PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC today announced the team’s season-opening roster for the 2017 National Women’s Soccer League campaign. Thorns FC open the 2017 NWSL season at home Saturday against the Orlando Pride, and will be featured in the first NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime; kickoff is set for 12 noon p.m. (Pacific).

Led by 2016 NWSL Coach of the Year Mark Parsons, who begins his second season with Thorns FC in 2017, Portland returns 18 players from a 2016 squad that won its first-ever NWSL Shield. The 2017 roster includes four players who were named to the 55-player short list for the FIFPro Best XI (Amandine Henry, Meghan Klingenberg, Tobin Heath, Christine Sinclair), three NWSL Best XI selections (Heath, Allie Long and Emily Menges) and a total of 10 players on the current active roster who have been capped by their respective national teams.

Other key players returning in 2017 include Danish Women’s Soccer Player of the Year and the club’s leading goal scorer from 2016 in Nadia Nadim, U.S. internationals Emily Sonnett and midfielder Lindsey Horan, goalkeeper Adrianna Franch as well as Australian international Hayley Raso and Icelandic international Dagny Brynjarsdottir.

In addition, Thorns FC signed 2016-17 W-League Golden Boot winner Ashleigh Sykes during the offseason. Sykes will arrive in June and will be added to the roster upon arrival. Portland also acquired goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom in a trade with the North Carolina Courage.

PORTLAND THORNS FC

ROSTERED PLAYERS (19 of 20 spots filled):

GOALKEEPERS (2): Britt Eckerstrom, Adrianna Franch

DEFENDERS (5): Kendall Johnson, Meghan Klingenberg (FED-USA), Emily Menges, Katherine Reynolds, Emily Sonnett (FED-USA)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Celeste Boureille, Dagny Brynjarsdottir (INTL-ISL), Amandine Henry (INTL-FRA), Lindsey Horan (FED-USA), Allie Long (FED-USA), Mana Shim, Mallory Weber

FORWARDS (6): Tobin Heath (FED-USA), Meg Morris, Nadia Nadim (INTL-DEN), Christine Sinclair (FP-CAN), Hayley Raso (INTL-AUS), Ashleigh Sykes (INTL-AUS, OOM)

FEDERATION PLAYERS (FED): 6

INTERNATIONAL ROSTER SPOTS FILLED (INTL): 5

Key:

ACTIVE ROSTER:

FED – Federation Player

INTL – International Roster Spot

ROSTERED PLAYERS NOT COUNTED AGAINST ACTIVE LIMIT:

D45 - 45-Day Disabled List

SEI - Season Ending Injury List

GKR - Goalkeeper Replacement

MAT – Maternity

LOA – Loan

OOM – Out of Market