Stumptown Footy - Coverage Hub: Portland Thorns vs Chicago Red StarsYou are my sunshine, my only sunshine.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/31537/stumptown-fave.jpg2019-06-02T17:06:47-07:00http://www.stumptownfooty.com/rss/stream/184139012019-06-02T17:06:47-07:002019-06-02T17:06:47-07:00Thorns dominate Red Stars in home opener
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<figcaption>Midge Purce beats Emily Boyd to put the Thorns up 1-0 | Kris Lattimore</figcaption>
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<p>The connection between Midge Purce and Simone Charley puts Portland over the top as the Thorns find a 3-0 win against Chicago </p> <p id="aJVJQj">In their home opener, the Portland Thorns put together a solid performance, finding a 3-0 win over the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/chicago-red-stars">Chicago Red Stars</a>. “I thought we were absolutely our best during the first half,” said Mark Parsons. “There was such an exciting, electric atmosphere and such an exciting, electric performance from the group of players.” Parsons described Portland’s performance as “incredibly dominant,” noting that his major takeaway was “the spirit and the character that the group played with every single player.”</p>
<p id="iUPtr6">Although the Thorns started with almost exactly the same XI they used against Sky Blue last week, save the insertion of Midge Purce in the place of Tyler Lussi, formation changes led to a significantly different lineup than what we saw against New Jersey. Portland moved back to the three-back, slotting Gabby Seiler into the backline. Dagny Brynjarsdottir dropped back to defensive center mid, and Ana Maria Crnogorcevic stepped in as a Christine Sinclair-like ten, leaving Purce and Simone Charley up top. </p>
<p id="zTL3XE">Pressing early, Purce got on the end of the majority of Portland’s attacking chances in the opening minute of the game, hitting a shot off the crossbar in the third minute and drawing a foul at the top of the box in the eighth. </p>
<p id="EibXx7">It wasn’t until the 20th minute that Chicago found a chance on goal, with Michele Vasconcelos getting on the end of a fantastic ball. Unfortunately for the Red Stars, <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/255543/meghan-klingenberg">Meghan Klingenberg</a> tracked back and was able to block Vasconcelos’ shot, deflecting the ball out for a corner.</p>
<p id="ZtcsYT">The Thorns broke onto the scoresheet in the 27th minute, when Elizabeth Ball won a tackle at half and sent a pass to the center for Ana Maria Crnogorcevic. Crnogorcevic went wide to find Simone Charley, who took the ball central and slipped a through ball to Midge Purce. Purce took a touch to beat Emily Boyd and finished a simple shot, putting her team up 1-0.</p>
<p id="wUX9Ql">Only four minutes later, Purce scored again. Simone Charley found herself with the ball at the endline, cutting it back to beat Sarah Gorden. She sent a cross to Purce, who was unmarked at the top of the six yard box. Purce hit a left-footed volley to bury the ball in the back of the net. </p>
<p id="Icfqmp">“The more that they have a relationship, with and off each other, the more that they’ll individually shine, and I think they embraced that,” Mark Parsons said of Purce and Charley’s partnership. Purce noted: “This is the first time I’ve played major minutes with Simone (Charley). I think both of us were like, ‘oh, this is working!’. I think it was really fun, I think we had a ton of fun today.”</p>
<p id="ekTQgQ">In the 37th minute, Elizabeth Ball was given a yellow card for a late tackle, the only Thorns booking of the match. The 40th minute saw Angela Salem go down without contact, clutching her knee and clearly in pain. The trainer immediately called for a stretcher, and she was carried off the field. Celeste Boureille came off the bench in her place. The Thorns did not yet have an update on Salem’s injury after the game.</p>
<p id="GVwBwB">Although Portland’s attacking sting was somewhat subdued following Salem’s exit from the game, they were able to hold the Red Stars off for the remainder of the half, with Chicago only recording their first shot on target in the first minute of stoppage time.</p>
<p id="cuN3dS">The second half began more evenly matched; Katie Johnson saw a great opportunity go off the crossbar in the 56th minute, and Eckerstrom was called to collect a cross by Casey Short only two minutes later. In the 65th minute, Midge Purce hit a curling bar to the far post, beating Emily Boyd but sent just off-frame. Chicago was given their first booking in the 66th minute, when Casey Short was given a yellow card for a foul on Simone Charley. </p>
<p id="0DoBkX">Portland made their second substitution of the match in the 68th minute, with Tyler Lussi coming in for Midge Purce. The Red Stars followed that, bringing in Maria Sanchez for Michele Vasconcelos in the 76th minute. In the 78th minute, Marissa Everett came on for Simone Charley, making her second appearance of the season.</p>
<p id="HrQbZP">The Thorns broke through Chicago’s defense yet again in the 85th minute. <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/293435/meghan-klingenberg">Meghan Klingenberg</a> sent a dangerous free kick into the box, which was brought down by Marissa Everett. Everett looked composed as she finished her shot, nutmegging Emily Boyd in the process. “I thought the goal summed up what she’s about: she’s got great movement, she reads the game,” Parsons said, pointing to Everett’s near-goal against Sky Blue last week as further evidence of her skill. </p>
