The Cascadia rivals inaugurated the shadow season yesterday, for the UKG Challenge Cup group stage at Providence Park. The first match after the FIFA Women’s World Cup took 48 of NWSL’s top players away to the competition that holds the most prized award in the the world of football. Forty-eight players, means the equivalent to 4 eleven starting squads plus a third of a 5th one, in a league of 12 teams. That’s over a third of the league’s regular starting players.
These two teams are among the worlds top clubs, but also are two of the most affected teams in the Australia and New Zealand 2023 “purge”, the Portland Thorns with sixplayers and the OL Reign with seven players of their regular starting line ups away on international duty.
Last Friday, the Portland Thorns and the Washington Spirit played a stunning match, a lesson of how far the women’s game has grown. Yesterday, it was a very different tale. the UKG Challenge Cup match between the Portland Thorns and Seattle’s OL Reign with the combined absence of 13 of its top players, presented a night of a disjointed execution of football the likes of early preseason tournaments.
The Portland Thorns looked stronger on paper, with the talent of the young Olivia Moultrie, the leadership of a Sam Coffey in top form, and the quality and hard work of the veteran Meghan Klingenberg. The Thorns have kept their defense almost intact, even as it is not is strongest asset. Thorns Coach Mike Norris also decided on squad rotations, sitting notable figures of the team like Morgan Weaver, and Natalia Kuikka. OL Reign, also saw squad rotations with veteran world class midfielder Jessica Fishlock watching the entire match from the bench.
The start of the match saw two teams with their hierarchies completely decapitated, struggling to recreate their game identities. There were good individualities, as there are buckets of untapped talent on both teams, but the immediate result was a very grey version of the quality that the game of women’s football has been able to achieve.
It was a race to find a balance in their game, with plenty of people in new positions and diminished team playing dynamics, the game was rough at times, lacking precision, and relying on individual talent. While Portland was on paper less affected than Seattle, it was actually Seattle who had a more clear proposition. Their kept their defense discipline and exploited Portland’s confusion. The Reign held at bay the titanic work of Sam Coffey, who was playing more like an offensive midfielder, and efficiently checked Moultrie’s shows of quality.
OL Reign also found spaces on the offense of their own, finding the net twice. First in minute 43, when Elyse Bennet’s goal was disallowed by a narrow offside. In the second half, in minute 56, Bennet scored again, this time with a header that went to be the only goal of the game. Portland seemed to create danger only from long range strikes.
With this victory, OL Reign sits on top of the group’s table with 10 points, while Portland is sitting in 3rd place with just 3 points and out of the cup’s playoffs. Portland has no margin of error left on this group stage.
Both teams will have very little time to dwell on yesterday’s results, they both are to take the stage again on Saturday July 1st for their NWSL regular season compromises.
