Portland Thorns FC open their fourth season in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on Sunday, April 17, playing host to expansion side Orlando Pride at Providence Park (7pm PT, WEBSTREAM | TICKETS), presented by 2 Towns Ciderhouse.
Led by first-year head coach Mark Parsons, Portland opens the regular season at Providence Park for a second consecutive season on Sunday. Thorns FC registered a 4-1 win in their first match of the 2015 season against the Boston Breakers on April 11 at Providence Park. Dating back to the team’s inaugural season in 2013, Portland is unbeaten in season-opening matches (2-0-1) and 3-0-0 in home openers.
Sunday’s match marks the first-ever meeting between Orlando and Portland and the first of two meetings between the two clubs during the 2016 regular season. It also marks the second time in four seasons that Thorns FC square off against an expansion side in their first match of the campaign. In 2014, Portland traveled to Houston to take on the Dash in their inaugural match, recording a 1-0 win at BBVA Compass Stadium on April 12.
Following Sunday’s match, Thorns FC begin a four-game road trip, visiting FC Kansas City for a match on Saturday, April 23, at Swope Park Soccer Village in Kansas City, Kan.; kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. (Pacific) with a live web stream at www.thornsfc.com.
NEW COACH
Last October, the Thorns announced the hiring of head coach Mark Parsons. After taking over the Washington Spirit on an interim basis midway through a difficult 2013 season, Parsons helped guide that team to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2014 and 2015.
Now, he's ready to kick off a new challenge with what he calls a “special” group of players.
“I'm excited [about] opening day and watching the players' faces when they hear the anthem and the roar of “Thorns” at the end of it,” he said. “I can't wait for the players to feel the atmosphere [at Providence Park].”
NEW PLAYERS
Parsons hopes to bring a cohesive identity and playing style to a strong Thorns FC roster, one that has undergone a massive transformation from last season.
Joining the Thorns in 2016 are U.S. internationals Lindsey Horan (from Paris Saint-Germain), Meghan Klingenberg (from the Houston Dash) and defender Emily Sonnett (selected with the number one overall pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft from the University of Virginia).
Rounding out the team's offseason acquisitions are a pair of Scandinavians, Danish international Nadia Nadim (acquired via trade from Sky Blue FC) and Icelandic international Dagný Brynjarsdóttir (from Bayern Munich), along with French international and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Silver Ball winner Amandine Henry (from Olympique Lyon). Henry will arrive in Portland later this summer after the conclusion of her club season in France.
Parsons also has added depth to this squad through the acquisitions of veterans Katherine Reynolds (from the Washington Spirit) and Adrianna Franch (who played for the Western New York Flash in 2013), along with rookies McKenzie Berryhill and Mallory Weber.
These players will surround an already strong squad of returning players, which includes goalkeeper Michelle Betos, defenders Kat Williamson, Kendall Johnson and Emily Menges, midfielders Tobin Heath and Allie Long, and forwards Mana Shim and Christine Sinclair.
“I'm as excited to see this team come together as a core team, playing good football, as [I am to see them] come together as people,” Parsons said of this new-look Thorns team.
“This is going to be a very good, tight group of people that is going to build something special on and off the field. That's not a guess. That's connected with these players. I know that they all have similar ambitions and similar interests and they've got this core character trait of wanting to be the best and winning and they value how important each other is in that process.”
NEW NWSL TEAM
Entering their first season in the NWSL, the Orlando Pride are led by former U.S. and Australia Women’s National Team coach Tom Sermanni. Orlando’s roster features U.S. Women’s National Team forward Alex Morgan and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and Australia Women’s National Team defenders Steph Catley and Laura Alleway.
