One of the things we lost from the cancelled National Women’s Soccer League preseason was a chance to learn about Portland Thorns FC's new players. Under normal circumstances, March and half of April would give us six weeks to talk to new draft picks, consider star signings, and evaluate the non-rostered players fighting for spots. Instead, thanks to 2020’s prolonged Fury Road impression, that time has been spent at a social distance, with minutes on the mic transforming into periodic Zoom calls.
But now here we are, days before Portland’s Challenge Cup start, and the team’s roster is full of new names.