Stumptown Footy - Coverage Hub: Portland Thorns at Sky BlueYou are my sunshine, my only sunshine.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/31537/stumptown-fave.jpg2019-04-28T17:15:17-07:00http://www.stumptownfooty.com/rss/stream/182857312019-04-28T17:15:17-07:002019-04-28T17:15:17-07:00Thorns come back to salvage a 2-2 draw with Sky Blue
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<figcaption>Anya Button</figcaption>
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<p id="gnjZxm">The Portland Thorns had to come back from a two goal deficit in order to save a road draw against a Sky Blue FC who previously had no goals and no points in the league. Two <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/7/2/8887283/carli-lloyd-usa-japan-2015-womens-world-cup-final">Carli Lloyd</a> goals in quick succession put the Thorns on the back foot early, but the they were able to get back in the game on the back of two goals within 5 minutes before halftime. Dagny Brynjarsdottir made her first start in the Thorns midfield after coming off the bench in the previous two matches for <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293434/lindsey-horan">Lindsey Horan</a>, who didn’t travel east due to some last minute hip issues.</p>
<p id="VHxZCs">For Sky Blue, Julie James came in for Jen Hoy as the team set up to try and flood numbers into midfield, with <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/255541/carli-lloyd">Carli Lloyd</a> as the lone striker. Sky Blue FC came out of the gate blitzing the Thorns, putting a lot of pressure on the backline and midfield in possession, and Lloyd’s running in particular caused some problems for the Thorns early.</p>
<p id="MDBVF2">Sky Blue opened the scoring with their first goal of the season in the 6th minute. Raquel Rodriguez jetted past Brynjarsdottir and Boureille in midfield and played a perfect ball down the line for Carli Lloyd. With Klingenberg upfield Lloyd was able to beat Katherine Reynolds one-on-one and get a shot away which took a deflection off the recovering Sonnett to take it past Franch. </p>
<p id="j3WYR5">Lloyd would score another only ten minutes later after picking up a giveaway backward pass out of midfield. Boureille got closed down and attempted to pass back to Sonnett but put her pass missed wide and Lloyd slipped into the box. AD Franch came out to challenge and won the initial ball but Lloyd was able to recover and chip into an empty net from a tight angle. </p>
<p id="4qtwe1">Portland was eventually able to respond in the 32nd minute on a set piece earned from a <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293432/tobin-heath">Tobin Heath</a> run down the middle. Heath was brought down in the center of the park by Paige Monahan while leading a break, and sent in a chipped ball from the ensuing free kick. Sinclair was able to shield the ball and nutmeg Kailen Sheridan to find a completely unmarked Sonnett, who was had enough time to take a touch before passing the ball into the back of the net for her first goal of the season.</p>
<p id="RF3L1f">Only two minutes later Tobin Heath got on the board herself with her second backheeled goal of the season. Ellie Carpenter played an excellent ball down the line for Caitlin Foord who had switched out wide. Foord’s cross found Heath in the box, who was able to settle it and somehow backheel the ball past an onrushing Sheridan.</p>
<p id="n7Baff">After scoring their two goals the Thorns seemed to wake up and began putting Sky Blue under serious pressure. Heath nearly put the Thorns in the lead in second half stoppage time with a deep free kick that evaded the Sky Blue defense and bounced nearly into the top corner of Sheridan’s net, forcing the Sky Blue goalkeeper into a stretching save.</p>
<p id="cjpsZb">Sky Blue’s best efforts after the half tended to be on counterattacks, with one in particular very nearly seeing Raquel Rodriguez nearly breaking past the last defender but Carpenter managing to slow her down enough for the rest of the Thorns defense to get back in position and block her shot. </p>
<p id="eTZVLE">Carli Lloyd nearly wrapped up a hat trick in the 62nd minute breaking down the left with Carpenter caught out of position and beat Franch but hit her shot off the far post. Gabby Seiler came on for Brynjarsdottir in the 77th—after seeing most of her early minutes for the Thorns in defense, she went into midfield, a position she may be called upon to play more in the coming weeks. Savannah McCaskill brought some attacking impetus for Sky Blue off the bench, getting a shot away late that didn’t trouble Franch too much.</p>
