Dear Becky,

Hello. Thanks for the introduction, though you do not need one. We have been waiting for you with open arms. 

For the past 7 years, we have been in awe of you and you’ve broken our hearts more than once. We still remember the 2014 playoffs, after all. 

When news broke last year that you were coming to Portland, we were elated. This was right before the pandemic changed everything. Since then, we’ve been watching from afar and have been subtle in our displays of affection, but since you wrote us we thought it only appropriate that we respond. 

We look forward to the day where we get to root for you in person. We look forward to backing you up when there are challenging calls made, when emotions overflow, and when you inevitably net your first in the north end. In a normal year, we would have had a dance party after your first match. We missed that opportunity last year so we are working on our moves for when we’re back together.

We have been watching you on your national team duty, too. We are proud of the leadership you provide every day and we are proud to have 2 national team captains wearing our colors. 

We know the stadium is quiet now. And we suspect it will remain quiet for a while longer. And as we slowly start returning to the stadium, know that we will not be in full voice until it is safe for everyone. We have many in our community who cannot take the risk or do not want to be a risk for others, so we are being very cautious. This does not mean that we do not care, but rather that we care so much about the community we’ve built. We all return to Providence Park, to create the party we’re familiar with, but we also know we cannot do that alone. We’ll be back when we can all be together. 

Until then, know we’re supporting you and the rest of the squad from our living rooms and backyards. And as much as we love roses, we are also big fans of hardware. We’ll need something on the line for our inevitable dance off. 

Your supporters,

The Rose City Riveters

In 2019, many of us spent time with Chris Henderson. Chris was working on his thesis for his PhD in Philosophy in American Studies (Sports Studies) at the University of Iowa, and met with many of you, both in the North End and at Fanladen. Chris’s thesis has now been made public- “Pleasurable labors: activist fandom, sport communities, and the performance of place”- and you can read it here.

Thank you to those of you who took time to meet with Chris, and warm thanks to Chris for representing Rose City Riveters and all that we collectively strive for so well. 

Quarantining for another holiday sucks! Start the day with your fellow Riveters and join Sato in a mobility workout to get those tired and sore joints & muscles moving!

This will be an informal group exercise together. It will be a low impact, movement workout meant to get your joints limber & to move with greater range of motion.

Join us!  Either in your PJ’s or workout clothes and with your favorite beverage…it doesn’t matter! No equipment necessary.

(Use the REGISTER button at this link – the meeting link will be emailed to you on 12/24)

Our relationship with the players is unique. It’s something that I cherish about being part of the Riveters community.

COVID-19 has changed that this year. The North End was silent. No home games. No interactions with the players or staff.

Let’s send a card or short note to our Thorns to let them know that we are thinking of them.

An anonymous donor has offered to cover the cost of cards and/or postage for those in need. Contact Rose City Riveters for assistance; info@rosecityriveters.org.

Cards are to be mailed to Fanladen where they will be sent to the players with the Front Office assistance.

Have cards mailed by Jan 8, 2021.

Please address the cards in this format:

Player’s name
℅ Riveters
1633 SW Alder St.
Portland, OR 97205

Dear Friends,

We are suspending all in-person activities, including donation drives, until 2021.

Please consider cash/check donations if you can help our donation drive recipients.

See You Soon,

Rose City Riveters

Get it on your calendar! this year’s Town Hall will be online.

It’s not the same as in person, but let’s get together and talk everything Riveters.

If you have questions that will be better answered by a particular committee, we’ll be sure to have representatives that can provide answers.

You can submit questions in advance here.  To sign up to get the link, click here. The event will be held on the Google Meet platform. Hope to see you there!

Mission statement: “JOIN exists to support the efforts of individuals and families experiencing homelessness to transition into permanent housing. Our efforts are directed at individuals sleeping outside or in their car in the Portland Metro area. Our service provision is not dependent on age, gender, race, ethnicity, faith, culture, language, sexual identity, specific diagnosis, or identifiable issue.”

