For the Portland Thorns, lifting the Challenge Cup was just the beginning.
The Thorns won the National Womenâs Soccer League’s preseason tournament in dramatic fashion â on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Gotham â and now turn their attention to the league’s ninth season, which opens Saturday. Portland is considered the league favorite.
âWe know that when weâre us, and we play to our strengths and we do what we can do, then itâs going to be really hard for other teams to beat us — because thatâs how much we believe in our style, our culture, and the way that we can press and build and score,â Portland defender Meghan Klingenberg said.