It took a month and over 1,000 comments, but the last open comment thread over at Stumptown is finally closed.
Given the way SB Nation works, until the club has news – which means next week’s draft or a possible break in the sale negotiations – there won’t be anywhere to talk Thorns over there.
I don’t have any news, either, but consider this an open forum for Thorns gossip, chat, and speculation until then.
And, since I respect all internet traditions, here’s a picture of a cat.
Soccer-obsessive. Stats geek. Thorns supporter. Former Slide Rule Pass and Stumptown Footy Thorns beat writer. One of those people who's "often mistaken but never wrong"...
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Well the USWNT roster is set and Sophia Smith is not on it due to a foot injury, but Sam Coffey is going, so that is good. I am sure Soph is a lock for the World Cup unless she is injured this summer. Soph’s injury is concerning. We saw how Menges was sidelined for a long time with a foot injury and the Lis Franc injuries to Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord seemed to take almost two years of recovery. I never saw Soph injured in the European games, but even though she scored against Germany, she didn’t seem totally herself. We just have to hope that Sophia’s injury is one that she will recover from quickly.
Becky and Crystal are both on the roster and for Chrystal that is a good thing because even though she scored that amazing golazo against San Diego, she still seemed not quiet match fit. Sonnet is back on the team and that makes sense because Davidson still is not fully recovered and Cook has looked shaky. Girma, Sauerbrunn, Huerta, and Fox seem to be locks for the back line. I think Crystal is a lock because she can play everywhere but goalie.
Hope that Smith’s injury is minor; agree that soccer players are “beasts of the foot” – supposedly in High Medieval venery hawks, hounds, and horses were all classified as such because they depended on the power of their feet to hunt, and an injury to (or worse, the loss of) a foot of one of the three was considered a total loss of value of a costly animal and was punishable as such.
Just in case you didn’t know that…
Dunn clearly wasn’t good for 90 minutes at the end of 2022. But, more to the point, I’m not sure where she fits on the squad. The new coach needs to find a place for her, and do better than Parsons did in 2021. We’ll see.
A possibility is that the Thorns saw Dunn in the midfield role Ryan was filling. Also, Janine Beckie will still be around in 2023.
I think an RB and, if McGrady leaves, a backup LB are what the Thorns should be after. Of course if Madril falls to the Thorns that would fantastic. We could use another CB named Emily.
I only mentioned Lisfranc out of paranoia. I have no idea what kind of foot injury Sophia has, but if it is a Lisfranc, the World Cup would probably be out of the question.
I read Yazmeen Ryan’s comments after the trade and it appears that she is excited with the new opportunity and looks at change as an opportunity for growth. I wish her the best.
Ryan is a winger. Whatever Dunn is…it’s not that. I think; as I keep saying, I don’t think we’ve really seen WHAT Dunn is.
Ryan pretty much has to say that. I hope that Gotham is better than they were last season, and, yes; hope she does well except when she plays us.
LeBlanc has made her first big solo move, trading Yazmeen Ryan for the 2023 #5 pick, a 2024 second round pick, and $200K allocation money. Is this a good deal for the Thorns?
I guess it depends on whom we can get at 5, or whether there are moves in store to move further up.
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland-thorns/2023/01/portland-thorns-trade-midfielder-yazmeen-ryan-acquire-draft-picks-and-allocation-money.html
Just saw that; I’ll post my thoughts in reply to Daniel’s comment below.
The Athletic had a phot of Weaver at the top. I was happy to see she was not part of the trade.
Sad to see Yaz go.
It was a 4 way trade.
Each team now has the following:
Portland Thorns: $200,000, 2023 first-round pick from LAFC (5th pick), 2024 second-round pick From LAFC (lost Yazmeen Ryan to LAFC)
Angel City FC: First-round draft pick from Gotham (1st pick) (spent $450,000 total [200,000 to Portland+ 2500,000 to Gotham] lost 2023 first-round pick to Thorns, rights to Yaz to Gotham, 2024 second-round pick to Thorns)
Gotham FC: Rights to Yazmeen Ryan from LAFC, 2023 No. 2 draft pick From Orlando (spent $100,000 total [250,000-350,000] lost 2024 fourth-round pick to Orlando)
Orlando City FC: $350,000 and 2024 fourth-round pick From Gotham. (lost No. 2 draft pick)
I wonder what Orlando and Thorns will do with the cash if anything.
So my thoughts, in order of the teams involved:
Portland – with two first-round picks the Thorns might get some quality. My question would be; where? I had assumed that Ryan would be attacking depth at RW behind Beckie or even – as I said in my midfielders grades post – starting at RW. Now? We might need attacking depth alongside midfield and backline reserves. We’ll see. Henderson’s comment – not mine – was “I don’t know, I’m not sure the fifth player in this draft is going to be as good as Yazmeen Ryan could get in time.”
I’m reading that the Bairdbux (or whatever we’re calling them now…) are for luring Horan back. Hmmm. K. We’ll stick a pin in that.
ACFC Henderson assumes that this is to grab Alyssa Thompson
Gotham Credit where it’s due – with 16GF, Gotham needed attack and Ryan will help with that. Henderson assumes that they’ll use their #2 overall to grab Michelle Cooper out of Duke, who will help there, too.
Orlando What a fucking shitshow this organization is.
The story I’m reading is that the Bairdbux are to bribe Debinha to overlook that the Shame is a shitshow. I’m not buying it; she’s Brazilian, not stupid.
Henderson had them taking both Reyes and Madril with #2 and #3; his comment: “Orlando could’ve had Cooper AND either Reyes/Madril if they didn’t make that trade. I’m flabbergasted.”
Agree. The Shame continue a nearly unbroken string of fuckups on and off the pitch.
I hate to see Yaz go. She was coming in to form and I thought 2023 would be a breakout year for her. Hopefully she will se a lot of playing time at Gotham with Onamanu and Purse being called up for the WC. Hopefully her fiance will find work with Gotham as well. I wish her the best.
Since we’re back live at Stumptown I’ll just note that the news that one of RW’s assistants (Norris) is supposedly the new HC seems like an interim sort of move. I can’t imagine that the new owners won’t want their own choice in the technical area. So unless he’s it – and I don’t see any particular reason he should be – he seems a perfectly adequate sort of person to keep the orange slices cold and set out the practice cones until the new gaffer is hired.
Mind you…I HOPE. I really want a clean break with everything Peregrine. Norris, whatever else he is, is not that.