In addition to their other work, JOIN has recently been involved in the creation of Portland’s C3PO camps, which started operating in April to mitigate effects of covid, and prioritize BIPOC, trans, gender non-conforming, and queer individuals who often have a more difficult time in the shelter system.
Many items can be gently used or open, please check the list (below or found at their website) for details:

Cold Weather Items – New or gently used
• Socks
• Blankets
• Sleeping Bags
• Tarps
• Jackets
• Hats
• Gloves

Hygiene Items –New or partially used/open
• Shampoo – large or small size
• Conditioner – large or small size
• African American hair care products
• Feminine Products
• Razors & Shaving Cream Soap (bar and liquid)
• Lotion
• Deodorant

First Aid Supplies- New or partially used/open
• Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Aspirin
• Band-Aids
• Anti Bacterial Wash
• Neosporin
• Ace bandages

Basic Service Center Food items
• Coffee
• Sugar
• Creamer
• Peanut Butter

Clothing- Gently used or New:
• Men’s and women’s functional clothing
• Men’s and women’s underwear & bras
• Men’s and women’s boots and shoes

Miscellaneous:
• Headlamps
• Pet Food & Supplies
• Trimet Bus Tickets
• Fred Meyer/Safeway/Albertsons Gift Cards
• Stamps
• Bike Locks
• Bath Towels
• Books & Periodicals
• Backpacks
• Paper & plastic bags

We do NOT accept: Furniture, Dress clothing and shoes, Toys

Donations can be dropped off at Fanladen during the following hours:

• Wednesdays – 6pm to 8pm
• Fridays – 3pm to 6pm
• Saturdays – 12pm to 3pm
• Sundays – 12pm to 3pm

Fanladen is located at 1633 SW Alder. All donations are accepted at the door to maintain social distancing. This drive will run through September.
JOIN also needs financial donations to purchase additional items. If you wish to make a donation, please visit this link. We know some folks are not currently leaving their homes, or are supporting from afar. A direct financial donation is currently the best way to support this effort.
Thank you for your support and donations!

If you have any questions about this drive, please contact Evan Taylor. If you wish to help out with this or future drives, please contact Rachel Greenough.

Posted on behalf of Capo Sunday and the Timbers Army and Riveters CDnT:

While it has been a tumultuous year, you, the membership of the 107ist, with your network of family, friends, and fellow supporters, have stepped up time and time again to donate goods, help out, and send money. Bravo! You are amazing! There is always more to do and more to learn, and you keep doing and keep going. THANK YOU!

We (Capos DnT as a unit) are nothing without you. The lack of seeing all of your faces in PP this season, sharing in the experience as we deal with tension, loss, joy, irritation at the refs, of standing with you in passion and love, well, it has made it an odd and long offseason.

The CDnT are still dedicated to providing support to the youth in our community through our annual tradition of BYCAP*. Our longstanding goal with BYCAP is to provide help to the burgeoning young voices in our neighborhoods, to aid them in learning how to be strong and confident, to provide them with the ability to communicate their needs, dreams, ideas, and opinions. To be able to leverage the power of their voices the way we, the CDnT, do on match days (oh, how we all miss them…le sigh…) and to that end, we are continuing to have our annual BYCAP fundraising event.

We acknowledge that this is an unusual season. We refuse to ignore or minimize the effects of the two pandemics happening all around us – Covid-19 and the long and systemic history of human rights abuses of our BIPOC communities locally, nationally, and globally. This season we are turning tradition on its ear so we can have a stronger, greater positive impact on our local BIPOC youth. We are joining forces of the TA and the Riveters for a single BYCAP event, with a single entity recipient, instead of the traditional tandem team specific BYCAP fundraisers.

100% of funds raised in this online BYCAP will be donated to Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI)**.

SEI is a comprehensive, one-stop resource for youth and families, primarily African Americans and others living in poverty or seeking culturally responsive services. SEI believes that every child has a gift and that is our shared responsibility to help every child find his or her gift.

Please help us surpass prior years fundraising by donating and signal boosting this event.

The 2020 joint BYCAP goal to meet, or surpass, is $6240 -which is the combined amount of TA and RCR 2019 BYCAP events.   

A donation link will be available on the open access part of the 107ist.org website from August 8th through August 22nd. Make sure you click the BYCAP button.

