The 2015 season was the Portland Thorns FC's third season of existence in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States.
After a disappointing end to the 2014 season that saw the team knocked out of the 2014 NWSL Championship Playoffs by eventual league champions FC Kansas City, head coach Paul Riley sought to make changes that would bolster the team's roster to account for the players who would be called up to their respective national teams during the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. After stellar performances in 2014, goalkeeper Nadine Angerer and midfielder Verónica Boquete were both named to the ten player shortlist of the 2014 FIFA World Player of the YearFIFA.com and Boquete was named to the NWSL Best XI as well as being named 2014 Supporters' Player of the Year.Portland Timbers
The team made a number of signings before the 2015 season including Genoveva Añonma who captains the Equatorial Guinea women's national football team, a 2015 NWSL College Draft day trade of the Thorns' 2014 season leading scorer Jessica McDonald for Jodie Taylor of the England women's national football team and leading scorer of the Washington Spirit, and defender Kat Williamson, former Thorns player who had been traded away during the 2014 season.
Several players were loaned out in the offseason including defender Rachel Van Hollebeke to Iga Football Club Kunoichi of the Japanese Nadeshiko League, and goalkeeper Nadine Angerer and defender Stephanie Catley to the Melbourne Victory of the W-League.
Midfielder Verónica Boquete chose to sign with 1. FFC Frankfurt rather than remain with the Thorns for the 2015 season, and three players retired in the offseason, including defender Nikki Marshall, midfielder Sarah Huffman, and midfielder Angie Kerr.
On April 6, 2015, the Thorns unveiled their 2015 kits that were the first custom designs by Nike in the league.
Due to the national team player callups for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, the league announced that they would be taking a two-week break and shortening the season from 24 to 20 games.
The Thorns finished the 2015 season with 23 points from 20 games and did not reach the playoffs, the first (and as of 2020, the only) season in which they did not reach the playoffs.
Club
Coaching staff
Roster * – denotes amateur call-ups
Source: Portland Thorns (archived)
Match results
Key
Pre-season
Regular season
Standings
Results summary
Results by round
Squad statistics Source: NWSL
Key to positions: FW – Forward, MF – Midfielder, DF – Defender, GK – Goalkeeper 8 FW Genoveva Añonma 12 8 759 1 1 0 32 11 1 0 14 16 3 1 023 MF Kate Bennett 1 1 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 4 DF Stephanie Catley 3 2 179 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 DF Taylor Comeau 9 5 377 0 0 0 5 2 0 0 3 1 2 0 0 7 MF Sinead Farrelly 19 19 1652 2 2 1 18 8 1 0 9 32 27 2 0 29 FW Kelsey Haycook 4 1 81 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 17 MF Tobin Heath 12 12 1062 1 1 0 22 5 0 12 3 12 15 0 0 20 FW Sarah Jackson 7 2 201 0 0 0 4 2 0 0 5 1 1 1 0 15 DF Kendall Johnson 17 12 1218 0 1 0 10 5 4 0 0 18 20 2 0 30 DF Alyssa Kleiner 8 4 418 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 11 DF Kaylyn Kyle 12 6 587 0 0 0 4 1 0 1 4 12 7 1 0 10 MF Allie Long 20 20 1793 10 4 2 53 27 0 66 24 22 32 3 0 2 DF Emily Menges 17 17 1529 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 6 9 1 0 13 FW Alex Morgan 4 3 285 1 2 0 15 7 0 0 5 0 4 1 0 25 DF Courtney Niemiec 4 3 273 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 9 DF Clare Polkinghorne 9 9 779 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 021 MF Sarah Robbins 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 FW Lianne Sanderson 5 2 275 0 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 2 5 0 0 6 MF Meleana Shim 18 13 1127 4 4 1 21 13 4 9 0 7 6 0 0 12 FW Christine Sinclair 9 8 735 2 2 1 15 8 0 0 7 6 4 0 0 14 FW Jodie Taylor 7 5 385 3 0 0 17 6 0 1 10 1 2 0 0 28 FW Hanna Terry 6 0 130 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 16 DF Rachel Van Hollebeke 13 10 879 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 2 1 0 22 DF Rhian Wilkinson 1 0 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 5 DF Kat Williamson 20 20 1705 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 4 8 4 0 77 MF McCall Zerboni 18 18 1459 2 0 1 7 4 0 0 2 28 18 2 1
1 GK Nadine Angerer 6 6 540 1 2 3 77 34 23 11 1.833 0 0 1 18 GK Michelle Betos 14 14 1260 5 7 2 130 63 45 18 1.286 1 2 2
Player Transactions
National Team Player Allocation On January 14, 2015, the league held its NWSL Player Allocation with Portland receiving six players: returning United States women's national soccer team players Alex Morgan, Rachel Van Hollebeke, and Tobin Heath, returning Canada women's national soccer team player Christine Sinclair, and new Canadian internationals Kaylyn Kyle, and Rhian Wilkinson.
National Women's Soccer League College Draft The Thorns did not have a pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft, but through a series of draft day trades they acquired forward and England women's national football team player Jodie Taylor from the Washington Spirit.
Transfers In DatePlayerPosPrevious clubNotesRef November 6, 2014 Kat Williamson DF Western New York Flash Part of trade for Amber Brooks. November 6, 2014 McCall Zerboni MF Western New York Flash Part of trade for Amber Brooks. January 14, 2015 Kendall Johnson DF Western Sydney Wanderers Rights traded from Sky Blue FC for the 25th and 34th overall selections in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. January 14, 2015 Kaylyn Kyle MF Houston Dash NWSL Player Allocation January 14, 2015 Rhian Wilkinson DF Laval Comets NWSL Player Allocation January 16, 2015 Jodie Taylor FW Washington Spirit Traded for the 13th pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft and two second-round picks in the 2016 NWSL College Draft. February 24, 2015 Genoveva Añonma FW 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam February 26, 2015 Sarah Robbins MF Åland United April 10, 2015 Taylor Comeau DF California Amateur call-up April 10, 2015 Kelsey Haycook FW La Salle Amateur call-up April 10, 2015 Sarah Jackson FW Santa Clara Amateur call-up April 17, 2015 Alyssa Kleiner DF Santa Clara Amateur call-up
Transfers Out DatePlayerPosDestination ClubNotesRef August 25, 2014 Verónica Boquete MF 1. FFC Frankfurt September 10, 2014 Angie Kerr MF None Player waived. Portland Timbers November 6, 2014 Amber Brooks MF Western New York Flash Trade to acquire Kat Williamson and McCall Zerboni. November 18, 2014 Sarah Huffman DF None Player retired. January 14, 2015 Jackie Acevedo FW None Player not reallocated in the 2015 NWSL Player Allocation. January 16, 2015 Jessica McDonald FW Houston Dash Traded to acquire the 13th pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft and a second-round pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft. January 20, 2015 Rebecca Moros DF FC Kansas City Traded to acquire an international roster spot. February 5, 2015 Nikki Marshall DF None Player retired.
National team participation Several Thorns players have been selected to play for their national teams in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
TeamPlayers Stephanie Catley Christine Sinclair (captain), Kaylyn Kyle, Rhian Wilkinson Jodie Taylor Nadine Angerer (captain) Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan
See also 2015 National Women's Soccer League season
References
External links