When Portland Thorns FC return to the field on Sunday against the Washington Spirit (7pm PT, CBS All Access), they’ll do so amid a shifted context, one that’s changed our perspective on the Preliminary Round of the NWSL Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret.
At the tournament’s onset, when we were so happy to have teams back on the field, we didn’t take enough time to consider the bigger picture. The talk around the games fell back to what we were used to: which teams seemed like they would be good; which teams seemed like they would be bad; which teams were best positioned to win the tournament.