Put on your red-and-black-colored glass, think back five months, and try to remember where our heads were when it came to Portland Thorns FC. What were our hopes and dreams for the 2019 season? Where were we finding our excitement? Our curiosity? Our anticipation? What were our greatest fears?
For some, that last question will be easiest to answer. Way back in March, when this year’s Thorns were assembling for the team’s seventh season, the specter of the 2019 World Cup loomed. Still managing nightmares from brutal 2015 season – the worst in team history – fans wondered how a team destined to lose Christine Sinclair, Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Hayley Raso and Caitlin Foord for two months would be able to navigate the season.