Nina Nijstad did so without fanfare when she joined her Thorns teammates on the grass after a July 5 match against Racing Louisville. And as the first player brought onto the team under the leadership of head coach Robert Vilahamn, Nijstad has been identified as a building block. Though she’s still working for regular looks with her senior national team, Nijstad has represented her country four times and has recorded two goals in those appearances. That’s exactly the mentality you want from a player looking to break into the starting lineup alongside the likes of Fleming and Olivia Moultrie. She’s looking forward to exploring the local farmers markets and to just go shopping.