Paulson tweets today that it looks like the Thorns will be doing their pre-season training in Tucson.
I'm trying to figure out what teams might be available for practice, since AZ isn't exactly a 'hot' soccer area. There's an academy in Tuscon that has a team in WPSL, and there are the Sedona Strikers of the WLeague, though I have no clue if either would have a team ready for NWSL preseason like the Houston Aces normally do. UArizona is in Tuscon, and I guess there's ASU as an option as well, but.... Seems like not enough of a reason to make a trip down south unless there's some other draw (BOS or WNY coming down, too? Back in WPS, teams would have group preseason camps in warmer climes.)
FC Tucson hosts the Desert Diamond Cup, so I was originally thinking maybe they're gonna start running a women's version of that. But the Timbers aren't actually competing in it. Rather they just played some pre-season friendlies there vs Kansas City and Seattle (neither of which are competing in the Desert Diamond Cup either). So maybe the Thorns will just go down there for some warm weather training and not actually play any games? I dunno. Seems far fetched that WNY and Boston are gonna fly down there just for a friendly or two.
Paulson tweet suggests that he expects that after this season, he expects Tobin Heath will be available for full seasons. Also, I saw something else that makes me wonder if Catley will be here for the full season or will arrive part way in.
She said in an interview with TheWomen'sGame that she won't be going to Portland until after the Asian Cup.
It's like the AFC's version of the former CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup (in that it is that region's championship and also acts as the World Cup Qualifier).
The Asian Cup finals is on May 25, so she may not be available until then. She could be available sooner, depending on how Australia does in the competition.
N.Korea is banned, China hasn't been strong for a while, and S.Korea never really has been. It should be a Japan-Australia final; they can't even meet in the semis since they're in the same first-round group. Besides, there's a third-place game to be played as well anyway, same day as the final, and there's no way Australia drops to the fifth-place game before the semis.
that's what i thought....was just wondering why heath had to wait to join the thorns until after the asian cup. obviously i have poor reading skills as the poster was clearly referring to catley.
Unconfirmed, but it looks like Ellertson won't be back this season: http://www.rosecitysoccerpress.com/...twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter
Sounds like it. It's a shame for Portland, since she was a huge factor in that title match, but I think they'll still make the postseason without her. How far they get with the vast improvement some teams have made is another story.
They've replaced CPC with Riley; that's their vast improvement. I don't they'll fall far behind at all.
Portland's roster now looks like this: F - Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair, Jessica McDonald, Jackie Acevedo, Elisabeth Sullivan MF - Tobin Heath, Allie Long, Mana Shim, Sinead Farrelly, Angie Kerr, Amber Brooks, Courtney Wetzel D - Rebecca Moros, Stephanie Catley, Nikki Marshall, Kat Williamson, Rachel Van Buehler, Emily Menges GK - Nadine Angerer, Michelle Betos That's 20 players, and Heath won't be there until later in the year. They can still acquire one more player, and maybe two more, if Sullivan doesn't make the team.
There must be conflicting news out there about this because I swear I read somewhere that she hadn't started running yet and then I saw that tweet from herself about her running. Progress...
According to Alex today, she hopes to be back playing in a couple of weeks. But, the recovery from her injury took a lot longer than expected, and they're going to be very careful. With DGD and friends today (defender, midfielder, and forward from left to right), at book signing. Lest anyone wonder, all three of the young ladies' fathers and the grandfather of one (mine) are lifetime soccer players who do have a clue about soccer and who also are Thorns fans who take their daughters (in my case, granddaughter) to Thorns games. I'm pretty sure the grandfather and probably great grandfather of one not mine also were lifetime soccer players as they are Brits.
Do all the players from last season's squad get championship rings, or is that reserved for the players who are still with the team?
Not Thorns related but this is something cool happening in Portland and I hope some fans (and players) take advantage of the opportunity to see some of the secret art work of Theodor Geisel, who we know better as Dr. Seuss. It's on display at the World Forestry Center from May 24 thru August 17 according to an Oregonian article at OregonOnline by Jamie Hale. Not sure if any works from his series on the madness of inside-out shorts is in the current exhibition... Reportedly the last image was a planned commission for the craft beer taps at the Stadium Club until the Grinch aka Gulati nixed it after the Morgan/Sinclair allocation in order to maintain some semblance of parity in the league.