*Buy Your Capo A Pint [or representational thank you goodie]

**Self Enhancement, Inc. https://www.selfenhancement.org/mission

For those of you who are unfamiliar with BYCAP, it usually happens on or near the last match of the regular season for Timbers and Thorns. As the season would normally be coming to a tense point (or wrapping up) often folks are feeling kind and nostalgic for the events of the season, and many want to “buy us a pint” to say thanks. Thanks for helping to hype the crowd, to keep it on time, to provide eyes and assistance when there is an interloper or and altercation, and generally for us needing to buy tickets to turn our backs to the pitch for a whole season, so the North End can resonate beyond the PP rooftop to roll across the pitch and through the neighborhood.  To aid in providing focused passion for our teams. It has been noted that our livers cannot take so much thanks… so instead we have collection buckets out at our stage, nests and drums, and we ask you to donate that ‘pint’ (or soda, water, coffee) money to our fundraiser so we can help others find a voice the way we have one. We get the “thank you” and our community youth get much needed help and support.

CHALLENGE CUP – JORNADA 1.

NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE 2-1 PORTLAND THORNS

En el inicio de la Challenge Cup en el ZionsBank Stadium se enfrentaron los dos bicampeones de la NWSL, un partido que viene marcando a las dos instituciones más ganadoras del fútbol femenino de Estados Unidos.

El triunfo fue agónico, Lynn Williams logró superar a la novata Bella Bixby en el minuto 94 tras un gran centro de Sam Mewis. Las dirigidas por Paul Riley fueron superiores en la mayoría del trámite del partido. Mientras que por Thorns, el ataque hacia el arco de Labbéfue liderado por Lindsey Horan, que fue la jugadora de Portland con más chances creadas durante los 96 minutos de partido.

Mark Parsons sorprendió a la mayoría alineando a Bixby quien debutaba con Thorns y ante el rival que viene siendo la pesadilla de Portland, sin embargo la arquera oriunda de Oregon estuvo a la altura y sus cuatro intervenciones ante Williams y Debinha dieron muestras del por qué Mark se decantó por ella para defender el arco de Thorns.

Paul Riley por su parte acertó en un rol que le asignó a Hailie Mace, ya que la debutante con Courage se desempeña en un rol defensivo con la selección de Estados Unidos, fue vital para el primer gol del partido, una gran asistencia le permitió a Debinha rematar en el área de chica sin problemas.

Thorns enfrentarán a Chicago y Courage a Spirit, en lo que será la segunda participación en la Challenge Cup para los cuatro equipos este miércoles 01 de Julio.

CHICAGO RED STARS 1-2 WASHINGTON SPIRIT.

En un encuentro que tenía como favorito a las Red Stars, el equipo de Burkie pudo llevarse los tres puntos con una actuación magistral de Rose Lavelle en el primer tiempo del encuentro.

Desde los ocho minutos del cotejo, Spirit a través de Rose se puso al frente del marcador cuando un rechazo de Naeher fue recogido por Lavelle que definió sin piedad de pierna derecha. Naeher ante Ashley Hatch y Rose Lavelle ganó dos mano a mano en el primer tiempo, sin embargo apenas a los 20 segundos del complemento un grave error dejo a merced su marco para que Hatch no perdonara y el marcado fuera de 0-2 a favor de Washington.

Con un poco de reacción, Morgan Gautrat, quién estreno su apellido de casada en su jersey, marcó el 1-2 tras recoger un rebote de la saga del Spirit, Bledsoe llegó a rozar el balón sin embargo no fue suficiente para evitar el gol de Chicago, casi inmediatamente a este gol, Watt tuvo en su poder el potencial empate. Ashley Sánchez fue otra delantera que pudo cambiar el score pero no pudo concretar las dos incursiones en el área de Red Stars.

En los minutos finales, Bianca St Georges tuvo la mayor chance para empatar a dos, pero, una fantástica reacción de Bledsoe impidió que el equipo de Rory Dames sumara algún punto en el debut. Naeher sobre el final le impidió a Collins que marcara el 1-3.

Estos equipos vuelven a jugar este 01 de Julio, Chicago ante Portland y Washington ante Courage.

Protestas antes de los partidos.

Durante la inauguración de la Challenge Cup, las 22 jugadoras se alinearon con una camiseta con el lema “Black Lives Matter”, a su vez tenían una banda que colocarían en sus brazos durante el partido con el mismo lema. Una vez que se empezó a entonar la versión del himno nacional de Estados Unidos, TODAS pusieron una rodilla en el piso, símbolo de la protesta que actualmente sacude a muchas ciudades en el país norteamericano.