<p id="Zc2jW0">Everett was given another fantastic look in stoppage time, as Celeste Boureille took the ball up the field and got a fantastic cross off. Everett sent her shot over the goal. In the closing minutes of the match, Boureille went down, as substitute Kayla Sharples came in from behind. Sharples was given a yellow card for the play, the last major action of the game. </p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2019/6/2/18649777/thorns-dominate-the-red-stars-in-their-home-opener-nwsl-midge-purce-simone-charleyLeo Baudhuin2019-06-02T12:00:00-07:002019-06-02T12:00:00-07:00Portland Thorns vs Chicago Red Stars: Previews, How to Watch, Match Thread [3:00]
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<figcaption>Nikita Taparia</figcaption>
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<p>We’re finally back: The Thorns match up against the Red Stars in their home opener at the newly renovated Providence Park</p> <p id="10gqjI">The excitement is palpable as the Portland Thorns finally return home to take on the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/chicago-red-stars">Chicago Red Stars</a>. While the main storyline of this weekend centers around the Thorns’ first game at Providence Park, the game itself promises to be an exciting one. </p>
<p id="nXXBZE">This will be the second time Portland faces Chicago this season, with the first match resulting in a back and forth 4-4 draw. The scoreline isn’t the only area where the two sides are even; both teams have 11 points on the season — though the Red Stars have played one more game than the Thorns — and each side has recorded 13 goals for and ten against. </p>
<p id="qEesIo">Although Chicago is without Sam Kerr — who leads the league with six goals — Yuki Nagasato remains an attacking force for the Red Stars, tallying three goals and three assists across her seven matches this year. Michelle Vasconcelos has also shown well for Chicago so far, producing two goals and two assists in her second NWSL season. </p>
<p id="1NmmPE">The Thorns, on the other hand, have relied heavily on their international players to contribute going forward. Without them, Portland has struggled to produce goals (though Midge Purce was able to find the game winner against Sky Blue last weekend). Even so, the Thorns have a favorable record against the Red Stars, and this should be a game where they can find a result.</p>
<h2 id="8xsolc">Previews</h2>
<h3 id="j00sV2">
<a href="http://www.stumptownfooty.com/2019/6/1/18646946/storylines-portland-thorns-vs-chicago-red-stars-nwsl"><strong>Storylines</strong></a>:</h3>
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<p id="OZi8aj">“With Chicago’s forwards typically tucking inside to overload the midfield, whoever starts at the base of midfield has extra responsibility. Gabby Seiler has impressed this season so far but this promises to be her toughest test yet, though Angela Salem’s years of professional experience, should she start, will be helpful to the rookie.</p>
<p id="GhBl0g">The most interesting question, though, is if Simone Charley can continue to impress if she gets her second start at striker. Charley managed two nutmegs and six successful dribbles last game which was effective at holding play up while she waited for support. Mark Parsons, who has been talking Charley up for months, praised her performance now that she’s finally gotten her chance: ‘(Simone) managed to tick two boxes that I think are crucial to our team: get the game plan right, and play like you. Every player on this team has an individual personality and Simone struck the balance where she did so much hard work for us. The runs that she makes, the dribbles that she has, the ways that she cuts people and gets in the box looking for crosses (...) I think it’s just the beginning for what we can see.’”</p>
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<h2 id="6YWgRC">How to Watch</h2>
<p id="JKzS4o"><strong>How to watch:</strong> <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/video/nwsl-red-stars-portland-thorns-164001836.html"><strong>Yahoo Sports</strong></a>, <a href="http://nwslsoccer.com/"><strong>NWSLSoccer.com</strong></a> for international viewers</p>
<p id="zkOYCx"><strong>Where: </strong>Providence Park, Portland, Oregon</p>
<p id="2HIz6R"><strong>When:</strong> Sunday, June 2, 3:00pm PT</p>
<p id="hZhPbo"><strong>Portland Thorns:</strong> 3-1-2, 3rd place in the NWSL, won 1-0 at <strong>Sky Blue FC</strong></p>
<p id="FODoAE"><strong>Chicago Red Stars: </strong>3-2-2, 4th place in the NWSL, lost 2-0 vs <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/washington-spirit"><strong>Washington Spirit</strong></a></p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2019/6/2/18648651/portland-thorns-vs-chicago-red-stars-previews-how-to-watch-match-thread-3-00Leo Baudhuin2019-06-01T08:00:00-07:002019-06-01T08:00:00-07:00Storylines: Portland Thorns vs Chicago Red Stars
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<figcaption>Nikita Taparia</figcaption>
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<p>At home. The Thorns are playing at home. It’s the home opener.</p> <p id="VvkJUl">Soccer’s coming home. After six games and seven long weeks on the road, the Portland Thorns (3-1-2) are having their home opener in the newly spit-shined and gussied up Providence Park. They will be squaring off against the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/chicago-red-stars">Chicago Red Stars</a> (3-2-2), a worthy opponent but one the Thorns have historically had the edge over.</p>
