2017 Portland Thorns FC season
The 2017 Portland Thorns FC season was the team's and the league's fifth season of existence. The Thorns played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top division of women's soccer in the United States. The Thorns had finished in first place in the 2016 season, but failed to advance from the semifinals in the 2016 NWSL playoffs. With a slogan of "Unfinished Business", they qualified for the NWSL playoffs as the 2nd ranked team in the 2017 regular season. In the playoffs, they defeated the Orlando Pride and then the North Carolina Courage to become 2017 NWSL Champions. It was their second championship, following the first in 2013.
| 2017 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Merritt Paulson | ||
| Head coach | Mark Parsons | ||
| Stadium | Providence Park Portland, Oregon (Capacity: 21,144) | ||
| National Women's Soccer League | 2nd | ||
| NWSL Playoffs | Champions | ||
| Top goalscorer | Christine Sinclair (8 goals) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 21,444 (September 30 vs. Chicago Red Stars) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 14,471 (April 29 vs. Chicago Red Stars) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 17,155 | ||
| Biggest win | 4–0 (September 2 vs. Washington Spirit) | ||
| Biggest defeat | 1–3 (June 17 vs. Sky Blue FC) | ||
|
| |||
| All statistics correct as of July 8, 2017. | |||
This page covers from the day after the 2016 NWSL final to the day of the 2017 NWSL final.
Background
Season review
Off-season
On October 17, 2016, defender Kat Williamson announced her retirement from soccer.
On October 19, 2016, Portland Thorns FC exercised contract options on goalkeeper Adrianna Franch; defenders Meg Morris and Katherine Reynolds; midfielders Celeste Boureille, Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, Amandine Henry, and Kendall Johnson; and forwards Nadia Nadim, Hayley Raso, and Mallory Weber. Goalkeeper Michelle Betos, defender Emily Menges, and midfielder Meleana Shim went out of contract and were extended new contract offers. Michelle Betos would later confirm on her Twitter account that she did not accept the offer, while Menges and Shim did.
On October 27, 2016, Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Allie Long, Meghan Klingenberg and goalkeeper Adrianna Franch were called up for USA for two friendly matches against Romania.
On November 2, 2016, Emily Menges received her first USA call up due to Meghan Klingenberg suffering from a back injury.
On November 8, 2016, Portland Thorns FC head coach Mark Parsons signed a long-term contract extension. Director of goalkeeping Nadine Angerer also signed a contract extension.
On December 13, 2016, Tobin Heath was named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.
On December 15, 2016, Christine Sinclair was named Canadian Player of the Year.
On January 4, 2017, Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan and Allie Long, Emily Sonnett and goalkeeper Adrianna Franch were called up by USA for an evaluation period for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup.
On January 12, 2017, Portland Thorns FC selected midfielders Rachel Hill and Caroline Flynn and forwards Savannah Jordan and Tyler Lussi from the 2017 NWSL College Draft.
On January 18, 2017, Portland Thorns FC acquired Orlando Pride's first-round and fourth-round 2018 NWSL College Draft picks for the rights to forward Rachel Hill, who was chosen by Portland in the 2017 NWSL College Draft.
On January 27, 2017, Amandine Henry was sent on a short-term loan to French side Paris Saint-Germain.
On February 8, 2017, Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan and Allie Long, and defenders Meghan Klingenberg and Emily Sonnett were called up to the USA training camp ahead of the SheBelieves Cup.
On February 22, 2017, Portland Thorns FC re-signed defender Emily Menges and midfielder Meleana Shim.
On March 8, 2017, Portland Thorns FC traded two fourth round picks in the 2018 NWSL College Draft to the North Carolina Courage for goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom.
Preseason
On March 13, 2017, Portland Thorns FC announced their 2017 preseason roster, which included 5 non-roster invites.
On March 26, 2017, Portland Thorns FC began their preseason tournament against the Chicago Red Stars. There would be no cards and a single goal from Nadia Nadim in the 26th minute from a converted penalty. Portland would go on to win their first preseason match 1–0.
On April 14, 2017, the Thorns signed defender Meghan Cox, who was an undrafted non-roster invitee to preseason camp.
April
On April 15, 2017, Portland Thorns FC hosted the Orlando Pride for the start of the 2017 NWSL campaign. In the 32nd minute, Nadia Nadim successfully converted a penalty kick after an Orlando handball in the box. In the 67th minute, Allie Long sent a cross to Christine Sinclair, who scored to put the Thorns up another goal. After the 2–0 win, they were tied for first place with Houston Dash and FC Kansas City.