<p id="hiL1S2">Midge Purce came on for Crnogorcevic in the 68th minute. Purce brought effective running and crossing off the bench, sending a low cross into the box in the 81st minute after some good combination play with Foord that no one was able to get in the end of, but the Thorns struggled to get her on the ball and Sky Blue were effective at double teaming her when she did. Foord nearly put the Thorns ahead in the 87th from a low shot off a corner but had her shot blocked by Estelle Johnson. In the end, Sky Blue’s defense held up, Portland couldn’t get enough dangerous shots away in the second half and the Thorns walked away for the second consecutive week feeling like they left points on the table.</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2019/4/28/18521802/thorns-come-back-to-salvage-a-2-2-draw-with-sky-blue-nwslTyler Nguyen2019-04-28T12:00:00-07:002019-04-28T12:00:00-07:00Portland Thorns at Sky Blue FC: Previews, How to Watch, Match Thread [3:00]
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<figcaption>Anya Button</figcaption>
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<p id="bsE9hk">Following a 4-4 draw against the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/chicago-red-stars">Chicago Red Stars</a>, the Thorns continue their string of road games against New Jersey. Sky Blue FC have opened their 2019 campaign 0-2-0 and don’t appear to have made significant strides since last year’s ninth place finish. After losing two-year starter Mandy Freeman to a season-ending achilles injury, Sky Blue’s defense has looked shaky and disorganized. Last weekend, the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/houston-dash">Houston Dash</a> found success in the space both between New Jersey’s midfield and defensive lines and behind their backline, calling Kailen Sheridan to make ten saves on the night. Their offense has similarly struggled, only producing three shots on goal over their first two games. </p>
<p id="BYxcgq">However, this match shouldn’t be written off as an easy win for Portland. Sky Blue has historically presented a challenge for the Thorns—the 7-6-3 overall record between the teams leans only slightly in Portland’s favor. Additionally, last week’s performance was riddled with defensive errors, and the absence of <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293434/lindsey-horan">Lindsey Horan</a>’s presence in the midfield presents further concern.</p>
<h2 id="3spvh3">Previews</h2>
<h3 id="j00sV2">
<a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2019/4/26/18518314/storylines-portland-thorns-at-sky-blue-nwsl"><strong>Storylines</strong></a>:</h3>
<blockquote><p id="OZi8aj">“One of the features of the Chicago game that really vexed the Thorns was Sam Kerr’s movement off the back line into midfield. As dangerous as Kerr has been running at opposing defenders, she’s also a fantastic creator and her relentless energy put a lot of pressure on Portland midfielders. Thorns coach Mark Parsons thinks other teams are taking notes. “We’re gonna deal with something similar from Sky Blue,” he said in training on Thursday. “Unless they change things, one of their forwards will be looking to do that [drop deep], and the other will be looking to stretch play ... Unfortunately, [Kerr] was turning and bringing others into the game who were getting past her.” The numbers up situation in midfield at the end of the game put the Thorns under a lot of pressure on the ball. Can Sky Blue really muster something similar?”</p></blockquote>
<h2 id="6YWgRC">How to Watch</h2>
<p id="JKzS4o"><strong>How to watch:</strong> <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/video/nwsl-thorns-fc-sky-blue-184940052.html"><strong>Yahoo Sports</strong></a>, <a href="http://nwslsoccer.com/"><strong>NWSLSoccer.com</strong></a> for international viewers</p>
<p id="xnSHtI"><strong>Where: </strong>Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey</p>
<p id="zkOYCx"><strong>When:</strong> Saturday, April 28, 3:00pm PT</p>
<p id="hZhPbo"><strong>Portland Thorns:</strong> 1-0-1, 2nd place in the NWSL, drew 4-4 at <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/chicago-red-stars"><strong>Chicago Red Stars</strong></a></p>
<p id="FODoAE"><strong>Sky Blue FC: </strong>0-2-0, 9th place in the NWSL, lost 0-1 vs. <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/houston-dash"><strong>Houston Dash</strong></a></p>
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https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2019/4/28/18520140/portland-thorns-at-sky-blue-fc-previews-how-to-watch-match-thread-3-00Leo Baudhuin2019-04-26T19:43:41-07:002019-04-26T19:43:41-07:00Storylines: Portland Thorns at Sky Blue
