Thorns match we take a brief look at happenings off the pitch.</p> <p id="2DZrq3">Invaders from the left coast stormed our nation’s capital on Saturday, and while they didn’t exactly burn down the house and make off with the silver, they did return with three points. It was a good weekend to be a Portland soccer fan.</p>
<p id="OIJhj8">The official watch party at Grand Central was well attended.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ScRaEsmhCx9wirjTZp6SNekPZoA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10934321/Crowd.jpg">
</figure>
<p id="5G7DdH">The stay-at-home Thorns were joined by Vytas in cheering for their comrades.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4TVtJBo4vCl1mhfla2lqFGFdkb4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10934377/Thorns.jpg">
<figcaption>[Mini-game] Name the Thorns</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="bHDJ1G"><strong>The Numbers</strong></p>
<p id="0dQAjA">Nationally, attendance was slightly below average since there was no Portland home match. The Spirit had 3,284 fans, their lowest gate of the season although they are still up almost 18% over last year. Seattle hosted Chicago in front of 3,597 which is almost exactly their average after three matches and a 14% improvement over 2017. Sky Blue got the weekend’s black eye, drawing only 1,923 for their match with North Carolina. The Jersey Girls are not selling well, with attendance down 44%. The highlight was the Utah match versus Houston which brought 8,323 fans to Rio Tinto , which is about a thousand better than the last two matches. Their season average is 10,132, which is the best ever for any NWSL team not called the Portland Thorns.</p>
<p id="SV4o0a">The league total is now up 17.6% over 2017, which is a three-point decline from last week. But it’s still improvement.</p>
<p id="E5e8rI">The Salt Lake-Houston match was Lifetime’s Game of the Week. Its ratings were the season’s best by far, coming in at number 120 of Saturday’s top 150 cable shows. The audience was 222,000 - a dramatic jump of almost 3x from the prior few weeks! Perhaps Lifetime is doing some extra marketing work or had a really strong lead-in to this match. Whatever the cause, please may we have some more?</p>
<p id="CNoUeE"><strong>Up Next</strong></p>
<p id="Cp311X">Providence Park will be the site for our next match as we host the Utah Royals. Their supporters group is more than welcome at our tailgate. The match is Friday at 7:30 pm and will be shown on GO90 for those who can’t come in person. The gates will open at 6:00 pm.</p>
<p id="n8LoRG">The Riveters are collecting shelf-stable convenience food items for NW Impact in aid of the homeless and people temporarily displaced. They need things that are easy to open and don’t require cooking. Please bring your donation to the Fanladen (corner of 17<sup>th</sup> and Alder) before the match.</p>
<p id="j3uVML">Onward Rose City!</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/22/17378172/hammered-rivets-quick-recap-nwsl-baonpdxRichard Hamje2018-05-22T08:00:02-07:002018-05-22T08:00:02-07:00Roses and Thorns: Same as it ever was
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k-lY580QrN9Pn0R_E6xEU9HSj90=/0x0:2048x1365/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59807677/IMG_7231.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic goes up for a header against the Washington Spirit. | Anya Button</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="oYmaOW"><em>Ahh</em>. Do you feel that summery breeze? That sudden lightness? Do you smell, just faintly, a whiff of freshly-baked bread?</p>
<p id="bjeBDZ">That’s the feeling of long-awaited victory, my friends.</p>
<p id="kzLwy3">Yet intermingled with that new lightness is an uneasy feeling of deja vu. Far from the barely-thwarted attacking powerhouse the Thorns looked like in their last two home losses, this game marked the return of a look that’s almost become a cliché in the Mark Parsons era: the team that possesses toothlessly for long stretches, but grits out wins by defending well for 90 minutes and finding a single moment of brilliance to put the game away.</p>
<p id="xhlNNY">I have to say, as much as I missed winning, I didn’t miss <em>this</em>.</p>
<p id="bHgWk9">Here’s the question, though. Is this the Thorns’ true identity? Is this—the team whose success always starts with a strong defense, whose attacking corps almost always looks better on paper than they do in person—their inescapable core self? Have these last few weeks of shot records and frantic scrambles in their opponents’ penalty areas been a flukey and ill-fated departure from that core self?</p>
