NWSL Preview | Thorns looking for breakthrough against Utah, return to pre-break form

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC have enjoyed a change of scenery this week, customary ahead of a game on the road on a grass field. In those circumstances, the team leaves their normal training ground, Providence Park, and takes up their second home at the Timbers’ Training Center in Beaverton, Oregon, enjoying the virtues of their club’s multiple options.

This week’s preparation is for the team’s last regular-season meeting with Utah Royals FC, a team that’s neither won against nor lost to Portland in two meetings this year. A 0-0 draw at Providence Park in June, when the Royals tested their hosts' ability to craft a final ball. A 2-2 result at Rio Tinto Stadium a month later, when…