Portland Thorns FC were 8-4-2 last year in games following wins. The year before, they were 6-3-3. In the team’s first two years under head coach Mark Parsons, the Thorns have had little problem building on their successes, part of the reason why they’ve been able to ride strong runs to trophies each season.
That could still happen this year. After all, there is still one-third of the season to go. But to this point in the 2018 campaign, the NWSL’s defending champions have yet to build any significant momentum. For each step forward, there’s been a step back, leaving team 6-5-5 with eight games to go.