<p id="L8AB7C">In short, are the Thorns having an identity crisis? And how will they resolve that crisis?</p>
<p id="AYpGm6"><strong>A rose to Ellie Carpenter, the youngest goalscorer in NWSL history.</strong></p>
<p id="2XDic0">Since Mark Parsons has been saying for months that he expected Carpenter to need some time to adjust to the league, it naturally stands to reason that she’d score in her third game as a Thorn. It’s a noteworthy achievement for the young Australian, and probably comes as a relief to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/285653/mallory-pugh">Mallory Pugh</a>, whose youth has been the incessant subject of commentary since she joined the league.</p>
<p id="oT1RRr">Beyond that, though, this goal is really a team effort and a joy to watch from start to finish. It all starts when <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293438/christine-sinclair">Christine Sinclair</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293434/lindsey-horan">Lindsey Horan</a> squeeze Meggie Dougherty-Howard from two sides and Sinclair making the tackle to send the ball to Carpenter. The youngster taps it back to Horan, who turns, sees Heath sprinting into space, and sends a perfect long pass to her. Heath takes an absolutely note-perfect first touch, putting just enough weight on the ball that she can sprint onto it and find the cross to Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic, who sees Carpenter’s run and makes the final pass.</p>
<div id="8cLdIO">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A game-winning goal with a side of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NWSL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NWSL</a> history.<br><br>Here's the first for <a href="https://twitter.com/CarpenterEllie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CarpenterEllie</a>. <a href="https://t.co/63IaoEmyKi">pic.twitter.com/63IaoEmyKi</a></p>— NWSL (@NWSL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSL/status/998292279474425857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="CEjVcW">But this was a blip in a game where the Thorns were barely able to string together an attack.</p>
<p id="1TzQv7"><strong>A thorn to a mostly listless offense.</strong></p>
<p id="M9zaac">Despite how fun that goal was to watch, it has to be noted that throughout the game, the offense floundered. Long stretches passed where the Portland defense plinked the ball back and forth. Andressinha was a nonfactor for the 72 minutes she played, with the Spirit forcing her off the ball repeatedly and containing any effective forward passes. Numerous players—Crnogorcevic, Heath, Sinclair, Horan, Purce—wasted opportunities by waiting for runs that didn’t materialize, whiffing crosses, or making nothing passes in the general direction of the Spirit defense. All told, the team created a measly six chances. </p>
<p id="gZDRgq">Are we to believe that this is a team that can only score from a transition play? Is Washington’s defense—an Estelle Johnson-less iteration, no less—so good Portland shouldn’t be able to stretch them out of shape? Who are the Thorns, offensively?</p>
<p id="LDBwvF">Those questions remain open. On the other end of the field, we got a possible answer to another question that’s been in the air since the winless streak started: the one about why the Thorns kept conceding goals. </p>
<p id="Dlalnw"><strong>A rose to Emily Menges.</strong></p>
<p id="L8oD2v">If we’ve learned anything at all in this cruel winless<strong> </strong>stretch, it’s that Emily Menges is the single most important player on the Thorns roster. It’s always been clear that Menges is one of the best defenders in the NWSL; it’s never been quite so clear that without her on the field, Portland is a different team.</p>
<p id="ZxGfhb">It’s easy to find highlights of a defender screwing up, harder to pick individual moments that exemplify what they’re doing right. Regardless, here’s a moment where Menges did exactly what she was supposed to do.</p>
<p id="ONQK7s">In the 31st minute, Estefania Banini picks Andressinha’s pocket and sees Pugh making a diagonal run. Menges looks over her shulder and also sees Pugh.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ak7BTTs6ZcCx2qP3NHUC-v2dR94=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10913817/Screen_Shot_2018_05_21_at_11.27.53_AM.png">
</figure>
