PORTLAND, Ore. – Back when Kendall Johnson was leading her Lincoln High School Cardinals to back-to-back Oregon state titles and earning national recognition for her stellar individual performances, she could hardly have imagined that one day, she would be playing professional soccer just a block away at Providence Park.
The Portland, Ore. native, who spent the first two seasons of her professional career with NWSL club Sky Blue FC, was acquired by Thorns FC in January.
For the first time in her life, Johnson was leaving a team, not because she was graduating or moving on, but because her skill was wanted elsewhere.
"I had great, great teammates and a good time in New Jersey, but coming back to Portland and being able to play in my hometown is really special and I'm really grateful for this opportunity," Johnson said about the trade.
Johnson, a fullback, hopes to fit seamlessly into Thorns coach Paul Riley's attack-minded system.
"I know he’s really into attacking and I love being able to get involved in the offense," she said. "Hopefully, I can be solid on the defensive end and get forward a lot too.
"I'm hoping to just bring my passion and my work ethic. Getting aggressive and getting forward down the line and getting crosses in."
Johnson's professional career began with Sky Blue FC in 2013, where she made 37 appearances for the NWSL club, tallying two assists from her position in defense.
Since then, Johnson feels that her game has only gotten better each season.
"I'd say this season I worked a lot on my quickness and my mindset," she said. "Just making sure that, now that I've been in NWSL for two years, I feel a lot more comfortable with the uncomfortable. I'm just ready for whatever comes my way this season."
"The mental side is so huge at this level," she added. "I think that's probably the thing that I've learned the most: just being prepared at all times."
In her playing career, which included an undefeated season at Lincoln High, winning the 2008 Gatorade State Player of the Year followed by a glittering four years at the University of Portland, Johnson has witnessed the growth of the women's game. In particular, she's seen just how quickly and how eagerly her hometown has embraced women's soccer.
Some of Johnson's unwavering belief in the Portland soccer scene may stem from having played at UP’s Merlo Field, where the University of Portland has led the nation in average attendance for women's collegiate soccer every year since 2005.
"Women's soccer in general is getting a better following," she said. "Each year it seems like it's growing…I think it's a good thing overall."
On Saturday, the Thorns will travel uptown to Merlo Field to take on the University of Portland Pilots in a preseason friendly (Mar. 21, 7PM PT, TICKETS) and Johnson says she's ready to go back to her old home field.
"I absolutely love playing on Merlo," Johnson said. "There's not many places like that in the world, where you get to play on an awesome pitch in front of incredible fans.
"It will be fun, just getting to play against another team with our actual team for the first time. I will definitely have a little bit of nostalgia and I'm definitely excited to get to go back there to play."
But as happy as Johnson is to return to the Rose City and revisit her soccer origins, she's happiest of all to spend some more quality time with the family dog.
"I have a dog who I love, so I definitely need to go up there and get in some good cuddling."
Tickets for the match are $10 for reserved stadium chairs, $8 for reserved bench back seats or $5 for general admission, while $2 of every ticket purchased supports Providence’s sports screening and health education programs for youth in the community. Tickets can be purchased through the Pilot box office at the Chiles Center (Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.), by calling (503) 943-7525 or at ticketmaster.com.
