Portland Thorns FC players continue to stay busy around the globe in the offseason. In the case of goalkeeper Nadine Angerer and defender Steph Catley, the duo both traveled to Australia to play for the Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory respectively. The two ended up going head to head recently (see photo above).
We reached out to Angerer to see how she was doing in the Land Down Under.
You have spent a lot of time traveling since the end of the NWSL season with national team duty and heading to Australia. What are one or two things that you always take with you, or things you always do to help get through the travel?
Nadine Angerer: "Two things I never miss. My iPad and of course my hat. I almost always wear a hat."
What is your favorite thing about the city of Brisbane? What do you do there during your downtime (not that you seem to have much)?
NA: "I relax and try to discover new places in Brisbane. The fact that I was here in Brisbane last year, I already know a few nice places in the city. Also, I have a German friend (Thomas Broich) who plays for the Brisbane Roar men’s team. We spend a lot of time together and I enjoy my time here in beautiful Australia. You can find photos and more about my experience in Australia on my blog."
Are there any cool hat shops in Brisbane? What is the current hat in your rotation?
NA: "I bought a new hat in Byron Bay. It is a black, classic hat. That's actually my favorite hat.
However, I haven’t found a special hat shop in Brisbane, not yet..."
What’s been your favorite experience so far—on or off the field—in Australia?
NA: "Australia is a laidback country. The people from Germany are always very hectic and perfectionist.
Here in Australia, everything is a bit slower and more relaxed, and so I'm learning the other side of life and know how to relax. I like the feeling that I don’t have to be productive every day. It's nice laying at the pool reading a book and just enjoying the time."
You don’t get much of an “offseason.” How do you keep fresh and re-charged when playing year-round?
NA: "Honestly, I've been playing for a year and a half without a break. But the season in Australia is short (only 3 months) and ends in December. So I'm going in January and February for vacation and I need this time to recover. I am looking forward to coming back to Portland very recovered and in a top condition."
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The W-League season is quickly wrapping up and postseason berths are on the line with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. Over the weekend, Steph Catley and the Melbourne Victory scored a late goal to secure a 2-1 victory against Angerer and the Brisbane Roar over the weekend, helping the Victory move up in the W-League standings. Both Thorns FC players played the full 90 minutes for their respective clubs.
- TALK TIMBERS: Nadine Angerer calls in from Australia
Catley captained the club in the comeback win, which vaulted Melbourne into a tie for second place in the table with Sydney FC and Canberra United. A win in the team’s final match of the regular season this coming weekend over the Newcastle Jets would secure a semifinal spot for the Victory. Following Melbourne’s final regular season match the club travels to Japan to compete in the International Women’s Club Championship from Nov. 30 – Dec. 6.
The final week of the W-League regular season will wrap up on Dec. 6 and the top four teams move on to postseason play. Angerer and the Roar, which have been eliminated from postseason contention, will face Canberra United this weekend and take on the Western Sydney Wanderers in the final week to close out their 2014 W-League campaign. Angerer even found time to train with her Brisbane Roar male counterparts as well.
In other news, Thorns FC assistant coach Scot Thompson helped guide the Oregon Episcopal School to the Class 3A/2A/1A girl’s soccer state title. OES earned a 2-0 victory over Westside Christian at Liberty High School on Saturday to claim the title. OES finished the season with a record of 14-1-3, winning its third state championship in the last four years. Read about the championship match in The Oregonianhere.
Thorns FC's Allie Long has been training hard everywhere from the east coast, to the west coast and in Hawaii she found some time for some soccer tennis with friend and teammate Alex Morgan.