<p id="acC6Zl">Banini picks out a nice pass that sneaks past Emily Sonnett. Menges, meanwhile, is tracking Pugh’s run.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mnLgCZpf5YM5fhvaRCKTliR8a0M=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10914429/Screen_Shot_2018_05_21_at_11.28.06_AM.png">
</figure>
<p id="Ol3IPJ">She chases Pugh all the way to the endline and makes the tackle.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mTFFPd8MXkVbzM-u2xGFnn4Ir1w=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10914671/Screen_Shot_2018_05_21_at_11.28.23_AM.png">
</figure>
<p id="jJCmmK">Of course, observing that Menges did her job here is of limited usefulness without opening a Pandora’s box of hypotheticals. What if Ashley Hatch decided to make a run instead of lackadaisically hanging back around the penalty arc? Could, say, Kelli Hubly not have made this play? Emily Sonnett? Would Pugh, who’s been on a run of mediocre form, necessarily have beaten Eckerstrom even if she’d gotten one on one with her?</p>
<p id="pjunDb">We can’t account for all those variables but we do know that on any given day, no other defender is likelier to see this play developing, make the right decision, <em>and</em> muster the speed to keep up with Pugh.</p>
<p id="B4Awuf">If there’s reason to think Portland’s season is turning around, the return of Menges—and with her, the foundation of their identity as a team in the Parsons era—is it. </p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/22/17376650/roses-and-thorns-same-as-it-ever-was-portland-washington-spiritKatelyn Best2018-05-20T10:51:43-07:002018-05-20T10:51:43-07:00Recap: Thorns shut out Washington Spirit 1-0 on the road
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XYo8_GGmweLZ9wS_IHYRiNC8veI=/0x0:2048x1365/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59789917/IMG_7177.1526780652.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Anya Button</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="GMdM1X"><em>[Updated 5/20 with postgame quotes]</em></p>
<p id="46Qvkj">Portland snapped their five-game winless streak today with a 1-0 win against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/washington-spirit">Washington Spirit</a>. The game saw a mostly listless offensive performance by the Thorns, punctuated by Ellie Carpenter’s first goal in a Thorns jersey late in the second half.</p>
<p id="8vKHyI">The Thorns fielded a lineup close to their best XI this week, but with a new shape: a 4-2-1-3 with Katherine Reynolds, Emily Sonnett, Emily Menges, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/255543/meghan-klingenberg">Meghan Klingenberg</a> starting on the back line, Andressinha and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293434/lindsey-horan">Lindsey Horan</a> in the double pivot, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293438/christine-sinclair">Christine Sinclair</a> in the number ten role, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293432/tobin-heath">Tobin Heath</a> and Midge Purce on the wings, and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic at striker. </p>
<p id="0ZEWSr">The Spirit had the first chance of the game in the tenth minute, when Estefania Banini dribbled to the top of the box, found Caprice Dydasco on the left--unmarked by a Thorns defense that was shifted all the way over to Washington’s right--who sent in a cross that Ashley Hatch headed over the bar.</p>
<p id="BAIFyk">Portland had their first real look in the 18th minute, when Andressinha found Kling on the left wing, and she put in a cross that was headed down by a Spirit defender. Purce collected the loose ball and took a dipping shot that dropped just over the bar. </p>
<p id="G8NJLv">In the 21st minute, Heath had a frustrating near-chance when Sinclair got forward on a transition play and tapped a short through pass to her. Heath looked to have plenty of space to shoot, but she instead held onto the ball, seemingly waiting for runners into the box. After waiting a beat too long, she took her shot, a close-range effort that went straight to Aubrey Bledsoe. It was a moment that became a pattern throughout the half; on the handful of occasions Portland was able to get the ball into the area, they seemed to have developed an allergy to shooting and threw away almost every chance they had.</p>
<p id="8zFHte">In the 40th minute, the Spirit were awarded a free kick just outside the 18--well inside Estefania Banini range--and opted to have <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/285653/mallory-pugh">Mallory Pugh</a> take it. The former teen curled a shot around Portland’s wall and out over the endline. </p>
