Anyone looking down the roster of the Portland Thorns can see that this year’s roster is a sampling of the most talented and gifted athletes in the NWSL. A mix of seasoned veterans and the freshly-drafted, it is a team that has the potential to dominate the league. Recognizing this during a draft day interview, head coach Mark Parsons commented, “I’m starting to feel the heat in making sure that we get off to a good start.”
Parsons had words of praise for all the incoming players. Among the new faces are two defenders, a midfielder and a forward. Rumors are also circulating that 17 year old phenom Mallory Pugh will be joining the team under “Unattached Subsidized Individuals” system, though as of yet nothing has been confirmed.
Even without Pugh, the players coming onto the team are impressive. First round pick defender Emily Sonnett was one of the strongest players in the draft, described as “a baller” by head coach Mark Parsons, as well as “a quality person who you predict can go on and be special”. Forward Nadia Nadim, acquired from Sky Blue FC, scored seven goals in her first six games with her previous club. She is the kind of impact player the Thorn’s will need. Nadim’s personal story (Full article: New York Daily News) is one that shows a talented and motivated athlete on and off the field.
Also joining the Thorns will be defender McKenzie Berryhill, coming from Arizona State. A solid player with accolades ranging from one of the Pac-12’s top defenders in 2013 to First Team All-Pac-12 in 2014, she ended her time at Arizona with a single season career best in goals and assists. Joining her in earlier trades will be National team standout Meghan Klingenberg, noted for her performance in the game against Sweden during last year’s Women’s World Cup. The potential line-up in front of goal is one that should make any team take notice and that is before combining with already strong defenders such as Kat Williams and Emily Menges, to mention a few.
The Thorns also acquired midfielder Lindsay Horan and goal keeper Adrianna French, both currently training with the United States Women’s National Team’s January camp. In fact, there are five (potentially six with Pugh) current members at the USWNT January training camp. A noted problem of the previous season was lacking depth off the bench when national team players, from the US and other countries, were missing from the team. Wilkinson addressed this in an end of the year conference call saying he would take steps to ensure this wasn’t a problem in the upcoming season.
Looking down the roster again, Wilkinson and Parsons addressed this and more. When national team members leave to train for the Olympics this year, the team is left with a solid roster. Now it’s up to Parsons to bring it all together. The potential is for the upcoming season to be a good one for Thorns fans.
