How the Portland Thorns Became the Best NWSL Team
The Portland Thorns have been at the top (or very near to it) of the NWSL table since really the beginning of the league. But what makes them so successful? They’ve seemingly crafted the perfect system for success, so let’s take a look at how they got there.
A Great Environment
It’s no secret that the Portland Thorns have the best stadium in the league, as well as some great fans that fill that stadium each game. 16,479 fans attended their first home game in 2013, which is a huge amount of fans even now almost a decade later. Fans are a huge part of what makes women’s soccer so special, and Portland’s fan support is unmatched.
Their fans and terrific venue have given them a great home-field advantage. Since they began to play at Providence Park in 2014, they have compiled a 54-22-15 record while scoring 181 goals at home.
Leadership That Took the Initiative
When Merrit Paulson created the Portland Thorns, he did it in a way like we hadn’t seen before in women’s soccer. He became the first MLS owner to own an NWSL team, adding some stability to the league in its earliest days. He gave the league a model of success, showing other MLS and USL team owners that owning a women’s team could be a good business decision.
Paulson and the Portland front office have proven their commitment to women’s soccer, and that has allowed them to succeed as an organization and team.
High-Profile Players
Portland has attracted high-profile players throughout the years. As of writing, they have Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan, Becky Sauerbrunn, Christine Sinclair, Adrianna Franch, and Sophia Smith. Dunn just might be the best player in the world right now, Horan is a class midfielder, Sauerbrunn is one of the best defenders in the world, Sinclair’s goal tally speaks for itself, and Smith is an extremely talented youngster.
Sometimes when there are so many big-name and talented players, it’s difficult for teams to gel and play cohesively, but that hasn’t been the case for the Thorns. No matter which stars they’ve had on their team (and they’ve had Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, and Amandine Henry in their lineups as well), the Thorns find a way to make them work well together. They have an explosive offense paired with a stingy defense that has helped them stay at the top of the league’s standings for many years.
Though the Thorns haven’t always reigned supreme over the league, they’re always a force to be reckoned with and a team you can’t count out.
Featured Image via Steph Chambers/Getty Images
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