<p id="sixZsm">Portland was largely ineffective throughout the first half, spending a lot of time trying to move the ball patiently out of their defensive third with very little success. The Thorns struggled to stretch Washington’s defense out of shape, and other than the chances wasted when players like Heath refused to shoot, they were often consigned to hitting balls over the top that absolutely no one was there to collect.</p>
<p id="ZwQCKq">In the positives column, the long-awaited return of Menges was a sight for sore eyes; she brought a renewed stability to the back line and effectively neutralized Pugh, who had a handful of chances after bad giveaways by the Thorns. No stoppage time was added after the half, and the teams went to the locker rooms 0-0.</p>
<p id="BLbCWf">To start the second half, Mark Parsons swapped Purce and Heath, bringing Purce to the left wing and Heath to the right. </p>
<p id="oxkbDQ">Both sides continued to struggle to find momentum to start the half. In the 51st minute, Horan took a weak shot from the top of the 18, which bounced off a Spirit defender and fell to Sinclair, who took a follow-up shot that was deflected out for a corner kick. </p>
<p id="ys8AXs">Washington had another wasted opportunity in the 54th minute, when Portland gave the ball away to Pugh in the midfield and she and Hatch broke toward the Thorns’ goal. Only Hatch’s own ineffectiveness saved the Thorns, when she placed her shot well to the right of goal. Jim Gabarra made an apt substitution in the 58th minute, sitting Hatch for known Thorns destroyer<strong> </strong>Francisca Ordega. </p>
<p id="LbQei1">The Thorns were robbed of a blatant penalty kick in the 61st minute when Andi Sullivan shoved Purce from behind in the box, but karma was to swing Portland’s way several minutes later.In the 64th minute, Parsons made his first sub of the game, bringing in Ellie Carpenter for Purce. Five minutes later, Heath dribbled into the right side of the penalty area and sent a low cross in to Crnogorcevic high in the center of the box. She took a touch to send the ball on to Carpenter, who was charging into the left side of the area and sent the ball to the back of the net with a left-footed shot to put the Thorns up 1-0.</p>
<p id="WcttdS">Celeste Boureille came on for Andressinha in the 72nd minute. The Brazilian hadn’t had a great game (though she was hardly alone in that regard), at times getting pressured off the ball by a physical Spirit midfield, and at other times making careless giveaways even when she had space.</p>
<p id="G12wiL">In the 76th minute, Gabarra brought Meggie Dougherty Howard off for Mallory Eubanks.</p>
<p id="NP4vgZ">Crnogorcevic, another Thorn who was mostly ineffective, came off for Tyler Lussi in the 81st minute. By this point in the game, Portland was content to sit back and defend, packing all ten field players into their defensive third whenever Washington had possession. Gabarra tried another power sub in the 83rd minute, with fabled Spirit matriarch <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/285626/joanna-lohman">Joanna Lohman</a> coming on for Estefania Banini.</p>
<p id="xt0Yt9">The last ten minutes (plus four of added time) passed in stressful fashion for the Thorns, who spent most of that time fending off Washington attacks in and around the penalty area. After what felt like an eternity of half-clearances and saves by Eckerstrom, the whistle blew, ending the Thorns’ winless streak and marking their first shutout of the season.</p>
<h2 id="gM6CtU">Post-game Quotes</h2>
<p id="xSA8Pi">Lindsey Horan on breaking the winless streak:</p>
<p id="L8kdTN">“It’s been very frustrating, and I think, you know, each game we’ve been improving little things and we’ve had big mistakes leading to these ties and losses. Coming in here we kind of put everything together and said, ‘we need to eliminate all these mistakes, and we need to win. We need to turn this around.’ Away, it’s very difficult against a great team like DC, so this is huge, and I think everyone, when the whistle blew was thankful and grateful that we put all the work out and finally got the result we wanted.”</p>
<p id="nCKTxX">Mark Parsons on Ellie Carpenter’s goal:</p>
