Fans would be forgiven if they wanted to simply forget OL Reign’s 2-0 loss to the Portland Thorns. At the same time, there were plenty of lessons for the young squad to learn as they round out the Challenge Cup and look toward the 2021 regular season.
First, playing in Portland in front of fans (even at 25% capacity) is hard. This was the first Cascadia rivalry for Tziarra King, Karen Bardsley and Angelina. Getting a wake-up call never feels good, but it’s better when it comes before the points matter in the regular season.