The final numbers were disappointing: a 1-0 loss in a game Thorns FC were outshot, 20-3. Numbers out of context, though, rarely paint a complete picture, and while it’s true Portland’s title defense didn’t begin in the most convincing fashion, there were a number of positives to take from the team’s season-opening loss in North Carolina.
While the Thorns did give up a large number of shots (without generating many of their own), most of those chances came from manageable areas, and while head coach Mark Parsons would not have been happy if, yesterday, you told him his team would only take three shots, some of other chances were smothered by Courage goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo before they could register in the shots column.