Roster

Discussion in 'Portland Thorns FC' started by cpthomas, Feb 20, 2013.

  1. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thorns sign Jazmyne Avant (Florida 2011) as a discovery player.
     
  2. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    Now that's more of a true definition of "discovery" player than Caitlin Foord was, who is easily one of the Top 10 overall players in the world at her age level (18 and younger). In fact, if Foord were on the U-20 team for the U.S. (hypothetically), she would be one of the Top 3 overall players on that team, even with most of the players being a year or two older than her on that same U-20 team.

    And she'd be one of the Top 10 global players in talent overall in a FIFA U-20 WWC tournament, if Australia could even get there next time.
     
  3. LeftCoastLondoner

    Oct 29, 2012
    Long Beach, CA
    Club:
    West Ham United FC
  4. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    I know Foxhoven is not quite a rookie (her last year in college was 2011, not 2012), but I have her incoming overall player score as an "87". Please keep in mind, the highest score of all the rookies is Kristen Mewis at "89" (and Franch at "89" as well, Bywaters at "88", Nairn at "88", etc).

    Foxhoven is a very very nice "discovery" player.
    If you're getting players above an "85" (even at "87") in discovery, you're doing something right.

    This pretty much kills any chance that Portland's 2nd round pick (Radovcic - from UCF) will make the final roster. You can say the same for Jessica Shufelt (taken in the supplemental draft - from UCONN).

    The forwards and attacking mids, will be Morgan, Sinclair, Foxhoven, Weissenhofer, Allie Long, and Nikki Washington ... not to mention Heath in the midfield, who can also be in an attacking role. That's enough attacking players right there, seven of them. I just don't see room for Radovcic or Shufelt now. Certainly at least one of them will get cut (and probably both).

    Portland's overall team score at "Forward" is now at "91.8".
    Incredible.

    Forwards (Top 4 from each team)
    1.) Portland (91.8) (Sinclair 97, Morgan 96, Foxhoven 87, Weissenhofer 87)
    2.) WNY (90.0) (Wambach 94, Adriana 91, Kerr 90, DiMartino 85)
    3.) Boston (89.8) (Leroux 93, Simon 92, Leon 89, Guajardo 85)
    4.) Sky Blue (89.0) (De Vanna 93, O'Hara 90, Ocampo 88, Adams 85)
    5.) FCKC (88.3) (Henderson 91, Nogueira Loyd 90, Cuellar 87, Mathias 85)
    6.) Washington (87.5) (Ochs 89, McCarty 88, Miller 87, Kai 86)
    7.) Chicago (87.0) (Masar 90, Dominguez 88, McDonald 86, Hoy 84)
    8.) Seattle (86.5) (Taylor 88, Cameron 87, Heyboer 86, Bogus 85)
     
  5. newsouth

    newsouth Member

    Nov 20, 2010
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    :)

    Two parts, Dalmy and Ellertson, of MagicJack's 3-4-3 will anchor Portland's backline, giving them height and pretty much taking away through balls. I thought they were going to be all offense. On top of that I noticed Becky Edwards will probably captain the mid-field.

    I'd say the championship is pretty much in the bank unless Lines has some tricks up his sleeve to go 4 for 4 in championship games. I find that hard to believe, since he just has Walking Header and $24000 instead of Press. He has surrounded her with size, but his attack will be slow as molasses.
     
  6. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    I don't see any weaknesses in their starting lineup, and even their bench depth is impressive up top and in the back. They do need more depth in the midfield and at the goalkeeper position.

    Forwards: Morgan, Sinclair, Foxhoven, Weissenhofer, Radovcic, Shufelt
    Defenders: Marshall, Dalmy, Buehler, Ellertson, Williamson, Avant, Sandoval, Saucedo

    Midfielders: Long, Washington, Heath*, Edwards, Kerr, Brooks*
    Goalkeepers: LeBlanc, Barker (who isn't exactly the best backup keeper in the league)

    Portland needs to pick up at least one more borderline starting quality midfielder, and one more solid reserve midfielder (for depth). The Thorns should also pick up another goalkeeper for depth, and one that can challenge and maybe beat out Barker. The Thorns will not be able to pick up a starting goalkeeper this late in the game, as LeBlanc is no longer a Top 4 goalkeeper in this league, but there's no one left to pick up who is better than her. LeBlanc is still a Top 8 goalkeeper in this league, and good enough to start somewhere. Bianca Henninger's best bet was to go to Portland, and not KC. It would have been easier for Henninger to ultimately beat out LeBlanc for sharing the starter role as a platoon goalkeeper, than it would for her to get the same amount of platoon minutes away from Barnhart in KC.

    Henninger is also supposed to have pretty big hands (which is advantageous for a goalkeeper) but no one has the size of hands that Hope Solo has for a woman.


    [​IMG]
     
  7. ForeverLOST108

    ForeverLOST108 Member+

    Jan 23, 2010
    Orlando
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Out of UCF the news is that former GK Aline Reis is called into the preseason camp. I think she can definitely compete for a roster spot for the Thorns and she was a standout at UCF. You may remember her as the GK that got UCF past UNC in penalties in 2011 NCAA tournament.

    She is a very similar player to Bianca Henninger and is on the shorter side (5-3) but has great range. Also is in the Brazilian national team pool system.

     
  8. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    This might be better in the " who is Cindy going to sign" thread.

    As far as I see from the Thorns pages on the Timbers site, neither has inked yet. There is no hint that Ellertson will play this year.
     
