Portland Thorns sign France star Amandine Henry
The Portland Thorns have made another off-season addition, and it might just be the best one yet.
The Thorns announced they've signed 26-year-old France international midfielder Amandine Henry, who made FIFPro's first Women's World XI, was on FIFA's 10-player World Player of the Year shortlist and helped France to the 2015 Women's World Cup quarterfinals, winning the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player.
Henry joins Portland and NWSL from Lyon, where she won two Women's Champions League titles.
ESPNW first reported the Henry signing earlier this month.
“Amandine is a proven, world-class player with demonstrated success at both the club and international level in France,” Thorns general manager and president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson said in a statement “Her accomplishments speak for themselves, and we are very pleased to add a player of her caliber to an already talented Thorns club and to the NWSL.”
Introspective, healthy Alex Morgan sees opportunity to seize in 2016
Even before Henry joined, the Thorns off-season turnover had included some of the game's biggest stars. The giant move involved dealing Alex Morgan, Kaylyn Kyle and a draft pick to the expansion Orlando Pride, with Portland receiving a huge haul in return. With the top place the allocation order that Portland received from Orlando, it signed U.S. women's national team midfielder Lindsey Horan, who joined the league from PSG.
With the top pick in the expansion draft that it received, it took U.S. left back Meghan Klingenberg, who was left unprotected by the Houston Dash. With the first pick in the NWSL draft that Orlando surrendered, the Thorns took U.S. women's national team defender Emily Sonnett, out of the University of Virginia.
Between Henry, Horan, Klingenberg, Sonnett and returning Thorns Christine Sinclair and Tobin Heath, Portland boasts a slew of stars all over the field. The Thorns, who won the inaugural 2013 NWSL title, are aiming to end FC Kansas City's two-year reign as league champion. Portland's season begins at home on April 17 against Orlando.
