Portland Thorns FC won their opening match of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup against Kansas City NWSL 2-1 on Friday. The match was full of controversy, which overshadowed a lot of positive developments shown by both teams.
One of the most dangerous players on the pitch this past Friday was Marissa Everett. She did not score or assist in the match and only had 26 touches (only Morgan Weaver and Angela Salem had fewer). But that did not keep Everett from being one of the most impactful players on the day.