Among Portland Thorns FC's biggest concerns over the last two years has been their inability to matchup with the league’s two-time defending champions, the North Carolina Courage, albeit in a very specific way. While the Courage’s advantages over most of the NWSL are by no means limited to one area, their decisive edge against the Thorns has been in the matchup between the teams’ midfields: a problem that transcended mere performance and tactics, and forced the the Thorns’ decision makers to wrestle with a more fundamental question: Does Portland have the right type of players to compete with the Courage?
Rocky Rodríguez's arrival gives Thorns a defining, dynamic and versatile talent
