Thorns FC will have its full team together for Wednesday night’s game against OL Reign, meaning players returning from international duty will be back for Portland’s third game of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup. But as talents like Christine Sinclair and Becky Sauerbrunn return to their club, it also feels like the right time to recognize the players who helped Portland succeed in their absence. After all, how can we know how good Thorns FC could be this season without recognizing the quality players like Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan and Sophia Smith are returning to?
This isn’t just a thought exercise - the type of things posts like these dream up for the sake of content.