On April 22, 2017, Portland Thorns FC went on the road for the first time to take on the North Carolina Courage, formerly the Western New York Flash, relocated and rebranded in the offseason. North Carolina won 1–0 on a late goal from Debinha in the 81st minute.
On April 29, 2017, the Thorns returned home to defeat the Chicago Red Stars 1–0 on a Nadia Nadim penalty kick after a Christen Press handball in the box.
Position at the end of April
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Portland Thorns FC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 |
May
Thorns FC opened May by hosting their rivals Seattle Reign FC. In the 1st minute, Seattle's Jess Fishlock scored a long-range shot from 24 yards out. In the 37th minute, Fishlock scored again but instead this time in Seattle's own net, equalizing Portland 1–1. Shortly after in the 29th minute, Merritt Mathias, with an assist from Rebekah Stott, put Seattle back up, 2–1, at the end of the first half. Portland equalized again with a goal from Allie Long, assisted by Meghan Klingenberg, in the 82nd minute. Both teams settled with a point from a final score of 2–2.
Position as of May 6
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Portland Thorns FC | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 |
Competitions
| Competition | Record | Started round | First match | Last match | Final position | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| NWSL | 24 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 20 | +17 | 58.33 | 1 | April 15, 2017 | September 30, 2017 | Second place |
| NWSL Playoffs | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 100.00 | 1 | October 7, 2017 | October 14, 2017 | Winners |
| Total | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 42 | 21 | +21 | 61.54 | ||||
Updated to match played Jan. 15, 2018
Source: Competitions
Preseason
Providence Park Preseason Tournament
Win
Draw
Loss
Upcoming fixture
| March 26, 2017 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 1–0 | Chicago Red Stars | Portland, Oregon |
| 17:00 (PST) | Nadim  26' (pen.) |
Report | Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 6,802 |
| March 29, 2017 2 | Portland Thorns FC | 1–2 | U.S. U-23s WNT | Portland, Oregon |
| 19:30 (PST) | Weber 8' (Sinclair, Herndon) |
Report | Xiao 66' Smith 90' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 6,129 |
| April 1, 2017 3 | Portland Thorns FC | 1–1 | Houston Dash | Portland, Oregon |
| 19:30 (PST) | Shim 17' Nadim  43' |
Report | Daly 28', 76' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 7,252 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Houston Dash (C) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Portland Thorns FC |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | U.S. U-23s WNT |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Chicago Red Stars |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
(C) Champion.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina Courage | 24 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 38 | 22 | +16 | 49 | NWSL Shield |
| 2 | Portland Thorns FC (C) | 24 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 20 | +17 | 47 | NWSL Playoffs |
| 3 | Orlando Pride | 24 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 45 | 31 | +14 | 40 | |
| 4 | Chicago Red Stars | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 33 | 30 | +3 | 39 | |
| 5 | Seattle Reign FC | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 43 | 37 | +6 | 34 | |
| 6 | Sky Blue FC | 24 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 42 | 51 | −9 | 33 | |
| 7 | FC Kansas City | 24 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 29 | 31 | −2 | 31 | |
| 8 | Houston Dash | 24 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 23 | 39 | −16 | 24 | |
| 9 | Boston Breakers | 24 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 24 | 35 | −11 | 19 | |
| 10 | Washington Spirit | 24 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 30 | 48 | −18 | 19 |
Matches
Win Draw Loss Upcoming fixture
