Women’s Soccer World Cup – Portland Connections

Robert E.L. Bonaparte’s Letter to the Editor of The Oregonian:

The United States is the favorite in the Women’s World Cup in France. Portlanders may not know that fully one-third of the U.S. team – eight of 23 players – has a connection to Portland.

Current Thorns on the U.S. national team include Adrianna Franch, Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Horan and Tobin Heath. Co-captain Alex Morgan played for the Portland Thorns from 2013-15 and helped the team win a league title in 2013. Former Thorns on the national team also include Allie Long (2013-17) and Jessica McDonald (2014). Co-captain Megan Rapinoe played for the University of Portland from 2005-08 and led her school to a NCAA Division I title.

The Thorns also have contributed three players to the sixth-ranked Australian team, one player to the fifth-ranked Canadian team and one player to the 10th-ranked Brazilian team.

Reflecting the political climate in Portland, in the event the team wins the World Cup, Rapinoe has announced that she would decline an invitation to the Trump White House.

Robert E.L. Bonaparte, Portland