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<p>A potential trap game before the USWNT players leave</p> <p id="5LaeYi">The Portland Thorns hit the halfway mark on their extended early season road trip to visit the campus of Rutgers University, where, for some reason, Sky Blue FC play. Thanks to their primary tenants, Yurcak Field is looking <a href="https://twitter.com/RUWSoccer">significantly better</a> than last season, where it looked at times a bit like the <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffKassouf/status/992916692564103168">surface of the moon</a>. This is the send-off game for the USWNT players: <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293432/tobin-heath">Tobin Heath</a>, <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293434/lindsey-horan">Lindsey Horan</a>, and Emily Sonnett will be departing the club for the extended national team camp before this summer’s <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/fifa-world-cup">World Cup</a>.</p>
<p id="Cx2FTb">Sky Blue FC were one of the worst teams in league history last year, they’ve lost key personnel since then, they haven’t scored a goal this season so far, and haven’t looked significantly improved in recent weeks. Easy road points, right? Not so fast: Sky Blue have played some of their best games of the last two years against the Thorns, only losing by a goal twice and even coming back to split the points in Providence Park. A lot of teams raise their games against the Thorns — such is the peril of being the most prominent and popular team in the league — but Sky Blue have taken the matchup especially seriously. Yes, it’s a trap game for the Thorns, but given their recent history, it’s absolutely not one the squad will be taking for granted.</p>
<h3 id="M9Ln63">Projected XI</h3>
<p id="6bbajl"><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293437/hayley-raso">Hayley Raso</a> appears to finally be catching a plane back to the States with her visa in hand, but as she was absent from training on Thursday, it seems unlikely that she will be making the trip to the East Coast on such short notice. Lindsey Horan is a late scratch, being unexpectedly marked down as out with a hip problem that was unapparent through the week. Emily Menges participated in full training and was initially announced as out for the weekend but was moved to questionable when Horan’s injury was listed, so it appears she will be traveling, though she isn’t expected to start.</p>
<p id="RXQwQq">Dagny Brynjarsdottir has appeared in both of the Thorns’ two games off the bench and should be in line to make her first start of the season: it’ll be an important game for her and Celeste Boureille to get some playing time together under their belts, as they’ll be critical players for the Thorns for the next few months with everyone else away.</p>
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<h3 id="2zNVzq">Game Plan</h3>
<p id="NQ5fCH">One of the features of the Chicago game that really vexed the Thorns was Sam Kerr’s movement off the back line into midfield. As dangerous as Kerr has been running at opposing defenders, she’s also a fantastic creator and her relentless energy put a lot of pressure on Portland midfielders. Thorns coach Mark Parsons thinks other teams are taking notes. “We’re gonna deal with something similar from Sky Blue,” he said in training on Thursday. “Unless they change things, one of their forwards will be looking to do that [drop deep], and the other will be looking to stretch play ... Unfortunately, [Kerr] was turning and bringing others into the game who were getting past her.” The numbers up situation in midfield at the end of the game put the Thorns under a lot of pressure on the ball. Can Sky Blue really muster something similar?</p>
<p id="kqHVef">Sky Blue’s midfield is chock full of players with a ton of potential whose progress has stalled out due to the training environment they’ve been unceremoniously dumped in. Raquel Rodriguez — former #2 NWSL pick and college teammates with Britt Eckerstrom, Mallory Weber, and Elizabeth Ball — has struggled with injury in her time at Sky Blue but appears to be putting together a stretch of consistent play. The question is whether or not she’ll be able to reach anything like what she showed as the best player on a talented team in college. Sarah Killion, another #2 NWSL draft pick, has made USWNT squads in the past but her stock has fallen pretty far since then. She scored a <a href="https://youtu.be/Id35Mnj1Rmw?t=175">screamer</a> from the corner of the box in Providence Park last year but at times hasn’t looked capable of keeping up with NWSL midfielders. Up against a physically dominant Thorns midfield, a Sky Blue midfield two with those in a pairing would appear to be paper thin.</p>
