Montrealer Rhian Wilkinson has held one of the most prestigious positions in world women’s soccer for more than a month: that of head coach of the Portland Thorns, the most successful team in the NWSL.
And the former Canadian team player is already working, even if the circuit does not begin operations until the 1er next february. It is that his athletes are visibly the ants in the legs.
“There are already 12 players on the field”, she underlined in French, during an interview in Zoom with The Press, last week.
“They are the ones who want to train, there is nothing mandated. […] The majority of athletes want to be here. Next week, they will be 16 players. ”
In Portland, Wilkinson replaces Mark Parsons, a technician who led the Thorns to six trophies in six years, including three in 2021. The Portland team also won the first league championship in 2013.
Realizing that this position comes under a lot of pressure, she is nonetheless happy that the culture established by Parsons resembles the one she wants to instill.
“Mark had many of the same ideas as me,” she says. […] Several members of his staff are still here. I am very fortunate to work with a winning staff.
“My philosophy is a bit different,” Wilkinson concedes. It will take a little while for the athletes to understand what I want from them. ”
Coach Christine Sinclair
Wilkinson has won two bronze medals in three Olympic Games appearances, appeared in four FIFA Women’s World Cups, and played 181 games for Canada.
An experience that does not prevent him from saying with a smile that “soccer is a simple game”. As a coach, she wants her players to feel they can thrive on the pitch.
“I love when the game gives each player the opportunity to express what they’re doing to their best. Not all forwards play like Christine Sinclair or Sophia Smith. Each player is unique. I want to put it all on the pitch and give the fans an experience here. ”
It’s no coincidence that Wilkinson mentions Sinclair, the greatest goalscorer of all time in men’s and women’s soccer combined. The Canadian forward with 188 international goals has captained the Thorns since the club was founded in 2013.
How do you approach such a legend in training?
“Players like her need coaches,” said Wilkinson, who recalls having coached her when she was Bev Priestman’s assistant with the Canadian squad.
It’s very important to remember that athletes who are considered stars have this longevity in their careers because they always want to improve.
Rhian wilkinson
She also mentions the names of Becky Sauerbrunn and Meghan Klingenberg, two other players with full CVs.
“One of the reasons I might have been hired is because I put them in the same category as the rest of the world. They have to work on their technique. They need to work on the facets of their game where they need to improve. They want to push their level even further. ”
But it also qualifies its point, because there is still the experience that comes into play.
“We have a 16-year-old girl on the team,” she explains. She has to train a little differently. It’s not always the same level, but all players want the same thing: to improve. They want an opportunity and want to feel that they are noticed. ”
Canadian leadership
A Canadian duo is now at the head of the club: his compatriot and friend Karina LeBlanc was hired in early November as general manager of the Thorns. She replaces Gavin Wilkinson (not related to Rhian), who was placed on administrative leave after allegations of sexual harassment against her surfaced.
PHOTO ARCHIVES THE CANADIAN PRESS
Karina leblanc
LeBlanc, a goalie, played for Canada from 1998 to 2015, racking up 110 appearances with the Maple Leaf. She also played with the Thorns in 2013, then for the Chicago Red Stars, before retiring in 2015.
Wilkinson played 181 games for Canada from 2003 to 2017. The former players now based in Portland know each other well.
“Because she is a friend, that means that we can have discussions that are very difficult,” she believes.
“Discussions between a coach and a GM should never be easy,” Wilkinson continues. Me, I want to keep every player, and she has financial goals. It gives us the chance to talk to each other in a direct way. ”