Mientras que para el cierre de la jornada, en el partido entre Red Stars y Spirit, hubo algunas jugadoras que decidieron mantenerse en pie y no poner rodilla en el piso para simbolizar la protesta, pese a portar la camiseta negra del lema antes mencionado, el momento más emotivo fue el de Casey Short llorando al momento de escucharse las notas del himno y a Julie Ertz consolando a su compañera.

Alineaciones Titulares.

North Carolina Courage: Labbé / Merrick – Dahlkemper – Erceg – Daniels / Debinha – O’Sullivan – Mewis – Dunn / Hamilton – Williams.

Portland Thorns: Bixby / Klingenberg – Sauerbrunn– Menges – Hubly / Horan – Salem – Rodríguez / Everett – Sinclair – Lussi.

Chicago Red Stars: Naeher / Short – Gorden – Morse – St. Georges / Ertz – Gautrat – Watt – DiBernardo – Hill / Nagasato.

Highlights:

Red Stars vs Spirit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvJsF3IEu6A&feature=emb_title

Courage vs Thorns; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gccjoQx39hY

Guest Writer Nikki Flores, The NWSL Show

“Roses Fall, But the Thorns Remain:  The Dawn of a New Era in Portland”

Team: Portland Thorns

Head Coach: English-born Mark Parsons took over the team in 2016, and promptly made his presence known with some big moves, acquiring USWNT goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, French superstar Amadine Henry, and Danish striker Nadia Nadim.  2016 is also the year the Thorns selected Emily Sonnett as the first pick in the Collegiate Draft, and acquired midfielder Lindsey Horan on her return from French side PSG as part of a trade that dealt Alex Morgan to the Orlando Pride.  This will be Parsons’ 5th season leading the Thorns.  Previously, he coached the Washington Spirit.

2019 Record: 11W – 7D – 6L

The Thorns finished the season in third place, and then lost in the semi-final to the Chicago Red Stars.  After winning the 2017 NWSL Championship, and finishing as the runners-up in 2018, last year was a disappointment for a Thorns team that has been consistently at or near the top of the NWSL.  In fact, in the team’s seven years in the league, they have only failed to make the postseason once.

National Teamers:  

Arguably one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the game, Lindsey Horan is hungry to find her 2018 form.   Her story is oft repeated because it is remarkable.  Horan passed up a scholarship at legendary UNC to become the first American woman to skip college and go straight to the pros.  Passing up an opportunity to sign with powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais before she even graduated from high school, Horan went to world-renowned French side PSG after her senior year.   She returned to the States to fulfill her dreams of playing for the USWNT in the Olympics and the World Cup.  She was part of the team’s disappointing finish in Rio in 2016, but at age 25, could already call herself a World Cup Champion.  The tough choices she made along the way have paid off, but Horan is far from done.  She wants to win more hardware for her teams, and she has no plans of stopping until she becomes the best player in the world.  Horan makes magic happen with the ball at her feet.  Her nuanced services into the box for teammates are only bested by her quality in the air.  As the Riveters have so aptly explained, the only sure thing in life are death, taxes, and Horan headers.  Her defensive work-rate is unmatched.  There may not be a more complete player that she lines up next to on either her club team or for her country.  Horan was integral in a stacked USWNT midfield in France a year ago; with so many changes on the Thorns roster, she will be even more vital for her club this summer.

The G.O.A.T. herself, though she will never admit it, Christine Sinclair is back for another year.  The Thorns captain is the undisputed #1 in international goals scored.  Yes, that means she’s has more international goals than any man who has ever played football, ever – 186 and counting with the Canadian National Team.  She made that team at the young age of 16, by the way.  Like new teammate Sauerbrunn, Sinclair is a quiet force to be reckoned with on the field, always leading by example.  The 37-year-old just doesn’t stop.  Her focus is intense, her speed deceptive, her composure impressive, her physicality punishing.  Her runs behind defenses are hard to mark.  And if she is marked, it will open up space for the likes of Horan and Rodriguez.  Sinclair may go down as the best in history to never win a World Cup, but she will leave everything she has on the field to add another star to the Thorns jersey.  Simply put, Sinclair is incomparable.  Her competitive fire still burns bright and she is ready to lead her team back on the pitch after a long break.

