Thorns return home to face the Washington Spirit

After a roadtrip to Chicago and a bye week, the Thorns return to Providence Park for a game against the Washington Spirit.

It may have been a good thing that the Thorns got two weeks of training ahead of this match-up, since they face a considerable change – at forward. With Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair with their respective national teams and Jodie Taylor recovering from knee surgery, it most likely will be up to either Hannah Terry or an amateur player such as Kelsey Haycook or Sarah Jackson to fill the void. And despite most Thorns goals coming from midfield, it is a big void to fill. In the season opener and in Chicago, Morgan and Sinclair’s runs into midfield drew defenders and opened up space for their teammates. The chemistry between forward and midfield has been vital for the Thorns, despite it not always showing on the scoreboard.

Against Western New York, Jodie Taylor often looked a little isolated or cut off from her teammates, making her somewhat easier to defend. When Sinclair came into the match late, the Thorns attack looked more lively and dangerous. It seems to be an issue of knowing each other’s runs which simply takes a little time to build up – but that chemistry is an important aspect of Portland’s attack. Hopefully two weeks of training will have helped to build some of that familiarity and understanding between the midfield and whoever gets the starting nod up top.

The second change to the starting line up will be the replacement of Tobin Heath. Taylor Comeau (starting alongside Heath in Chicago) is looking to be a likely candidate and had a good game topped with a golden scoring opportunity which sadly went high over Karina LeBlanc’s goal. It remains to be seen whether she can really reach the quality of Heath, who has looked better and better with each match this season, but she definitely looked like a solid alternative.

The Washington Spirit, coming off a 3-1 loss to the Seattle Reign, will again be without keeper Ashlyn Harris and defender Ali Krieger. Harris has often kept them in games with spectacular saves last season, but against Seattle Kelsey Wys certainly looked like a capable replacement. The Spirit, who have either won or lost by 2 goals so far this season, seem a little inconsistent on first glance. However, their latest match up was not quite as one sided as the scoreline would suggest. They held their own against Seattle and had several good chances in the second half, when they managed to establish more control in midfield.

That midfield was also key to their home opening win against Kansas City. While FCKC were given ample time and space on the ball in the first half (but were unable to direct their effort on frame), the Spirit came out of the locker room looking more settled and in control and eventually able to score twice more for a 3-1 victory. So it will be important for Portland to continue doing what, according to Rory Dames’ post game comments, they were able to do in Chicago: beating the opponent to first balls, second balls and fifty-fifty balls. Additionally it would be good not to relax too much even when in the lead and stay focused and compact: the Spirit was not willing to give up in Seattle, even 3-1 down.

While Washington seemed to have shored up defensively somewhat against the Reign, allowing only 14 shots (compared to 21 in that home opener against Kansas City), they too will face a change up top. While most of the Spirit goals have come from Crystal Dunn and Christine Nairn (who will both be available against the Thorns), Estefania Banini has looked increasingly dangerous for Washington. It seemed the question of when, not if she would score – before she was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury this week. If and how the Spirit can compensate that loss, and whether they will be able to do so against the Thorns already, remains to be seen. In any case, Portland needs to be wary of the speed of Dunn and Nairn’s shooting ability. Keeping Dunn from getting in behind and cutting down Nairn’s time on the ball anywhere near the 18 will be crucial for Portland’s success.

In the three games they have played this season, the Thorns have shown that they are capable of comfortable wins, somewhat scrappily hanging on to a 1-0 lead and coming from behind for a point when the game seemed lost after eight  minutes and two early goals. All of that looks more solid and consistent than the team has last season. With those experiences and their midfield and defensive core largely intact, Portland should be able to carry the momentum into the second part of the season and prove they are a force to be reckoned with – even without most of their national team stars.