74 Days.
That’s how long it’s been since the Portland Thorns secured a victory. The women are 2-3-4 on the regular season. With 11 games are left on the books, not all hope is lost but the Thorns will need to get things going.
The most glaring difficulty for the team is offensive production. While 11 goals this season is about middle of the pack in the NWSL, only five of those have been scored since their April 18 win. Only two were scored in the last five games. The Thorns are so desperate for an offensive spark that goalkeeper Michelle Betos got involved and scored on an incredible header in last Friday’s game. While the goal got her on ESPN’s top plays and a NWSL Player of the Week nod, it’s also a highlight of the lack of threats the Thorns have on offense.
It’s easy to see where these deficits come from. The Women’s World Cup has done the Thorns no favors, with the club shelling out 8 players for the tournament, making them a league leader with women in the games. It comes at the cost of forwards Alex Morgan, Jodie Taylor and Christine Sinclair. The forward position has been relatively quiet for the Thorns without this trio, primarily relying on the midfield. Of the Thorns 11 goals, 8 are off the toes of Thorns midfielders. Tally another for goalkeeper Betos and it’s fair to say the forward position is almost irrelevant for the Thorns.
Last season Sinclair led the league in shots on goal with 40, followed closely by Morgan. This year the team has hardly scratched the surface with only 52 shots on goal. It’s not putting much pressure on the goalkeepers the Thorns face and puts extra weight on the shoulders of middies like Allie Long who currently leads the team with 4 goals and 3 assists. Sinclair and Morgan also combined for 13 goals last season and Taylor netted 11 of her own for the Washington Spirit. Throw in the trade of Jessica McDonald, who led the team in goals last year, and it’s easy to see why production is so low.
Fortunately, there’s still time for the Thorns. The WWC final wraps up in less than two weeks, sending home some of the club’s top scorers. Also, next up for Portland is Sky Blue FC. Sky Blue and the Thorns haven’t faced off yet but Sky Blue sits at the bottom of the league. They’ve only scored six goals on the year and while goalkeeper Brittany Cameron leads the NWSL in saves, she’s only posted one shutout. That game won’t be until July 3, so Portland will have some time off before hosting Sky Blue at home.
If the Thorns want to stay in the post-season conversation, they’ll have to secure a few wins before the return of WWC players. Sky Blue presents just the right opportunity. With the break, the team will have to find a new strategy to get their forwards involved on offense – before Betos takes their spot on the roster.
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