Portland Thorns U18/U19

[Guest]

Just want to shout out something positive. I know positive comments are rare on Talking Soccer.

Happy for the Portland Thorns U18/19 team. They are currently competing in the ECNL National Playoffs, the highest division called “Champions League”. After two wins this weekend, one against a #1 ranked team, MVLA (Bay area), they have made it to the Final Four in the US! This coming Tuesday they play against San Diego Surf. Should they win, they will play for a National Championship on Thursday against either SLSG (St. Louis) or Concord Fire Platinum (Atlanta). Both teams they have played so far have had full rosters, so their wins are legit. So happy for an older Portland based team to compete this well!!

[Guest]

That is amazing !!! Go Thorns !!!

[Guest]

United PDX could totally beat this team

[Guest]

Seems that they also have some guest players

[Guest]

Just want to shout out something positive. I know positive comments are rare on Talking Soccer.

Happy for the Portland Thorns U18/19 team. They are currently competing in the ECNL National Playoffs, the highest division called “Champions League”. After two wins this weekend, one against a #1 ranked team, MVLA (Bay area), they have made it to the Final Four in the US! This coming Tuesday they play against San Diego Surf. Should they win, they will play for a National Championship on Thursday against either SLSG (St. Louis) or Concord Fire Platinum (Atlanta). Both teams they have played so far have had full rosters, so their wins are legit. So happy for an older Portland based team to compete this well!!

Couple of clarifications.

1. There is only 1 bracket at that age. Sure it's top 16 teams or the top 16 that wanted to play. Not all teams choose to take their spot. (See below)

2. It's absolutely impossible for those teams to be "fully rostered" at this time of year. Ok. Technically they may have 18 players rostered but those are not likely the 18 players who played all year. Even the Thorns aren't the same Thorns. There is a reason that age group only tries to find 16 teams. It's because a ton of kids have to checkin and or take part in pre season activities for their matriculation. Or they have kids that simply don't want to play and enjoy the last bit of summer before they have to leave for college.

But kudos regardless. Every team will have that problem so it's a wash. If you had made it through the normal group, knockout and then made it it would be a higher achievement (like CU did a few years back at 2003). But hey it's still a good showing.

Good luck!

[Guest]

United PDX could totally beat this team

Haha UPDX could not beat the CPSC B team in OYSA state cup

[Guest]

I am the original poster. These are all good clarifications.

I will comment on them with specifics.

—2 of top16 teams opted not to go. Reasons: too many players headed to college early and/or injuries.

—ECNL calls the U18/19 playoff division “Champions League”. Top 16 teams in the nation out of 130 teams qualify. Thorns were tied for 17th and were invited as alternates.

—Thorns did pick up 2 subs because two of their D1 committed starters could not play; Texas Tech and Oregon.

—Opposing teams so far had various national team camp invite players IN attendance on both FC Stars Blue- Avery Galante- South Carolina, Caitlin Mara- North Carolina, Sophia Recupero- Duke and on MVLA- Charlotte Kohler-Stanford, Jordan Gris- UCLA, Sophia Murdock- Stanford, Aiofe Turner- U19 Irish National Team, Murphy Walsh- USC were all PRESENT.

—During season this year Thorns lost their top two scorers due to spring college ball and injury plus various other injuries sidelined key players for a couple weeks. Neat to see the depth this team has to finish 17th in league despite this! Now they have a chance to win it all for Oregon!!

[Guest]

Only in little rich girl soccer do people make excuses for other teams success. Here is the deal. There is a national playoff and the Thorns are in it. Go Thorns !

[Guest]

Just want to shout out something positive. I know positive comments are rare on Talking Soccer.

Happy for the Portland Thorns U18/19 team. They are currently competing in the ECNL National Playoffs, the highest division called “Champions League”. After two wins this weekend, one against a #1 ranked team, MVLA (Bay area), they have made it to the Final Four in the US! This coming Tuesday they play against San Diego Surf. Should they win, they will play for a National Championship on Thursday against either SLSG (St. Louis) or Concord Fire Platinum (Atlanta). Both teams they have played so far have had full rosters, so their wins are legit. So happy for an older Portland based team to compete this well!!

Resembles the current older age USYS Nationals little to zero interest in spending thousands.to get zippo value.

Playing local women's amateur college.summer league is free and better prep for the coming fall.

Sounds lauhablly similar to thusc/xfife claiming National level staus in the barren ecnl after all top clubs opted for the short lived GDA.

We are delulu in Oregon.

[Guest]

Resembles the current older age USYS Nationals little to zero interest in spending thousands.to get zippo value.

Playing local women's amateur college.summer league is free and better prep for the coming fall.

Sounds lauhablly similar to thusc/xfife claiming National level staus in the barren ecnl after all top clubs opted for the short lived GDA.

We are delulu in Oregon.

Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !! some in Oregon other than me might be successful. Work harder Surf, UPDX or OPFC

[Guest]

Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !! some in Oregon other than me might be successful. Work harder Surf, UPDX or OPFC

Or pick watered-down irrelevant events. Congrats

[Guest]

The CU 2003 team was a good team.

Too bad that club no longer exists.

[Guest]

Or pick watered-down irrelevant events. Congrats

An ECNL watered down event. Thank you, ECNL is watered down, everyone please go back to OYSA. Thank you because I thought ECNL was complete waste of money and I was right.

[Guest]

It's all watered down. Since the travel leagues have split the talent, the cream no longer rises to the top.

At least on the boys' side we have MLS Next, and some of the MLS academies are very good. (Not ours unfortunately).

But nothing on the girls' side but pay-to-play travel rackets as far as the eye can see.

[Guest]

The CU 2003 team was a good team.

Too bad that club no longer exists.

Well the GDA folded and all the top clubs/teams came back to ecnl, hey when the NFL players went on strike some scrubs who Crossfired the Picket lines got some publicity. 5 min of fame for showing up and traveling. Good.