PORTLAND, Ore. – “Seeing team meetings, observing training and watching them play their rival was great, but the best bit was the coffee.”
Portland Thorns FC head coach Mark Parsons is talking about the last days of his October – the time between his end-of-season, post-final review and the true start of his offseason. Weeks of reflection followed the Sept. 22 NWSL Championship 3-0 loss to the North Carolina Courage, but once fall arrived, it was time for what’s becoming an annual journey. The destinations change, but each offseason, the 32-year-old seeks out something in the sports landscape that he can sense, from a distance, could help in Portland.