Portland Thorns Scandal: New Owners Find Footing
Portland Thorns Facing Challenges in Rebuilding Trust and On-Field Performance
This article details teh ongoing efforts of the Portland Thorns to rebuild both their reputation after a notable scandal and their performance on the field. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
Off-Field Challenges: Rebuilding Fan Trust
* Lingering Impact of Scandal: the Thorns are still struggling to regain the full engagement of fans and sponsors following the revelations of misconduct within the organization.
* Fan Hesitancy: Even fans who previously supported the team are hesitant to fully reinvest. One potential investor who tried to organize a microinvestor group, and who cancelled his season tickets during the scandal, hasn’t renewed them despite attending some games this year. He attributes it to simply not getting around to it, but it highlights the ongoing difficulty in winning back lost support.
* Slow Recovery: The organization recognizes the challenge of restoring trust and acknowledges the work still needed.
On-Field Challenges & Changes
* Key Player Absences: The team is navigating the absences of key players like Wilson (pregnancy) and Weaver (injury), alongside the retirements of club legends christine Sinclair, Meghan Klingenberg, and Becky Sauerbrunn. These absences are likely contributing to a drop in attendance.
* Competitive Standing: Despite the challenges, the Thorns are currently in seventh place, only two points behind third place, demonstrating they remain competitive.
* Management changes: Significant changes have occurred in soccer operations:
* Jeff agoos replaced Karina LeBlanc as General Manager.
* Rob Gale replaced Mike Norris as Manager.
* Agoos’ Approach: Agoos, new to women’s soccer, is focused on diversifying the attack after the loss of star player Sophia Wilson, who was the team’s primary goal scorer last year. He emphasizes a more balanced scoring approach.
* Cultural Reset: Agoos is also working to reset the club’s culture, emphasizing integrity and doing the right thing, even when unobserved. He believes in being a ”good pro” both on and off the field for all staff and players.
In essence, the article paints a picture of a team in transition, working to overcome both internal and external hurdles to regain its former glory. They are attempting to rebuild trust with fans while simultaneously navigating significant changes in personnel and strategy on the field.