Nary a bad word has ever been spoken about the woman fans refuse to stop calling Captain Broon.  During the off-season, the Thorns acquired defensive legend, center back Becky Sauerbrunn, from the Utah Royals in exchange for Elizabeth Ball and allocation money.  Sauerbrunn had been itching for an opportunity to play for the city in which she resides, and the trade of Emily Sonnett to the Orlando Pride left an opening for her.   Sauerbrunn is tough – we all have that image of her bowed, bloody head during the World Cup final fresh in our minds going on a year later.  She’s a cerebral defender, almost always positionally sound.  She is a quiet leader amongst leaders, organizing her backline and serving as the President of the USWNT Players’ Association.  And Becky Sauerbrunn is almost always underrated by everyone outside of her own teammates, who know exactly how valuable the 35-year-old is.  The veteran will provide a calming presence and a sense of stability to a Portland backline missing two of its starting defenders and goalkeeper from last season’s roster.  For the Thorns to succeed in this tournament, Sauerbrunn will have to be an absolute anchor.  When she retires, which hopefully won’t be for a few more years, Sauerbrunn will go down in USWNT history as one of the best center backs to ever play the game.   Welcome home, Captain Broon.

Costa Rican International Rocky Rodriguez will step into the Thorns midfield alongside Horan.  Her football pedigree is strong.  She played on a high school team while still in elementary school, and was a four-year starter at Penn State, where she won award after award, and the 2015 College Cup.  She totaled 23 goals during her time with the Nittany Lions, including the game winning goal against Duke in the championship match.  In 2010, she made her way onto the Costa Rican senior national team.  Her hard work paid off when she represented Las Ticas in the 2015 World Cup, and she scored the first goal by a Costa Rican woman in a World Cup.  Rodriguez went #2 in the 2016 Collegiate Draft, picked up by Sky Blue FC.  She was Rookie of the Year that year.   This past January, Rodriguez was traded to the Thorns in exchange for Midge Purce and a 2021 draft pick.  Arriving at Providence Park seems fitting for Rodriguez.  In 2016, the Thorns traded that #2 pick to Sky Blue FC for Danish International Nadia Nadim, passing up Rodriguez.  She is excited to finally don that Thorns jersey for the Challenge Cup.

Midfielder Tobin Heath has opted to sit out because of concerns over COVID-19.  Goalkeeper Adrianna Franch had to withdraw from the tournament due to a knee injury.

Players You Should Know:  Forward Morgan Weaver of Washington State was the #2 pick in the 2020 Collegiate Draft.  She was the top scorer for her college team four years in a row, and helped her team make it all the way to the College Cup semi-finals in her last year with the Cougars.  In their final six games of the 2019 season, the Thorns were only able to score one goal.  Weaver will be essential if their struggling offense is to find its footing during the tournament.  The Thorns seem to have faith in Weaver’s long-term impact, signing her to a multi-year deal.

Changes in the Off-Season:  Take a Thorns starting XI from any game last season.  Draw a line through everyone who is no longer wearing the red and black.  Who are you left with?  The Thorns had one of the most dramatic turnovers in the NWSL this off-season.

Gone are fan-favorites Emily Sonnett (traded to Orlando Pride) and Hayley Raso (signed with Everton of the FAWSL).  Fellow Aussies – goal scorer Caitlin Foord wingback Ellie Carpenter, thought to be the jewel of the Portland defense – have signed with European clubs, Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais respectively.  Carpenter’s announcement, after signing a multi-year deal with the Thorns, must have come as a huge shock for a team already facing the loss of Sonnett.

In the trade for Sonnett and the rights to Foord, the Thorns gained the #1 pick in the 2020 Collegiate Draft.  They used that selection on Sophia Smith, the highly rated sophomore striker out of Stanford.  That move may be attributed to the Thorns scoring drought as the 2019 season wore down; the team only found the back of the net once in their final six games.

The Thorns were also involved in several other deals during the offseason.  One saw the Thorns acquire the second overall pick in the draft from the Chicago Red Stars, which they promptly used on Washington State star Morgan Weaver.  Another sent Thorn Midge Purce to Sky Blue in exchange for Rocky Rodriguez.

Strengths:  The team should be solid down the core.  The pairing in midfield of Lindsey Horan and Rocky Rodriguez should be formidable, and behind them, Becky Sauerbrunn and Emily Menges will shore up a defense hurt by the loss of Sonnett and Carpenter.