| Date Round | Home team | Score | Away team | Location |
| Time | Stadium: Stadium Attendance: Attendance Referee: Referee |
| April 15, 2017 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–0 | Orlando Pride | Portland, Oregon |
| 12:00 (PST) | Nadim 32' (pen.) Sinclair 67' (Long) |
Report | Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 16,145 Referee: Danielle Chesky |
| April 23, 2016 2 | North Carolina Courage | 1–0 | Portland Thorns FC | Cary, North Carolina |
| 16:30 (PST) | Kawamura 27' Mewis 76' Debinha 81' (McDonald) |
Report | Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 6,298 Referee: Victor Rivas |
| April 29, 2017 3 | Portland Thorns FC | 1–0 | Chicago Red Stars | Portland, Oregon |
| 13:00 (PST) | Nadim 27' (pen.) Sonnett 51' Boureille 67' |
Report | Ertz 64' Press 90+1' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 14,471 Referee: Ramy Touchan |
| May 6, 2017 4 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–2 | Seattle Reign FC | Portland, Oregon |
| 19:00 (PST) | Fishlock 37' (o.g.) Henry 73' Long 82' (Klingenberg) Horan 90+1' |
Report | Fishlock 1' (Utsugi) Mathias 39' (Stott) Rapinoe 57' Fishlock 66' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 16,160 Referee: Christina Unkel |
| May 13, 2017 5 | FC Kansas City | 0–0 | Portland Thorns FC | Kansas City, Missouri |
| 19:00 (PST) | Moros 74' |
Report | Stadium: Swope Soccer Village Attendance: 1,796 Referee: Karen Abt |
| May 19, 2017 6 | Boston Breakers | 2–2 | Portland Thorns | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 16:00 (PST) | Dowie 38' (Leon) White 48' (Dowie) Salem 90' |
Report | Nadim 57' (pen.) Weber 65' Cox 68' Nadim 83' (Raso) |
Stadium: Jordan Field Attendance: 3,321 Referee: Farhad Dadkho |
| May 27, 2017 7 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–0 | Boston Breakers | Portland, Oregon |
| 19:00 (PST) | King 1' (o.g.) Henry 5' Nadim 49' |
Report | Haavi 24' Westphal 71' Chapman  90+1' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 18,637 Referee: Katja Koroleva |
| June 3, 2017 8 | Sky Blue FC | 0–2 | Portland Thorns FC | Piscataway, New Jersey |
| 16:00 (PST) | Mills 20' O'Hara 89' |
Report | Horan 20' (Nadim), 42' (Klingenberg), 59' Cox 77' |
Stadium: Yurcak Field Attendance: 2,418 Referee: Marco Vega Assistant referees: Amanda Ross, Tom Felice Fourth official: Lorant Varga |
| June 17, 2017 9 | Portland Thorns FC | 1–3 | Sky Blue FC | Portland, Oregon |
| 19:00 (PST) | Henry 90+1' Sinclair 90+5' (penalty) |
Report | Rodriguez 1' (Kerr) O'Hara 74'Kerr 70' (Hayes), 88' (Tiernan)Stanton 90' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 16,736 Referee: Timothy Ford Assistant referees: Deleana Quan, JJ Blodgett Fourth official: Cephas Quartson |
| June 24, 2017 10 | Washington Spirit | 1–0 | Portland Thorns FC | Boyds, Maryland |
| 16:00 (PST) | Ordega 19' |
Report | Stadium: Maryland SoccerPlex Attendance: 4,319 Referee: Danielle Chesky Assistant referees: Cory Richardson, Jeffrey Skinker Fourth official: Jorge Ramirez |
| June 28, 2017 11 | Portland Thorns FC | 3–0 | FC Kansas City | Portland, Oregon |
| 19:00 (PST) | Sinclair 15', 75' (Raso), 71' Raso 32' (Horan), 66'Horan 52' |
Report | Newfield 54' Ratcliffe 83'Kelly 90+2' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 16,199 Referee: Chipalo Street Assistant referees: Adrienne McDonald, Cephas Quartson Fourth official: Kelsey Harms |
| July 1, 2017 12 | Seattle Reign FC | 2–0 | Portland Thorns FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 19:00 (PST) | Rapinoe 45+1', 81' (Nairn) McNabb 77' |
Report | Sinclair 64' Brynjarsdottir 72'Raso 90+1' |
Stadium: Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,270 Referee: Jon Freemon Assistant referees: Joshua Haimes, TJ Zablocki Fourth official: Cephas Quartson |
| July 8, 2017 13 | Houston Dash | 1–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Houston, Texas |
| 19:00 (PST) | Beckie 8' (Daly) Benites 82'Daly 90'Lloyd 90+1' |
Report | Horan 45+2', 90+1' |
Stadium: BBVA Compass Stadium Attendance: 3,869 Referee: Christina Unkel Assistant referees: Deleana Quan, Brooke Mayo Fourth official: Estefania Estrada |
