Portland Thorns FC head coach Mark Parsons has alluded to it in different ways over the last month, and the thought came up in the wake of his team’s 3-1 victory on Friday night over Seattle Reign FC at Providence Park. In each of his three seasons in Portland, Parsons’ teams have grown into their campaign, so much so that they were at the best come the postseason.
It took a mammoth effort from eventual champions Western New York Flash in 2016 to eliminate the Thorns in extra time of that year’s semifinal, and Portland surged to claim their second NWSL Championship, last season.