The farther Portland Thorns FC have gone in the NWSL Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret, the more we’ve been able to enjoy the tournament for what it is. As random, one-off results have accumulated in this random, one-off tournament, it’s become easier to appreciate games that don’t have much context, and final scores which aren’t verdicts on a team’s present or future. A win can just be fun. And cool. And exciting and visceral, just as a loss can just be disappointing. Defeat doesn’t have to mean anything, going forward.
I wrote that paragraph before the Thorns’ Challenge Cup semifinal against the Houston Dash, mostly because I thought it was clever.