  9. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    Ellertson is definitely going to play. This was a plan she concocted with Parlow. Portland had the #8 pick, of the first round. All the other teams got to pick before Portland did in each round (including the 1st round). Ellertson was worried that she would be picked up by one of the other teams. Ellertson was only going to play in this league, if she were to play with Portland. That's why she posted her message on twitter, to scare off the other teams from drafting her. I'm sure she and Parlow talked (multiple times) before the supplemental draft, and Ellertson convinced Parlow she would play, if she was drafted by Portland, and if Parlow would be flexible with Ellertson's time (with family, etc). I'm sure they made the agreement. And Portland went ahead and drafted Ellertson with their 1st round pick. Otherwise, Parlow doesn't select her that high in the draft.
     
  10. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006
    You made this up. Cone took a flyer that will probably not pan out.

    Ellertson still had not said she will play, long after the need to keep up the supposed charade has passed.

    I'd love to have her, but this is looking more like another Cone wasted pick.
     
  11. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    Of course I made that up, it is my "gut feel" on the situation.
    You have to keep in mind one thing here. Since Ellertson was drafted by Portland, she has not been quoted one time anywhere saying, "I'm not gonna play still".
     
  12. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    She hasn't said anything other than "family first" either. That was her last tweet on the subject.
     
  13. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    And another thing, after Ellertson posted on twitter (two days before the supplemental draft or whatever it was), none of the other teams would have taken Ellertson at all (one may have taken her in the 6th round possibly). Parlow could have waited until the 4th round or so to take her. The fact that Parlow took Ellertson in the first round, tells me that she had discussed this with Ellertson before hand. Otherwise, Parlow is a complete idiot if she didn't discuss things with Ellertson, and then still drafted her in the first round.
     
  14. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    I personally think Ellertson found a "loophole" in this system, and found a creative way to ensure she would be drafted by Portland, and no one else. It's an opinion, and it may be different from yours. We have to consider all possibilities here though, so it is certainly still a possibility that Parlow was being an idiot here. It's also a possibility that Ellertson and Parlow talked and decided to "beat the system" on this as well. Certainly there are multiple possibilities here, until we discover what actually happened, or will happen, regarding this situation.
     
  15. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    Savin' this post.
     
  16. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    The fact that she took her in the first round is evidence there was no deal. If she could have waited and didn't under your scenario, that is smoking gun idiocy.
     
  17. newsouth

    newsouth Member

    Nov 20, 2010
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    you're probably correct. every resource is pointing to her as a portland player. in every sport on the face of the earth, teams talk to the #1 pick before they draft them. if it was the bo jackson /raider type deal, they would have drafted her late and took a gamble. no one in this day and time wastes a #1 on a hunch.
     
  18. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006
    Cone apparently didn't talk to Brooks, either.
     
  19. newsouth

    newsouth Member

    Nov 20, 2010
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    yeah, i forgot women's soccer is beyond every other sport on the face of this earth. :rolleyes: you're right everyone is just throwing their #1 picks out the door.
     
  20. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    Not everyone. Just the ones that don't understand you have to actually sign your picks.
     
  21. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    Actions speak louder than words.
    The fact Parlow (Cone) drafted her, tells me that they had some sort of conversation. Otherwise Parlow is a fool, who isn't qualified for being involved in talent acquisition if she is making these risky moves without even talking to these players first. Of course they'll tell everyone that they didn't talk to each other before the draft, but those are just their words (not their actions).

    It takes pressure off of Brooks, by saying they didn't talk with each other before hand.
    Now fans aren't expecting her to play for Portland, they're only hoping she does.
    The fact is, they had a relationship before hand (Brooks played while Parlow coached at UNC), and we can certainly guess that they had conversations about how to get Brooks to Portland, without anyone else drafting her. Yet, another P.R. from Brooks about how she would be playing overseas and not in this league. And then it was followed up shortly afterwards by Parlow drafting her still. Very similar "loophole" pattern that Ellertson was obtained by Portland (the team she wanted to go to). Brooks wanted to go to Portland all along, if she were to play in NWSL (after returning from her stint overseas). Parlow knew that from talking to her. These coaches and players all talk with each other. Many of them don't agree with the draft process out there, in going to a team they don't want to play for, and for shetty pay. So they find creative loopholes and an alternate route to beat the system, to ensure a player gets to go where she wants to go, and a coach beats out other opposing franchises for getting a player that they want (who happens to want to be there as well).
     
  22. TsovLoj

    TsovLoj Member

    Aug 16, 2012
    For once I agree with WPS. I don't think they'd have used a pick that high unless there were strong reasons for them to believe they could get her playing.
     
  23. TsovLoj

    TsovLoj Member

    Aug 16, 2012
    Is it, though? There might be fear that someone else would jump on her not because they thought they could get her to play but to prevent her from going to Portland, if they saw this coming.
     
  24. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    Seattle could have taken Ellertson still in the 3rd round or so (maybe even the 2nd round), and this scared off Portland? We'll never know. Heck, Seattle took Krzysik with the 2nd overall pick, and then after the draft Krzysik says she isn't sure if she'll play. I'm sure Laura Harvey talked to Krzysik before the draft, and determined that there was > 50% chance that Krzysik was going to play, and Krzysik's "actions" (not words) so far have shown us (up to this point in time) that she is intending on playing in NWSL in 2013. Krzysik is still attending camps lately, and is still training in intense fashion.
     
  25. newsouth

    newsouth Member

    Nov 20, 2010
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    She's good, not great. Going to another team won't tip the balance of the league. I'm going with WPS on this one. People are reaching all over the place. You take a #1 draft pick when you have an idea the player has interest in your club and will suit up. Obviously, this is a bit different from major sports but the same theory applies.
     

Share This Page