<p id="Z2NuFB">The Thorns full expect to be running this game on the emotions of the crowd getting to see them for the first time this season. “Motivation to play well will never be higher,” Thorns coach Mark Parsons said of the team, and the intensity of the famous Thorns home crowd is key to the team’s ability to maintain energy. </p>
<h3 id="3lHTGU">Projected XI</h3>
<p id="NANeWq">The Thorns have a clean bill of heath for the first time this year, and as the team settles into a stable rotation after a few weeks of chaos with internationals in and out of the team, it’s welcome. That said, coach Mark Parsons did warn against assuming that the lineup would be static. Parsons said at training, “I think it’s going to be more game to game then it has been because of the competition. I told the players in our meeting yesterday: the attitude, the desire and the mentality you play with, you decided that, and we’re going to feed off it. We’re going to make training as competitive as possible, we’re going to push you.” The competition in the squad certainly forced changes after the loss to the Spirit, and there’s no reason to believe the intensity will drop.</p>
<p id="N5PrA9">Midge Purce has been fully cleared from the knock she picked up before the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/teams/washington-spirit">Washington Spirit</a> game and is probably to start. Gabby Seiler impressed in midfield, as did Elizabeth Ball at wide centerback/fullback, and seem pretty hard to displace in the squad at the moment. Simone Charley still needs to work on her runs and shooting, but she held the ball up better than anyone else in the squad has shown to be capable of at the moment. Parsons isn’t saying if he has another trick up his sleeve, but he almost certainly does have a curveball to throw should he feel it necessary.</p>
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<h3 id="lelLwi">Gameplan</h3>
<p id="ed2Nw4">The Thorns had tons of success pressing high up the field to get Sky Blue off the ball last week, and coincidentally Chicago struggled against the Washington Spirit’s pressure also last week. Simple: same plan as last week then.</p>
<p id="qzVDWV">Maybe, and there are some similarities to how the two teams build attacks, with Danielle Colaprico able to do a lot of damage when she gets on the ball deep and Yuki Nagasato willing to drift between the lines to find space. Denying both of them space and time on the ball will be essential to any Thorns success in this game. However, Chicago’s fullbacks are significantly better, and both will take any opportunity to leave their marker to get into attack if they feel like they aren’t under significant defensive pressure.</p>
<p id="2zPNV2">Arin Wright, typically on the left, is the more attacking minded player and will charge down the flank most of the day, which is an added defensive responsibility for Midge Purce should she start on the Thorns right wing. Casey Short, on the other hand, is best known for her defense, though at times she looked like the Red Stars’ best attacker against Washington simply as a consequence of her having a relatively free role. Last game Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic spent a lot of time drifting inside to allow <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/NWSL/players/255543/meghan-klingenberg">Meghan Klingenberg</a> to charge down the flank: on the one hand, this seems like an action that might be productive, as Short strongly prefers to stick to her marker and prevent them from beating her and this in theory could open up space for Klingenberg to make relatively free runs into, but it could be counterproductive defensively, allowing Short to drift further forward without the ball so that she gets into attacking positions far faster after turnovers.</p>
<p id="BFgT5I">With Chicago’s forwards typically tucking inside to overload the midfield, whoever starts at the base of midfield has extra responsibility. Gabby Seiler has impressed this season so far but this promises to be her toughest test yet, though Angela Salem’s years of professional experience, should she start, will be helpful to the rookie.</p>
<p id="R0GtXE">The most interesting question, though, is if Simone Charley can continue to impress if she gets her second start at striker. Charley managed two nutmegs and six successful dribbles last game which was effective at holding play up while she waited for support. Mark Parsons, who has been talking Charley up for months, praised her performance now that she’s finally gotten her chance: “(Simone) managed to tick two boxes that I think are crucial to our team: get the game plan right, and play like you. Every player on this team has an individual personality and Simone struck the balance where she did so much hard work for us. The runs that she makes, the dribbles that she has, the ways that she cuts people and gets in the box looking for crosses (...) I think it’s just the beginning for what we can see.”</p>
<p id="VivIvE">As impressive as her moves were, Charley of course has things to improve on: taking better shots and timing her runs better will go a long way toward ensuring that she can stick on this team long-term. However, Charley adds a dimension to the attack that just doesn’t exist anywhere else in the team at the moment, and it’s one the team needs to lean into to become the best version of themselves.</p>
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2019/6/1/18646946/storylines-portland-thorns-vs-chicago-red-stars-nwslTyler Nguyen