The New & the Old Thorns Guard

The Portland Thorns have found an incredible balance between the firepower of hot-blooded youngsters and the control of poised veterans, which has rewarded them with the NWSL Championship and given them a team that has the potential to win now and extend its run in the future. There are four key pieces to this team’s Yin and Yang of soccer talent, starting with the Yang, the “chaos,” which is made up of MVP Sophia Smith and box-to-box midfielder Samantha Coffey. In contrast, the Yin, the “order,” is made up of two-time World Cup winner and USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn and Olympic gold medalist Christine Sinclair.

Starting with the two players with the most mileage and experience, we find an immeasurable number of memorable moments and accolades. At age 37, Becky Sauerbrunn has been the pillar of most of the teams she has played for, both at the international and club levels. Described as a leader by all of her teammates, yet also as someone who will listen and provide help with matters both on and off the field, she is always composed under pressure and always in control of the situation. Carrying a quiet confidence, she manages to give her all and contribute to the team, even when she is not in the starting lineup. Her best moment came with the 2015 USWNT at the World Cup, where, at center back, she played every minute of every game and led the team to the trophy, dominating Japan 5-2 in the final.
Christine Margaret Sinclair, captain of the Portland Thorns and of the Canadian national team, is arguably one of the best players in soccer despite being nearly 40. Always described as an inspiration to her generation and those who came before and after, Christine Sinclair has been a highly prolific goal scorer from an early age. Having played 20 seasons with the national team, Sinclair has many caps under her belt, so many that she is the all-time leading goal scorer among both men and women in international competition, with 190 goals scored. She is also the second player, male or female, to score in five World Cup editions, behind only women’s soccer legend Marta Vieira da Silva.

Going from the masters to the students, there are two players with tons of potential and charismatic playing styles. USWNT newcomer Sophia Smith is only 22 years old and already has 25 appearances and 11 goals for the national team, and 21 goals in 39 appearances for the Portland Thorns. Drafted first overall in the 2020 NWSL College Draft, Sophia Smith is a very speedy dribbler with a clinical right foot and a real nose for goal. In 2022, she was awarded Regular Season MVP and Finals MVP, marking the start of her era of dominance.
23-year-old Samantha Coffey’s potential is still largely unrealized, as she only has 3 caps for the USWNT and 19 games for the Portland Thorns. She does exhibit some very interesting defensive and offensive statistics for a player of her age, with her interceptions being in the 98th percentile and her vertical passes ranking in the 86th percentile. All signs point toward a successful career, and we are here to witness it.

It is undeniable that the Portland Thorns are the sensation of the NWSL, having proven their current overall team talent by winning the NWSL Finals, and having the young talent to keep dominating the league and elevating women’s soccer. If you want to bid on the NWSL Finals champions' jerseys, click here