<p id="Adis0k">“I said to Ana after the game, who was breaking into the box with a cross, I knew Ana was a great player, I didn’t know how kind she was in offering the assist to Ellie to get her first goal and be the youngest goal scorer. She said, ‘yeah they pushed me from behind, I tried to get there.’ But to get to Ellie to tap it home was great. To Tobin, we switched Tobin to the right side, we felt like she wasn’t in the first half, and suddenly we had her on the ball loads. We also felt it was going to be a matter of time where she could create something for us. So good for Ellie, and it was great to get Tobin in the game so much in the second half. Her and Sinc, to try to stop those two is a tough job and I’m just pleased we got Tobin on the ball in the right areas to create chances.”</p>
<p id="V00t3n">Mark Parsons on how Andressinha is adjusting to the team:</p>
<p id="n0GqMU">“Really well. I think it’ll continue to take time to keep getting better, but she’s adjusted faster than we thought. Last week we were upset because I think she got kicked, elbowed, scratched, bitten, everything, by the other team. Tonight we just wanted to protect her, and we said to [Lindsey], ‘take care of your little sister in there and make sure she doesn’t get bullied like last week.’ But she stood up to all that, right, that’s the challenge, a Brazilian coming into the most competitive league, can she do the physical stuff? She can. Orlando still couldn’t get her off the ball so they had to do a bit more. She’s doing great. She’s just a quality person.”</p>
<p id="5vTfaH">Mark Parsons on the challenges of the trip:</p>
<p id="CYqjOS">“This trip’s been a bit tough just for things we can’t control. We got delayed, travel was long, new hotel, few logistics slipped up. We’ve just felt this was going to be the night we could get it done because other things weren’t good. Normally things are perfect for us, and the team showed character and found a way.”</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/19/17372976/recap-thorns-shut-out-washington-spirit-1-0-on-the-roadKatelyn Best2018-05-19T13:00:02-07:002018-05-19T13:00:02-07:00Portland Thorns at Washington Spirit: Preview, How to Watch, Match Thread [04:00]
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SHTTwjBitJbz5T9eQSvfCMmbKkU=/0x251:4949x3550/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59788231/PORvWAS_20180420200208_5623_007.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>A defensive scramble in the Thorns home game against the Washington Spirit. | Nikita Taparia</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="Vcj2BY">The Portland Thorns hit the road to take on another underachieving team, the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/washington-spirit">Washington Spirit</a>. After three games in a seven days in which the Thorns failed to collect a win the team is outside the playoff spots and hungry for a win. AD Franch and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293437/hayley-raso">Hayley Raso</a> remain unavailable for selection but Emily Menges is expected to go 60 minutes in her second game of the season. </p>
<h2 id="QtcZXr">Preview</h2>
<p id="nB95Ly">“Offensively, Portland should be trying to utilize their strength on the wings to win their individual battles there and draw Washington’s central players out of position. With Klingenberg’s service back in, the left side should look a lot more dangerous. Midge Purce has been strong in the open field but needs to be a little bit more patient in the final third: if she forces a centerback to come over and help against her that should open up more space for <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293438/christine-sinclair">Christine Sinclair</a>, the league’s top scorer in 2018 with five goals from just 18 total shots, to split the defense. Aubrey Bledsoe in the Spirit goal makes amazing saves but poor decisions; testing her with a variety of crosses might be more effective than peppering her goal from all ranges as the Thorns did against Ashlyn Harris.</p>
<p id="2u5dxQ">The defense should really be keeping the Washington Spirit from scoring and aiming to keep their first clean sheet of the season. Surprisingly, the side of the Spirit that looks the poorest at the moment is their offense. They’ve failed to score in their last two games. Ordega, after a bright start to the season, has tailed off significantly, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/285653/mallory-pugh">Mallory Pugh</a> has only two shots in her last 180 minutes of play. Ashley Hatch has been their main offensive outlet recently but has only one goal all season despite taking the seventh-most shots in the league. Only four of her 21 shots this season have been on target, inefficiency numbers rivaling <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/277497/lynn-williams">Lynn Williams</a>.”</p>