| Note: Kickoff was delayed from 17:30 Pacific due to severe weather. | ||||
| July 15, 2017 14 | Portland Thorns FC | 1–0 | North Carolina Courage | Portland, Oregon |
| 12:50 (PST) | Raso 62', 70' (Klingenberg) |
Report | Smith 58' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 16,804 |
| July 22, 2017 15 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–1 | Washington Spirit | Portland Oregon |
| 19:00 (PST) | Long 62' (Lussi) Weber 80' (Sykes) Sykes 30' |
Report | Solaun 58' Ship 12' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 18,478 |
| August 5, 2017 16 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–1 | Houston Dash | Portland, Oregon |
| 12:50 (PST) | Report | Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 18,243 Referee: Karen Abt |
| August 12, 2017 17 | Chicago Red Stars | 2–3 | Portland Thorns FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 19:00 (PST) | Report | Stadium: Toyota Park Attendance: 4,934 Referee: Greg Dopka |
| August 16, 2017 18 | FC Kansas City | 2–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Kansas City, Missouri |
| 19:00 (PST) | Report | Stadium: Swope Soccer Village Attendance: 428 Referee: Marco Vega |
| August 19, 2017 19 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–0 | Houston Dash | Portland, Oregon |
| 19:00 (PST) |
|
Report | Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 19,672 Referee: Christina Unkel |
| August 26, 2017 20 | Seattle Reign FC | 1–2 | Portland Thorns FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 13:00 (PST) | Summary |
|
Stadium: Memorial Stadium Attendance: 6,041 Referee: Farhad Dadkho |
| September 2, 2017 21 | Portland Thorns FC | 4–0 | Washington Spirit | Portland, Oregon |
| 13:00 (PST) | Report | Haracic 21' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 19,141 |
| September 10, 2017 22 | Boston Breakers | 0–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 15:00 (PST) |
|
Report | Stadium: Jordan Field |
| September 23, 2017 23 | Orlando Pride | 0–0 | Portland Thorns FC | Orlando, Florida |
| 12:50 (PST) | Report | Stadium: Orlando City Stadium |
| September 30, 2017 24 | Portland Thorns FC | 3–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Portland, Oregon |
| 12:50 (PDT) | Report |
|
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 21,144 Referee: Elvis Osmanovic |
| October 7, 2017 Playoff | Portland Thorns FC | 4–1 | Orlando Pride | Portland, Oregon |
| 12:30 (PDT) | Report |
|
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 18,193 Referee: Timothy Ford |
| October 14, 2017 Final | North Carolina Courage | 0–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Orlando, Florida |
| 16:30 (EDT) | Report |
|
Stadium: Orlando City Stadium Attendance: 8,124 Referee: Danielle Chesky |
The 2017 NWSL Regular Season schedule was released on March 1, 2017.[1] On June 12, the league changed kickoff times for several matches to accommodate hydration breaks during television broadcasts and implemented new guidelines for playing in extreme heat, and also allowed teams to reschedule backup games for television to later kickoff times.[2][3][4]
Results by round
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
- Position is based on where the Portland Thorns FC are at the end of that match week, not after the match itself.
Home/away results
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 24 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 20 | +17 | 47 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 8 | +17 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
Last updated: September 29, 2017.
Source: Match reports
NWSL Playoffs
Win Draw Loss Upcoming fixture
Semifinal:
| October 7, 2017 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 4–1 | Orlando Pride | Portland, Oregon |
| 12:00 (PDT) | Henry 12' Sonnett 15' Raso 71' Sinclair 83' |
Report | Kennedy 23' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 18,193 Referee: Timothy Ford |
Final:
