BEAVERTON, Ore. – After a Sunday of snow throughout Portland, Providence Park’s field looked more like an ice skating rink than a soccer field, something that would be a major issue for the first day of a normal Portland Thorns FC preseason. But with construction on the team’s home venue in progress, the reigning NWSL Champions began their 2018 preparations at Beaverton’s adidas Timbers Training Center, braving near-freezing temperatures for their first session of the preseason.
“We had someone come out and check out the light snow on the field early this morning,” head coach Mark Parsons said, sharing worries that the facility would be as iced over as the team’s Goose Hollow home.