<h2 id="nd624p">Match Information</h2>
<p id="GRo0hS"><strong>Watch it on:</strong> <a href="https://www.go90.com/videos/7Mt0WrNIqMB">go90.com</a>, NWSLsoccer.com internationally</p>
<p id="m36ko4"><strong>When:</strong> Saturday, May 19 at 4:00 pm PT</p>
<p id="605Inu"><strong>Where:</strong> Soccerplex, Boyds, Maryland</p>
<p id="d1Zhks"><strong>Portland Thorns:</strong> 2-3-3, fifth in the league, lost 1-2 against <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/orlando-pride">Orlando Pride</a></p>
<p id="Ph2kcV"><strong>Washington Spirit:</strong> 1-2-4, seventh in the league, lost 0-1 at <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/carolina-courage">North Carolina Courage</a></p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/19/17372224/portland-thorns-at-washington-spirit-preview-how-to-watch-match-thread-04-00-nwsl-baonpdxTyler Nguyen2018-05-18T19:42:48-07:002018-05-18T19:42:48-07:00Storylines: Portland Thorns at Washington Spirit
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HOTqOPeJG-V5GIsNiqN_Ty9JZgs=/0x93:4852x3328/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59784841/PORvWAS_20180420194501_5380_001.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Lindsay Horan trying to make space in the box against the Washington Spirit at home. | Nikita Taparia</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="uZm1TC">The Thorns hit the road again in a quest to break their now five-game winless streak. Portland’s home loss to Orlando pushed them to 2-3-3, but the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/washington-spirit">Washington Spirit</a> are 1-4-2. Both teams have been underachieving based on talent and both will be eager to get back on track as soon as possible.</p>
<p id="G1xjTy">Annoyingly, the Thorns played some of their best soccer all season in stretches against Orlando last Saturday, but couldn’t find the finishing touch to put Orlando away after letting them go ahead on some simple giveaways. Similarly, the Spirit successfully held off North Carolina pressure for large stretches of their last match but were undone on a set-piece after an hour.</p>
<h3 id="7bC126">Projected Starting XI</h3>
<p id="yg5og7">Portland is likely to start what is very close to their first choice XI next Saturday. The major absences left are AD Franch and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293437/hayley-raso">Hayley Raso</a>.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/p2u5QlFuJONMDxIdOHA_Rd6UWtU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10859659/thorns_projected_5.19.jpg">
</figure>
<p id="M9w9vw">In text format: Britt Eckerstrom in goal, Emily Menges, Emily Sonnett, and Katherine Reynolds ahead of her, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/255543/meghan-klingenberg">Meghan Klingenberg</a> and Midge Purce at wingback. Andressinha, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293434/lindsey-horan">Lindsey Horan</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293438/christine-sinclair">Christine Sinclair</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293432/tobin-heath">Tobin Heath</a> in midfield and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic will be up top. </p>
<p id="5Yxvra">Crnogorcevic should return to the lineup after missing Satuday’s game. Emily Menges is expected to play 60 minutes after making her first appearance all season last weekend where she played 45. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293435/meghan-klingenberg">Meghan Klingenberg</a> will return from her pre-planned personal absence to make the XI.</p>
<h3 id="FzoX5X">Scouting the Opposition</h3>
<p id="PELWQW">The Washington Spirit, like the Thorns, are winless in their last five games. Unfortunately for them, that run has included two games against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/carolina-courage">North Carolina Courage</a> (the last-minute nature of the NWSL’s schedule is apparent to anyone watching). </p>
<p id="lsbofw">Estelle Johnson, who put up a defensive highlight reel against Ifeoma Onumonu when the Spirit came to Portland a month ago, has been out for the past few games with a right hamstring strain, and the rookie Canadian international Rebecca Quinn has been brought into the defense in her place. Quinn has been adequate if not an immediate standout: she is probably a better midfielder, but the Spirit are loaded in that position. Johnson is listed as questionable for this game and could return.</p>