| October 14, 2017 2 | North Carolina Courage | 0–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Orlando, Florida |
| 13:00 (PST) | Report | Horan 50' |
Stadium: Orlando City Stadium Attendance: 8,124 Referee: Danielle Chesky |
Following the win in the Final, the Thorns were crowned 2017 NWSL Champions.[5]
Club
Executive staff
| Owner and CEO | Merritt Paulson |
| President of Business | Mike Golub |
| GM/President of Soccer | Gavin Wilkinson |
| Manager, Soccer Operations / Executive Assistant for Thorns FC | Sarah Aschwald |
Updated to match played January 12, 2016
Source: Portland Timbers
Coaching staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Mark Parsons |
| Assistant Coach | Rich Gunney |
| Assistant Coach/Equipment Manager | Sophie Clough |
| Assistant Coach/Community Youth Development Coach | Carly Copplestone |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Nadine Angerer |
| Fitness Coach | Garga Caserta |
| Head Athletic Trainer | Beckie Kruse |
Grounds
| Ground (capacity and dimensions) | Providence Park (21,144 / 110x75 yards) |
| Training Ground | Providence Park |
Source: Providence Park
Kits
Primary kit
The Thorns primarily wear red Nike Vapor match kit with gray shoulders, red shorts, and red socks. Providence Health & Services remains their kit sponsor as in past seasons. The Lifetime logo is printed in a white circle on the right sleeve, and the league logo is printed on the left sleeve. A 5th-anniversary logo is printed above the shirt's lower-left hemline.[6]
Secondary kit
The Thorns' alternate kit are white Nike Laser shirts with black sleeve cuffs, white shorts, and white socks. This is unchanged from 2016, with the exception of the Lifetime logo printed in a red circle on the right sleeve and the 5th-anniversary logo.[7]
Squad information
First team squad
Last updated: September 2, 2017[8]
| No. | Name | Nationality | Positions | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Year with club (year signed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||
| 24 | Adrianna Franch | |
GK | November 12, 1990 |  Avaldsnes IL |
2 (2016) |
| 33 | Britt Eckerstrom | |
GK | May 28, 1993 | North Carolina Courage |
1 (2017) |
| Defenders | ||||||
| 2 | Katherine Reynolds | |
RB | September 14, 1987 | Washington Spirit |
2 (2016) |
| 4 | Emily Menges | |
CB | July 28, 1992 | 2014 NWSL College Draft | 4 (2014) |
| 16 | Emily Sonnett (FP) | |
CB | November 25, 1993 | 2016 NWSL College Draft | 2 (2016) |
| 25 | Meghan Klingenberg (FP) | |
LB | August 2, 1988 | Houston Dash |
2 (2016) |
| 32 | Meg Morris | |
LB / FW | May 11, 1992 | Sky Blue FC |
2 (2016) |
| Midfielders | ||||||
| 7 | Lindsey Horan (FP) | |
CM | May 26, 1994 |  Paris Saint-Germain |
2 (2016) |
| 10 | Allie Long (FP) | |
LW / CM | August 13, 1987 | New York Fury |
5 (2013) |
| 11 | Dagný Brynjarsdóttir |  |
MF | August 10, 1991 | UMF Selfoss |
2 (2016) |
| 15 | Kendall Johnson | |
MF / DF | April 24, 1991 | Sky Blue FC |
3 (2015) |
| 17 | Tobin Heath (FP) | |
LW | May 29, 1988 | Paris Saint-Germain |
5 (2013) |
| 28 | Amandine Henry | |
CM | September 28, 1989 | Olympique Lyonnais |
2 (2016) |
| 30 | Celeste Boureille | |
MF | April 20, 1994 | UMF Selfoss |
2 (2016) |
| Forwards | ||||||
| 9 | Nadia Nadim |  |
CF / RW | January 2, 1988 | Sky Blue FC |
2 (2016) |
| 12 | Christine Sinclair | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} |
CF | June 12, 1983 | Western New York Flash |
5 (2013) |
| 14 | Ashleigh Sykes | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} |
FW | December 15, 1991 | Canberra United FC |
1 (2017) |
| 21 | Hayley Raso | |
FW / RW | September 5, 1994 | Washington Spirit |
2 (2016) |
| 26 | Mallory Weber | |
FW / CB | April 4, 1994 | 2016 NWSL College Draft | 2 (2016) |
| 34 | Tyler Lussi | |
FW | January 26, 1995 | 2017 NWSL College Draft | 1 (2017) |
| 13 | Savannah Jordan | |
FW | January 24, 1995 | 2017 NWSL College Draft | 1 (2017) |
- (HG) = homegrown player
- (FP) = Federation player
- (Loan) = on loan
- (AP) = amateur player
Player transactions
National Team/Federation player allocation