Beyond that, the Portland Thorns embody heart, and what it means to play for the badge.  Portland is Soccer City USA, the team drawing an average of just over 20,000 fans to each home game at Providence Park last season.  The next highest draw (Utah Royals) was a little over half of that total.  While some may view game without fans as a setback for Portland, this team feels a unique responsibility to its fans.  In last years 6-0 routing by the NC Courage in Providence Park, the Rose City Riveters not only stayed the entire game, but stood cheering for their team as goal after goal slid past Franch and the Thorns defense.  These fans never give up on the team; do not expect the team to give up just because the fans aren’t in attendance, because they will be watching in droves at home.  The Thorns know how to win; now it’s about finding the chemistry.

Biggest Question Marks:  With all the changes, and a short run-up to the tournament, have the Thorns had enough time to gel?  This is virtually a new team, and while some of the additions should help in the scoring department, Smith will likely see limited minutes due to a nagging injury.  Down the road, the trade of Sonnett for the #1 pick might pan out, but it likely won’t help a bit in this tournament.  Combine the loss of Sonnett and Carpenter in the back with the loss of brick wall AD Franch, and the Thorns are hurting defensively, even with Becky Sauerbrunn.  Additionally, the Thorns look weak on the wings, without Carpenter’s penchant for pressing up into the offensive third, without Raso’s speed flying down the wing, and especially without Tobin Heath working her magic on the outside.

Preliminary Round:

Saturday, June 27 vs. North Carolina Courage

This matchup, which will be shown on CBS, pits two of the best teams in the NWSL against each other.  The last time the teams met, the Courage handed the Thorns their worst loss to date in a 6-0 drubbing that no one outside of the Courage camp could have predicted.   The Courage team remains largely intact, but the Thorns will look to redeem themselves against the two-time NWSL champs in front of a national audience in the opening match of the tournament.

Wednesday, July 1 vs. Chicago Red Stars

Revenge, revenge, revenge.  The Red Stars knocked the Thorns out of the playoffs in the semi-finals last year, ending their quest for another star on their jersey.  In the 1-0 loss, the Thorns did not play poorly, but couldn’t get any offense going against a stingy Red Stars defense that featured FIFA Best XI Julie Ertz, Sarah Gorden, Casey Short, and USWT #1 Alyssa Naeher.

Sunday, July 5 v. Washington Spirit

The Spirit look surprisingly strong and young this year.  USWNT superstar and Bronze Ball winner Rose Lavelle will pair with USWNT teammate Andi Sullivan in the midfield.  The Thorns backline will have to take on Spirit draft pick Ashley Sanchez of UCLA, selected 4th in the 2020 Collegiate Draft.

Monday, July 13 vs. OL Reign

The Reign will be without Megan Rapinoe, who has chosen to sit out, but don’t count them out.  Horan, Sinclair, and Weaver will be hard-pressed to score on the Reign, regardless of whether Casey Murphy or Michelle Betos (returning from injury) starts in goal.  The team sees the return of Jess Fishlock, also back from injury, and Bethany Balcer, last year’s Rookie of the Year, as well as the additions of Shirley Cruz of Costa Rica and Alana Cook of PSG.  OL Reign looks solid from back to front, and should provide a surprising challenge for the Thorns.

Fun Fact:  In 2015, current OL Reign goalkeeper, formerly of the Portland Thorns, became the only goalkeeper to score in the run of play in NWSL history, diving to head in a ball off a corner in stoppage time as the Thorns tied the game against FC Kansas City.  Her goal was featured on ESPN, and was the #2 play of the night.

Overall Outlook:  The 2020 Thorns are looking to reestablish themselves as soccer royalty in the NWSL.  This year may not be their year, however.  Too many roster changes, a shaky defense, and lackluster wings will hinder them.  Their preliminary draw is tough, facing off against three out of four of last year’s playoff teams.  Depending on seeding in the knockouts, it’s not impossible to think that we might witness the Thorns going out in the quarterfinals, and they almost certainly won’t make it past the semi-finals.  A Thorns team falling in the bottom half of the NWSL rankings is almost unheard of – blasphemy, if you will.  But the offseason losses seem too big of an obstacle to surmount in a short time thanks to limited training and a compressed tournament.  For the Thorns to make a deep run, they will have to count on their mentality – their grit, their determination, their pride for the badge.  In reality though, it seems the Thorns will be building towards a 2021 comeback and looking to reflect on their team culture going forward.