<p id="1SkA3m">Sky Blue will be attempting to make up for the physicality in midfield by pulling in additional numbers from the forward line. Nahomi Kawasumi, recently acquired from <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/reign-fc">Reign FC</a>, will be dropping in from the right wing, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/7/2/8887283/carli-lloyd-usa-japan-2015-womens-world-cup-final">Carli Lloyd</a> loves nothing more than to wander around below the primary striker. <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293438/christine-sinclair">Christine Sinclair</a> has been excellent in the first two games for the Thorns, kicking off the sequences for both goals in the first game and walking off with a hat trick in the second, and her odds to continue finding space to operate against Sky Blue are pretty high. The onus is on Dagny Brynjarsdottir and Celeste Boureille to handle the other three.</p>
<p id="3GLA2n">As for Portland’s front line, Caitlin Foord and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic didn’t have their best games against Chicago. Foord had trouble turning against Chicago’s defenders, but Parsons didn’t sound too worried about her performance just because of how the game went: “I’ve seen this with Foord, with <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293439/nadia-nadim">Nadia Nadim</a> and with [Christine] Sinclair in 2016. It’s really, really tough for a number 9 when the game is direct, very [transitional] and messy.”</p>
<p id="iOHPvK">So far this season the Thorns haven’t really been able to settle a game down in midfield, except for a few minutes against Orlando. If the Thorns can get on the ball and play the game they want to, the Sky Blue defense is prone to getting very far out of position. One-on-one, Estelle Johnson and Dominique Richardson are very talented defenders, but they can get dragged around, and against a Thorns offense capable of some truly beautiful off-ball movement and attacking sequences, they shouldn’t have much of a chance.</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2019/4/26/18518314/storylines-portland-thorns-at-sky-blue-nwslTyler Nguyen2019-04-26T15:00:00-07:002019-04-26T15:00:00-07:00The Thorns Prediction Game: Reading the PTFC Leaves - Week 3
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<p>In which we have some fun while waiting to see the Thorns in person</p> <p id="VsGh0J">What a bizarre game! The Thorns had the better of the Red Stars for most of the match, but a mysterious penalty and some sloppy defending gave away the win. <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293438/christine-sinclair">Christine Sinclair</a> had a hat trick and the Thorns needed it — the final result was a 4-4 draw.</p>
<p id="sAv76F">Several of our players predicted draws, but who dreamed of an 8-goal game? New player warriorpower takes the week’s honors by correctly calling the unassisted goal by Sam Kerr, plus the result and the most rec’d wild prediction about AMC’s firefighting talent. Constant Weeder remains in first place overall but it’s all real close.</p>
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<p id="kGUvQ5">The next match is Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Portland time versus Sky Blue. To nobody’s particular surprise, Sky Blue are still looking for their first goal and first points of the season. But the Thorns have never had an easy time of it in New Jersey.</p>
<p id="CUjl8W">INJURY REPORT: The Thorns are missing Emily Menges. Hayley Raso is presumably still not available due to visa issues. For Sky Blue, Savannah McCaskill was questionable last week and may not play.</p>
<p id="jTvAOd"> [LAST MINUTE UPDATE] Menges is listed as questionable, but Horan is out (hip). McCaskill is now not listed, so presumably okay to play.</p>
<p id="e0BSzX"><strong>How this works:</strong></p>
<p id="ruekJt">Add a comment to this post. In the comment title put your predicted result, for example <strong>3-1 Thorns.</strong></p>
<p id="6JMZNQ">In the body of your comment, start with the goals and assists, like so:</p>
<p id="lbF6KR"><strong>Lussi (Klingenberg)</strong></p>
<p id="sF0o5Y"><strong>AMC (Free kick)</strong></p>
<p id="kGgl4L"><strong>Heath (Unassisted)</strong></p>
<p id="EnBqYu"><strong>Lloyd (PK)</strong></p>
<p id="1kCrLm">Next, name the first yellow card recipient: <strong>First yellow to Celeste Boureille</strong></p>
<p id="ikfhGr">Then reds, if any. (NOTE: no points awarded for correctly calling a red-card-free match, so take a guess.) <strong>Caprice Dydasko is sent off for attempting to fight Nadine Angerer in the technical area after Nadine makes a snarky comment about needing showers. Who knew Dydasko spoke German?</strong></p>
<p id="pG08g6">Make your fun prediction:</p>
<p id="xvsM5C"><strong>Cloud Nine has a pregame bonfire in the parking lot where they burn an effigy of Tony Novo. The traveling Riveters join them for a supporters group bonding moment.</strong></p>
<p id="AFvC7K">Lastly, please <strong>recommend</strong> one of the other players’ fun predictions.</p>
<p id="yz2v4t"><strong>Scoring:</strong></p>
<p id="54nRNG">· Correct score: 5 points</p>