| Date | Player | Positions played | New/returning | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 5, 2017 | Tobin Heath |
LW | Returning | 2017 U.S. Women's National Team allocation process | [9] |
| April 5, 2017 | Lindsey Horan |
CM | Returning | 2017 U.S. Women's National Team allocation process | [9] |
| April 5, 2017 | Meghan Klingenberg |
LB | Returning | 2017 U.S. Women's National Team allocation process | [9] |
| April 5, 2017 | Emily Sonnett |
CB | Returning | 2017 U.S. Women's National Team allocation process | [9] |
| April 5, 2017 | Allie Long |
LW / CM | Newly allocated | 2017 U.S. Women's National Team allocation process | [9] |
Transfers in
| Date | Player | Positions played | Previous club | Fee/notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 7, 2017 | Ashleigh Sykes |
FW | Canberra United |
Sykes was added to the roster on June 13. | [10][11] |
| March 8, 2017 | Britt Eckerstrom |
GK | North Carolina Courage |
[12] | |
| April 14, 2017 | Meghan Cox |
DF | [13] | ||
Loans in
| Date | Player | Positions played | Previous club | Fee/notes | Ref. |
|---|
Loans out
| Date | Player | Positions played | Destination club | Fee/notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2016 | Hayley Raso |
FW | Canberra United |
Returned for the start of the 2017 season. | [14] |
| October 20, 2016 | Celeste Boureille |
MF | Canberra United |
Returned for the start of the 2017 season. | [14] |
| January 27, 2017 | Amandine Henry |
MF | Paris Saint-Germain |
Returned for the start of the 2017 season. | [15] |
Transfers out
| Date | Player | Positions played | Destination club | Fee/notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 17, 2016 | Kat Williamson |
LB | N/A | Retired from soccer. | [16] |
| October 19, 2016 | Jen Skogerboe |
DF |  Suwon FMC |
Option declined. | [17] |
| October 19, 2016 | Michelle Betos |
GK | Vålerenga |
Out of contract. Offered extended contract but declined. | [18] |
Contract extensions
| Date | Player | Positions played | Year with club (year signed) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 19, 2016 | Emily Menges |
DF | 4 (2014) | [17] | |
| October 19, 2016 | Meleana Shim |
MF | 5 (2013) | [17] | |
Player's rights purchased
Player's rights sold
| Date | Player | Positions | To | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 18, 2017 | Rachel Hill |
FW | Orlando Pride | Traded rights for first-round and fourth-round picks in the 2018 NWSL College Draft. | [19] |
National Women's Soccer League College Draft
| Round (overall pick) | Player | Positions played | Previous club | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 (14) | Rachel Hill | MF / FW | UConn Huskies |
[20] | |
| 2 (18) | Savannah Jordan | FW | Florida Gators |
Portland Thorns FC traded up to acquire the No. 18 overall selection from the North Carolina Courage, who picked up the No. 20 and No. 27 picks in exchange. | [20] |
| 3 (21) | Tyler Lussi | FW | Princeton Tigers |
Portland Thorns FC traded up to acquire the No. 18 overall selection from the North Carolina Courage, who picked up the No. 20 and No. 27 picks in exchange. | [20] |
| 4 (40) | Caroline Flynn | MF | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
[20] |
The draft was held on January 12, 2017.
Staff in
| Date | Name | Position | Previous club | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 2017 | Tobin Heath |
Assistant Youth Technical Director | Portland Thorns FC (Current Player) | Not playing due to lingering back injury, no timeline for when she will play again. | [21] |
Staff contract extensions
| Date | Name | Position | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 8, 2016 | Mark Parsons | Head Coach | Re-signed long-term contract. | [22] |
| November 8, 2016 | Nadine Angerer | Director of goalkeeping | Re-signed contract extension as Director of goalkeeping. | [22] |
Staff out
| Date | Name | Position | Destination club | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National team participation
Seven Thorns players have been called up to play for their national teams during this season.
