Stepping off the Washington, D.C. Metro, I was hit with an intense bout of deja vu. Waves of people decked out in Portland Thorns jerseys and scarves poured from the metro doors, talking excitedly as they made their way to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) game. Living and growing up in Portland, Oregon, soccer is a facet of many kids’ weeks. Games on weekends with practices scattered throughout the week: Soccer culture in Portland is rampant, being colloquially known as Soccer City, USA. I participated in the soccer ecosystem in Portland growing up, playing club soccer and looking forward to potentially scoring goals in tournaments. But more so than my own games, what I looked forward to the most was going to Providence Park on the MAX’s orange line (Metropolitan Area Express), Portland’s light rail that connects the city, to see the Portland Thorns play. My family and I would hop on a train from the east side of town and cross the Willamette River, which separates the city’s east and west sides, heading into downtown Portland whenever there was a game. With the season starting during the spring, the bright red roses planted throughout the city bloom, shedding color across the city. The Rose City Riveters, the Portland Thorns’ devoted support section, can be heard several blocks away from the stadium echoing across the city. Being part of the red sea of Thorns fans in the Rose City is an experience unlike any other.
The game I went to during spring break was in Washington D.C. had that same unbridled excitement and passion for soccer. The excitement was rampant amongst the Washington Spirit fans that surrounded me and the occasional person in a Thorns jersey. Being in a cramped metro car with strangers all sharing devotion to the local team, the air quivering with excitement, is an experience I hope all sports fans have. It was only because of readily available public transportation that thousands of fans were able to attend these games. Recently the MAX in Portland is taking a funding cut potentially taking away from the easy accessibility to Portland sports. As sports continues to become a hyperdigitalized industry focused on streaming and sports gambling, it is essential that we stay staunch in our support for our local teams, bringing city communities together in unparalleled ways.
The Thorns were able to win the game I attended against the Spirit 1-0 thanks to a goal from Olivia Moultrie, much to the dismay of the Spirit fans I was in attendance with. The NWSL is in for some fireworks in the closing month of the season. The standings are tightly packed with six teams within two games of each other, with the Thorns in fourth at 43 points leading the pack. Thorns have rallied this season after losing Moultrie, who suffered a season ending ACL tear during a training session in August. With only eight teams making the playoffs, the battle for seeding will be a contentious one. The Thorns have four matches remaining before the quarterfinals kick off in early November. Notably, all of the teams the Thorns play—Bay Football Club, the Houston Dash, the North Carolina Courage and Boston Legacy—currently sit outside of the top eight. The Thorns have a fairly easy schedule to close out the rest of the season, potentially propelling themselves a couple seeds higher with wins in these games.