<p id="GLVALV">· Correct result (draw/win/loss): 3 points</p>
<p id="NfNUIU">· Each clean sheet: 2 points</p>
<p id="PkZmjt">· Each goal-scorer: 1 point</p>
<p id="z1zCEW">· Each FK/PK/assist/lack of assist: 1 point</p>
<p id="9AbzwG">· Goal/assist bonus: 1 point</p>
<p id="fY2YeB">· Player with the first yellow card of the match: 1 point</p>
<p id="rtIzeq">· Each player with a red card: 1 point (cannot earn points for predicting 0 red cards)</p>
<p id="jHeusI">· Most recommended/most outrageously accurate prediction: 2 points</p>
<p id="smn75g"><strong>Some ground rules and explanations/clarifications (the fine print):</strong></p>
<p id="3ZcVXl"><em>Comments must be posted before kickoff</em>, but you can edit or amend an earlier prediction right up to the starting whistle.</p>
<p id="pfhkEq"><em>Keep your scoreline predictions realistic.</em> No crazy scores just to pad out your odds of getting goals and assists.</p>
<p id="PwctM1"><em>The goal/assist bonus</em> is an additional point if you predict the correct scorer and assistant on the same goal, for example, you say Onumonu scores from an Horan assist and that is exactly what happens.</p>
<p id="JaKAx4"><em>Be clear whether you think a goal will be unassisted, assisted, or from a PK/FK.</em> Unassisted = no assist, run of play; Assisted = player who got the assist; PK/FK = not in run of play. For the purposes of this thread, Penalty Kick and Free Kick are the same thing. No entry means unassisted.</p>
<p id="LVPlmA">Have fun, tell your friends, let me know if you have any questions or if I screw up your score.</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2019/4/26/18517933/the-thorns-prediction-game-reading-the-ptfc-leaves-week-3-nwsl-baonpdxRichard Hamje2019-04-26T07:40:46-07:002019-04-26T07:40:46-07:00On Deck: Midge Purce
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<figcaption>Nikita Taparia</figcaption>
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<p>Last year’s early breakout star is poised to push her game even further</p> <p id="tKuAGs">Midge Purce entered the 2018 season looking like she was immediately going to be the next star of the Portland Thorns. In a few brilliant moments last season, Midge Purce looked like she could become one of the best wide players in the league. Unfortunately, as the season wore on and defenses had better scouting reports on her, her advantages began to slip away and, by the end of the season, she was only starting occasionally. Even after <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293437/hayley-raso">Hayley Raso</a>’s gruesome injury, Purce found herself on the bench in the playoffs in favor of Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic’s skills at tracking back. With the team looking very light up top with the absences this summer, Purce has a real chance to demonstrate how much progress she’s made in the off season and, hopefully, to capture everyone’s imagination like she did in those early days.</p>
<p id="GaZoLI">What contributed to Purce’s incredible early season performances was the fact that opposing defenders would come out to challenge her and would get burned by her speed in the open field, leaving her with nothing but green space ahead of her. Once defenders figured out that this was what she wanted to do, however, they began backing off her instead, forcing her to make a choice between driving them back further or looking for a cross.</p>
<p id="kaaqqH">It isn’t unreasonable to expect a breakout season from Purce in her second year with the club. If Purce can continue the more sophisticated runs into the box that she was showing last season, along with continuing to improve her crossing, then there’s every chance that she can do it.</p>
<h3 id="vNetBq">Where will she play?</h3>
<p id="jEMSTE">Early last season, Purce found the most space in front of her as a wingback in Parsons’ makeshift 5-2-3, and while that formation had its uses, he seems unlikely to return to this given its attacking limitations. Nonetheless it was nearly a perfect demonstration of her skillset.</p>
<p id="JZXB8Y">The early 2018 <a href="http://www.nwslsoccer.com/game/portland-thorns-vs-reign-2018-05-05">2-3 loss</a> at home to the (then Seattle) Reign is a good example: Playing nominally on the backline meant that she was often defended one-on-one by wide forwards, whose day she was capable of repeatedly ruining. Here she turns Nahomi Kawasumi inside out:</p>
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<p id="Hhfv2l">On the other end, her aggressive-defensive style earned her several turnovers, as in the clip below, where she closes down Australian international Steph Catley, prevents her from turning, and wins the ball. It’s a gamble, but with the defensive support behind her, it’s one worth taking:</p>
