1. Thorns FC defender Meghan Klingenberg says the support the home fans give the team is unlike anything she’s seen.
“Rose City shows up really big every game, and it’s a huge advantage for us. I think it drives us on, makes us play better and makes us want to play for our city because we know they have our backs. Even when I play for the national team, there might be a bigger crowd, but there’s no crowd that’s more passionate than ours. You can feel that every game. It’s really, really cool to be a part of it.”
2. Michelle Akers was Kling’s favorite athlete growing up.
“I watched every game the U.S. Women’s National Team played from 1996 up until now, and I just loved watching her on the field. She was so recognizable with her big, bushy hair. She would put it in a ponytail. Just the way that she played, she made herself so important for the team. She made everyone around her better and she would completely dominate the game.”
3. An avid cooker, Klingenberg would choose her family if she had to cook a meal for anyone past or present.
“I’d pick my mom, grandma and paps [grandpa]. My grandma and paps aren’t here anymore, but I would do anything to spend one more day with them. When I was younger, we would always have family dinners. My whole family would come and we would stay there the whole day and it was some of my fondest memories as a kid.”
4. After living in the city for over a year, Klingenberg has picked out some of her favorite spots to eat in Portland.
“I love Utopia Cafe. I really enjoy Maruti Indian Restaurant. I’ve been to Farm Spirit. They were really awesome. There’s this little tiki bar off of Mississippi Avenue. It’s called No Bones Beach Club and they do vegan food with piña coladas and they’ll do wings and tacos. It’s really good.”
5. Klingenberg thinks defender Emily Sonnett would be great on stage in a comedy show, while forward Christine Sinclair would have some struggles.
“I don’t want to boost her ego, but I’ll say Sonnett would be good. I think Sincy [Christine Sinclair] would bomb and it would be absolutely hilarious and amazing. She’s funny, but I don’t think the timing would be perfect. I would want to see Sinc do it more than Sonnett because I think she would be so uncomfortable up there with the attention on her. It would be amazing.”
