(photo by Lewis Gettier)
The new central midfielder promised by owner Merritt Paulson is Andressinha. The Thorns acquired the 22-year old from the Houston Dash on Friday in exchange for Savannah Jordan. A day earlier the reigning NWSL Champions gobbled up the rights to Caitlin Foord and sent Allie Long to Seattle.
“Andressinha is a smart and creative midfielder that brings the ability to control and dictate the tempo of a game,” Thorns head coach Mark Parsons said. “She can score special goals from distance and has the intelligence to create opportunities for others out of nothing. Her experience in the NWSL, and internationally as a key player for Brazil, makes her a strong addition to the club.”
{LAULETTA: Three teams, three takes from Thursday’s NWSL trades}
Andressinha (who went by Andressa when she entered NWSL) has played for the Dash since 2015 when she joined the club after the World Cup. She has been one of the few bright spots the last two seasons in Houston, both of which included lengthy losing streaks and an inability to score goals.
Jordan was projected as a high 1st round pick last year out of Florida where only Abby Wambach has scored more goals or put up more points. But her draft stock plummeted with the knowledge that she intended to play in Europe. The Thorns spent the 18th pick on her, and after a brief and mostly quiet stint in Scotland she returned to the states and played sparingly for the Thorns down the stretch. She has represented the youth national teams of the United States through the U-23 level.
