W-League Feature
Thursday, April 10, 2014
On the eve of the NWSL season, Portland Thorns standout and USL Women’s Hall of Fame member Christine Sinclair has a clear message as to the defending champions’ intentions for 2014.
“Our goal is to not only win another championship but to have it here,” said the Canadian international in an interview with PortlandTimbers.com’s Dane Carbaugh.
The Thorns appear well equipped to handle their title defense. In addition to Sinclair – who featured for the Vancouver Whitecaps Women in the W-League as they claimed the 2006 championship – the Thorns have also added former New Jersey Wildcats midfielder Amber Brooks, while 2010 W-League champion Veronica Boquete (Buffalo Flash) is also set to join the team.
In addition, the Thorns also have a standout coach in Paul Riley, who could take the team to even greater heights in his first season with the club, which is set to kick off on Saturday on the road against new NWSL franchise the Houston Dash (8 p.m. ET, YouTube.com). According to Sinclair, Riley’s influence has already been felt in the preseason.
“He brings this energy to the game, to every practice,” Sinclair told Carbaugh.
In the end, though, it’s likely that whether the Thorns are able to repeat as champions will in large part depend on the performance of Sinclair and former LA Blues players Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath. Others, such as the Washington Spirit, have made a number of offseason additions, with the Spirit having drafted former Long Island Rough Riders Crystal Dunn with the No.1 pick in the NWSL Draft, and acquired former Seattle Sounders Women standout Veronica Perez.
The Thorns will also get a strong challenge from their Pacific Northwest rival the Seattle Reign, who have added former W-League Rookie of the Year Sydney Leroux to an already strong squad. As the league enters its second season, the challenge to the holders is likely to be strong throughout the summer.