OL Reign vs. Portland Thorns FC: Five Questions
Saturday marks the 35th meeting between the Cascadia rivals.
OL Reign and Portland Thorns FC are tied on points in the NWSL standings. Both teams played NWSL Challenge Cup fixtures on Wednesday night, with both sides winning their respective matches. OL Reign schooled San Diego Wave FC, while Portland had some NWSL After Dark work in their favor over Angel City FC. On Saturday night, the two sides meet for the first time in the 2023 NWSL regular season as the nightcap of another iteration of the Seattle vs. Portland doubleheader. The match will also be a milestone occasion for head coach Laura Harvey, as it will be her 200th NWSL match coached.
It’s The Irresistible Force vs. The Immovable Object, NWSL style.
For Stumptown Footy, Wilder Isom answers our questions about OL Reign’s Cascadia rival.
Ride of the Valkyries: The team had some coaching upheaval this off-season but new head coach Mike Norris has hit the ground running, with the team currently one point off the top of the table. What does he have the team doing that’s made them successful so far?
Stumptown Footy: I’d say Mike has done well in bringing some stability to a team that has faced a lot of upheaval. People have complained about him keeping the lineup largely the same but I think it helps the team adjust and grow from a fixed point. Lately, he’s been mixing it up slowly which I think is a great decision at this point in the season — subbing in newbies as well as giving other players the chance to shine in new positions (Crystal Dunn)
RotV: Similar to the Reign with Lavelle, Portland has been missing a key USWNT player in Becky Sauerbrunn for several weeks now due to injury. How has the team adapted to her absence and who has been stepping up to fill those big shoes?
SF: I think we’re really lucky to have a deep bench when it comes to the defense. We’ve got players like Emily Menges who are able to step up into kind of that leadership role that Becky brings. Kelli Hubly, Natalia Kuikka, and Meghan Klingenberg are also starters that are able to bring consistency. Another player who has really stepped up is Reyna Reyes — she just scored her first professional goal and has really been great on the wing.
RotV: Recently it was announced that OL Reign are up for sale, joining the Thorns in that department. Have there been any updates on that front for Portland?
SF: Honestly, no haha. It’s been relatively silent since the announcement in December. I wish I did have more information since I’d like to know as well.
RotV: What do you think is the biggest question or concern about the Thorns roster when their international players are away at the World Cup?
SF: We have so much young talent that it’ll be interesting to see how they can do without the veterans like Sinclair and Sauerbrunn around. I think if they can step up quickly and well it could be great to see, but... I also could see it being tough being thrown in there all at once. So I guess honestly it could either go great or we could have too many players who have a lot of individual talent trying to come together in a cohesive way.
RotV: What’s your score prediction and why?
SF: Oof, this is gonna be a tough one. Seattle has been on a run lately while Portland has been in a bit of a slump. Optimistically, I want to say 2-2 since the energy of a rivalry brings a lot. Realistically, I could see it ending 2-3 Seattle since it’s at home.
For more of Wilder’s coverage of the Portland Thorns, check out Stumptown Footy. You can also see how we answered their preview questions.