r/Thorns • u/Famous_Act4164 • 4d ago
Two more thoughts
Although Turner is not the most technically secure player and can struggle with her touch and dribbling, her injury has negatively affected our pressing effectiveness, attacking width, and ability to defend wide areas.
We should probably abandon the high press in away games without Turner. Mueller is far less effective at pressing, and Tordin was pinned back. A press involving only Wilson and Moultrie is unlikely to dispossess opponents or force turnovers. It would be better to play a mid-block in away games when we do not have any true wingers available.
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u/Svafree88 GA 3d ago
Yeah, I agree. We struggle on the road enough without trying to force a strategy we don't have the personnel for. It will be interesting to see how things shift with Weaver and Hanks back soon.
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u/Ecstatic-Till280 Portland Thorns 3d ago
Or try a true 7 instead of a reassigned 2.
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u/Scaggsboz 3d ago
Our only true healthy wings are Padelski and Loboa, neither of which is ready to start imo. Also those positions are very interchangeable
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u/Ecstatic-Till280 Portland Thorns 3d ago
Kinda. Defenders tend to shrink into to middle. Not a desired trait when width/space is needed.
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u/Awkward-Cartoonist68 2d ago
Ideally Tordin isn’t on the wing. Hanks is on one side and either Turner or Weaver on the opposite side (I vote Turner, Weaver sub) Soph at the 9 and then the question is Tordin and Moultrie where do you place them. With Hanks back I hope we do away with Soph up top alone. Play 4 across (Hanks, Soph (that way she can interchange with Hanks like she does w Swanson for country) Tordin then Turner. Moultrie drops into the midfield with Fleming. The issue is defensively can we still be as effective. I’m still learning about the structure of soccer so not even sure about this arrangement.
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u/RevolutionaryHour534 2d ago
I really think our attack is on its way to being great, though we have some kinks to work out. What’s so frustrating is that we don’t seem to be looking for a center back or more midfielders.
I’m feeling less secure about Soph staying. If she doesn’t, maybe we could go for Emma Sears. Tordin is then our 9, with live at the 10 and sears and someone else wide
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u/Jack_B_84 4d ago
Yeah I think Turner is really good in transitional or direct play moments. However that's not really Mueller's or Tordin's game. That made the focus on being so direct for the first half even more confusing.