<p id="MT8X3G">The Spirit like playing against the Thorns, even when they’re in poor form. Mark Parsons noted that despite the Spirit finishing dead last in the table last season, they played well in their series. “Spirit have had good success against us the last couple of years. Both times at home last year they had a bit more of the ball than any other team. They probably feel good about how they match up against us. We’re unhappy about how we’ve matched up against them [...] Jim [Gabarra] is always prepared to tweak and do what he thinks is needed depending on the game.”</p>
<h3 id="0ikBgh">How The Thorns Can Win</h3>
<p id="YbBhi6">Mistakes aside, the Thorns have been doing almost everything right over the past few games. Aside from the game away at Houston, in which the Dash kept a steady shape and broke Portland open on the counter, the Thorns have dominated the ball and haven’t really been beaten defensively. With a mostly complete XI, the mistakes should be on the way out, but a few weak points remain. Mark Parsons was keen to emphasize that the team were targeting specific areas and training them hard.</p>
<p id="iblKeV">Offensively, Portland should be trying to utilize their strength on the wings to win their individual battles there and draw Washington’s central players out of position. With Klingenberg’s service back in, the left side should look a lot more dangerous. Midge Purce has been strong in the open field but needs to be a little bit more patient in the final third: if she forces a centerback to come over and help against her that should open up more space for Christine Sinclair, the league’s top scorer in 2018 with five goals from just 18 total shots, to split the defense. Aubrey Bledsoe in the Spirit goal makes amazing saves but poor decisions; testing her with a variety of crosses might be more effective than peppering her goal from all ranges as the Thorns did against Ashlyn Harris.</p>
<p id="DGEywP">The defense should really be keeping the Washington Spirit from scoring and aiming to keep their first clean sheet of the season. Surprisingly, the side of the Spirit that looks the poorest at the moment is their offense. They’ve failed to score in their last two games. Ordega, after a bright start to the season, has tailed off significantly, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/285653/mallory-pugh">Mallory Pugh</a> has only two shots in her last 180 minutes of play. Ashley Hatch has been their main offensive outlet recently but has only one goal all season despite taking the seventh-most shots in the league. Only four of her 21 shots this season have been on target, inefficiency numbers rivaling <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/277497/lynn-williams">Lynn Williams</a>. </p>
<h3 id="4mzJ8r">Players to Watch</h3>
<p id="ZmIntM">Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic has been adjusting to them team but has so far looked uncomfortable with the level of physicality in the league, applying too much force when looking to win the ball back and not enough when trying to keep it. Now’s the time for her to find her range, and if she’s matched up against Rebecca Quinn, another player getting her first few games in the league, Crnogorcevic might find the experience a little more forgiving.</p>
<p id="NLZgSo">When Mallory Weber plays on the front line she looks to drop deep and get more involved with play, which tends to push Sinclair further up the field to look for space. Crnogorcevic will likely look to stay on the front line which means that Sinclair will spend more time in between the lines with the ball at her feet. Sinclair won a few early tackles against Andi Sullivan last game to set the tone in the midfield, and it will be interesting to see how that battle goes again.</p>
<p id="f0nvzn">When Tobin Heath drops centrally, the Thorns midfield could look like a box, though Heath is sure to want to drift forward and out to the left wing when she gets the chance. When on the left wing, Heath will be matched up against Taylor Smith, which will be their first meeting since their encounter in the NWSL final. Smith has not impressed since her move to the Spirit, having been effectively dropped from the national team, and it will be interesting to see if there’s any bad blood between the two.</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/5/18/17366526/storylines-portland-thorns-at-washington-spirit-nwsl-baonpdxTyler Nguyen