Honors and awards
NWSL Player of the Month
| Month | Result | Player | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
NWSL Player of the Week
| Week | Result | Player | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Won | Lindsey Horan |
[29] |
| 18 | Won | Hayley Raso |
NWSL 2017 Weekly Awards |
NWSL Goal of the Week
| Week | Result | Player | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nominated | Christine Sinclair |
[30] |
| 4 | Nominated | Allie Long |
[31] |
| 8 | Won | Lindsey Horan |
[32] |
| 11 | Nominated | Hayley Raso |
[33] |
| 12 | Won | Hayley Raso |
[34] |
| 20 | Won | Christine Sinclair |
NWSL 2017 Weekly Awards |
NWSL Save of the Week
| Week | Result | Player | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Won | Adrianna Franch |
[35] |
| 4 | Nominated | Adrianna Franch |
[36] |
| 5 | Nominated | Adrianna Franch |
[37] |
| 8 | Won | Adrianna Franch |
[38] |
| 15 | Won | Adrianna Franch |
NWSL 2017 Weekly Awards |
| 16 | Won | Adrianna Franch |
NWSL 2017 Weekly Awards |
Other awards
| Award | Player | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| CONCACAF Female Goalkeeper of the Year | Adrianna Franch |
Won | [39] |
| CONCACAF Best XI | Lindsey Horan, Allie Long, Emily Menges |
Team Member | [39] |
| NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year | Adrianna Franch |
Won | [39] |
| NWSL Best XI | Adrianna Franch |
Team Member | [39] |
| NWSL Second XI | Lindsey Horan, Emily Menges |
Team Member | [39] |
Statistics
Appearances
| No. | Pos. | Name | NWSL | NWSL Playoffs | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | |
|
Apps | Goals | |
|
Apps | Goals | |
| |||
| 2 | DF | Katherine Reynolds
| 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | Emily Menges
| 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | Meleana Shim
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | Lindsey Horan
| 24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | Nadia Nadim
| 16 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | Allie Long
| 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | Dagný Brynjarsdóttir
| 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | Christine Sinclair
| 24 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | FW | Savannah Jordan
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | Ashleigh Sykes
| 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | Kendall Johnson
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | Emily Sonnett
| 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | Tobin Heath
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | Ashley Herndon
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | Kelli Hubly
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | FW | Hayley Raso
| 22 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | Adrianna Franch
| 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Meghan Klingenberg
| 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | FW | Mallory Weber
| 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | Meghan Cox
| 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Amandine Henry
| 21 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 30 | MF | Celeste Boureille
| 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | Meg Morris
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | GK | Britt Eckerstrom
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | FW | Tyler Lussi
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Players who were transferred/waived from the club during active season or on loan | ||||||||||||||
Last updated: 25 May 2018.
Source: NWSL statistics
Goalkeeper stats
| No. | Player | NWSL | NWSL Playoffs | Total | |||||||||
| Min | GA | GAA | SV | Min | GA | GAA | SV | Min | GA | GAA | SV | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Adrianna Franch |
2160 | 20 | 0.83 | 80 | 180 | 1 | 0.50 | 5 | 2340 | 21 | 0.81 | 85 |
| 33 | Britt Eckerstrom |
0 | 0 | n/a | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 |
| TOTALS | 2160 | 20 | 0.83 | 80 | 180 | 1 | 0.50 | 5 | 2340 | 21 | 0.81 | 85 | |
Last updated: 25 May 2018.
Source: NWSL statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Pos | No. | Player | NWSL | NWSL Playoffs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | 12 | Christine Sinclair |
8 | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | FW | 21 | Hayley Raso |
6 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | FW | 9 | Nadia Nadim |
6 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | MF | 7 | Lindsey Horan |
4 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | DF | 16 | Emily Sonnett |
3 | 1 | 4 |
| MF | 28 | Amandine Henry |
3 | 1 | 4 | |
| 7 | MF | 10 | Allie Long |
2 | 0 | 2 |
| Other Thorns with 1 goal each | 3 | 0 | 3 | |||
| Own goals by other teams | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||
| Total | 37 | 5 | 42 | |||
Last updated: 25 May 2018.
Source: NWSL statistics
Top assists
| Rank | Pos | No. | Player | NWSL | NWSL Playoffs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DF | 24 | Meghan Klingenberg |
6 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | FW | 9 | Nadia Nadim |
3 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | FW | 21 | Hayley Raso |
3 | 0 | 3 |
| MF | 7 | Lindsey Horan |
2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 5 | FW | 7 | Tyler Lussi |
2 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Others with 1 assist each | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Total | 20 | 3 | 23 | |||
Last updated: 25 May 2018.
Source: NWSL statistics
Clean sheets
| Rnk | No. | Player | NWSL | NWSL Playoffs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Adrianna Franch |
11 | 1 | 12 |
| Total | 11 | 1 | 12 | ||
Last updated: 25 May 2018.
Source: NWSL statistics on Franch
Summary
All statistics are for National Women's Soccer League games.
| Games played | 26 |
| Games won | 16 |
| Games drawn | 5 |
| Games lost | 5 |
| Goals scored | 42 |
| Goals conceded | 21 |
| Goal difference | +21 |
| Clean sheets | 12 |
| Yellow cards | 33 |
| Red cards | 0 |
| Most appearances | 26 (4 players) |
| Top scorer | Christine Sinclair (9 goals) |
| Top assister | Meghan Klingenberg (7 assists) |
| Top goalkeeper | Adrianna Franch (0.81 goals-against average) |
| Winning percentage | 61.5% (16/26) |
Last updated: 25 May 2018.
Source: NWSL statistics
References
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