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<p id="sBAkQM">Getting the ball upfield and leaving defenders behind is the bread and butter of skillset, but once in good positions, the picture is more mixed. Her overall crossing success rate in 2018 was 21.5 percent, which is not horrible for most players. In the context of a Thorns team where Ellie Carpenter and <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/255543/meghan-klingenberg">Meghan Klingenberg</a> averaged closer to 29 percent, however, it’s a little less than ideal. </p>
<p id="GSJfrD">The biggest question mark, though, was her decision-making with the ball at her feet. When being immediately closed down by a defender, Purce was forced into making quick decisions — and frequently made a good one. When the field opened up to her and she had to settle the play, her passes could be rushed or overhit. For instance, at home against the Pride early, she gets good separation from Chioma Ubogagu, but hits a cross before anyone is making any movement:</p>
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<p id="u6JA0v">Later on in the season, at home against Utah, a game in which she ripped Sam Johnson to shreds and won the free kick that would put the Thorns 2-0 up before going off injured, she just overhits a through ball:</p>
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<p id="B5oVcf">You can see the evolution in her game over the course of the season in these two clips: She now has the patience to wait for defenders to overload (a common feature of Laura Harvey teams) and spots Sinclair making the run, but her touch is still too long. It may seem a little unfair to be asking Purce, who shows so well at other skills, to perform as a playmaker as well, but ball movement is a key feature of the Thorns offense.</p>
<p id="K1zdAk">Up against certain teams, she may still play as a right-sided fullback. With Klingenberg locked in on the other wing that’s a very attacking defense, however — especially for one already missing a key center back to the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/fifa-world-cup">World Cup</a> in Emily Sonnett — it’s more likely she will be played in attack. In the period since the 5-3-2 was scrapped, Purce has been most often used as an attacking substitute — on the right wing but also at striker.</p>
<h3 id="0kK40r">Can she keep her spot?</h3>
<p id="shJ7UZ">The right-winger position is possibly the most wide-open position on the field for the Thorns right now. The flipside of that fact is that the competition for this position is incredibly fierce: Hayley Raso and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic — and even possibly Andressinha — are all top-line competitors at this spot, and the field of competitors behind them waiting for their shot shouldn’t be written off.</p>
<p id="uAOjKj">For the time being, Purce is getting a shot off the bench at striker, which will work well against some teams because of her speed — but if Foord and AMC can struggle to shield the ball against defenders at times, then Purce is going to have trouble. In the recent 4-4 draw against the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/chicago-red-stars">Chicago Red Stars,</a> she had success beating defenders over the top and even drew a penalty, but receiving balls to feet was difficult for her. It’s hard not to feel as though her game is best when she can isolate defenders and break into space, and this requires her to be on the wing. The only question is what distinguishes her there: Andressinha would be a better playmaker, and AMC and Raso both bring different levels of physicality that Purce can’t match.</p>
<p id="ozIqPP">Intriguingly, it’s entirely possible that Purce will get another shot in defense during the World Cup season, with Ellie Carpenter away and Gabby Seiler and Madison Pogarch still getting their feet wet in the squad. Could Purce carve out a long-term space in the defensive rotation? It would obviously be fantastic for her to operate as a secondary attacker, but the winger-as-fullback experiments of last season burnt Portland a few times, and in a flat four she would have to deal with the increased responsibility. Her situational awareness and ability to read the game suggests that she might be able to make a good defender of herself yet — and it would do wonders for her national team career if she could pull it off.</p>
<p id="9LAKLR">At her best, she’s a killer; one of the best one-on-one attackers on the team (think about who that includes!). If she makes a big leap during the World Cup season, it’s going to be impossible to put her on the bench. Purce’s ceiling is incredibly high as a player: It’s time for her to step up and take hold of her potential.</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2019/4/26/18411288/on-deck-midge-purce-thorns-killerTyler Nguyen