Tag: Portland Thorns

Yates report: Thorns recommended Paul Riley for new job after firing him for sexual misconduct

Thorns GM Gavin Wilkinson allegedly said he’d hire Riley “in a heartbeat”

Just months after the Portland Thorns fired Paul Riley following an investigation into alleged sexual harassment, they recommended him for a new job.

That is according to the investigation by Sally Yates into allegations of abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in women’s soccer that was released on Monday.

Riley was fired by the Thorns in 2015, but the reason for his termination was not revealed publicly. Within months he was coaching in the NWSL again with the Western New York Flash, which would eventually move and become the North Carolina Courage.

The allegations against Riley did not become public until 2021, when The Athletic published a story including on-record allegations of sexual harassment from Mana Shim, as well as accusations of sexual harassment and sexual coercion from another player, Sinead Farrelly.

Only then was Riley fired by the Courage, more than five years after he was hired.

Wilkinson would ‘hire [Riley] in a heartbeat’

The Yates report details an email from NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush to U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn, U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, and NWSL General Counsel Lisa Levine while Riley was in the process of being hired by the Flash in early 2016.

First, Plush tells the trio “Western New York will announce Paul Riley as head coach on Friday. Not good news,” indicating that the entire group was aware of the possible consequences of Riley getting another NWSL job.

Plush then relays his “guess” that Thorns General Manager Gavin Wilkinson likely “helped” get Riley hired.

Plush adds that Wilkinson believed it was at least partially a player’s fault that Riley was let go, and that he would recommend the coach “in a heartbeat” for another job.

The excerpt reads:

In an email to Gulati, Flynn, and Levine, Plush conveyed his understanding that Gavin Wilkinson (Thorns General Manager) told the Flash that Riley was “put in a bad position by the player,” and that Wilkinson would “hire [Riley] in a heartbeat.” Although Plush, Gulati, Flynn, and Levine all had received Shim’s detailed complaint—and Plush and Levine received the 2015 Thorns Report—none appeared to provide the Flash with additional information.

The report also states the Flash received “positive recommendations from the Thorns” over Riley and were told to hire him if they could. The Flash added that Wilkinson said the investigation that led to Riley’s firing in Portland “resulted in no findings of wrong doing [sic].”

During the hiring process, the Flash sought and received information and positive recommendations from the Thorns regarding Riley. WNY Flash’s Vice President Aaran Lines spoke with the Thorns General Manager (Wilkinson). According to the WNY Flash, “the only negative reference made during the conversation was a comment from Mr. Wilkenson [sic] that Mr. Riley did not mesh well with all of the personalities in the locker room.” The WNY Flash also reported that Wilkinson “referenced only one incident with a disgruntled player but indicated that an internal investigation resulted in no findings of wrong doing [sic] against Mr. Riley and the investigation was otherwise closed. His comment at that time was to get him if we could

The Yates report also makes it clear that U.S. Soccer was warned two more times about Riley after he was hired by the Flash, once in 2018 and once again in 2019.

ESPN reported last month that Thorns owner Merritt Paulson told Courage owner Steve Malik in 2019 that Riley should withdraw from consideration from the USWNT job, which would have helped conceal the real reason for his departure from the Thorns.

The Yates report also detailed the Thorns’ resistance to fully cooperating with the investigation.

“The Portland Thorns interfered with our access to relevant witnesses and raised specious legal arguments in an attempt to impede our use of relevant documents,” the report says.

Paulson is still the owner of the Thorns as well as the Portland Timbers of MLS. Wilkinson was removed as general manager of the Thorns last year but still serves the same role for the Timbers.

[lawrence-related id=7925,7920,7843]

Alex Morgan says she told U.S. Soccer not to hire Paul Riley as USWNT coach

Morgan said U.S. Soccer told her they were unaware of any investigation into Riley

In a new ESPN documentary, Alex Morgan said she told U.S. Soccer not to hire Paul Riley as U.S. women’s national team head coach in 2019.

Riley was a candidate to replace Jill Ellis at the time after his track record of on-field success as head coach of the North Carolina Courage, and previously with the Portland Thorns.

But a recent ESPN report said the Thorns had fired Riley for cause in 2015 following an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. When Portland let Riley go, however, the club did not mention the investigation, which paved the way for him to get another NWSL coaching job with the Western New York Flash, which would eventually move to North Carolina and become the Courage.

An upcoming episode of ESPN’s investigative series E60 titled “Truth Be Told – The Fight For Women’s Professional Soccer,” explores Riley’s case and other recent instances of abuse in women’s soccer.

Morgan played for the Portland Thorns between 2013 and 2015, during which time her teammate Mana Shim confided to her that she had been subject to sexual harassment from Riley.

At the end of the 2015 regular season, Shim sent an email to Thorns ownership and executives as well as NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush informing them about her experiences with Riley.

The allegations against Riley did not become public until 2021, when The Athletic published story including on-record comments from Shim as well as accusations of harassment and coercion from former Thorns player Sinead Farrelly.

When Riley’s name came up for the USWNT job in 2019, Morgan said she did everything she could to stop it, adding that U.S. Soccer told her they were unaware of any accusations against Riley.

“I did my part in stopping him from becoming head coach,” Morgan said. “And that was sharing as much information as I could with the people who were in charge of selecting the next head coach.

“The response by U.S. Soccer was no, they had never heard of this misconduct or harassment. Not the report that Mana submitted, not the investigation, and that this was a surprise to them.”

The Athletic article contained a statement from Thorns owner Merritt Paulson, saying he informed the NWSL of the 2015 investigation into Riley. At the time, U.S. Soccer played an active role in running the league.

ESPN reported this month that Paulson told Courage owner Steve Malik in 2019 that Riley should withdraw from consideration from the USWNT job, which would have helped conceal the real reason for his departure from the Thorns.

“Truth Be Told – The Fight For Women’s Professional Soccer” will debut on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, streaming afterward on ESPN+.

[lawrence-related id=7826,7820]

What are my NWSL team’s playoff chances? Your guide to the last two matchdays of the season

There’s so much potential for NWSL chaos this weekend

The NWSL season has just two rounds of games left, with every team having two more chances to pick up points.

Eight teams are alive in the playoff race, and somehow only the Portland Thorns know that they’re definitely going to the postseason. The table is packed like the stands at Snapdragon Stadium! It’s as crowded as a storage container locker room at Segra Field! It’s a lot to take in, is what we’re saying.

NWSL Chaos is in the eye of the beholder, and while we can all agree on an idea like a seven-team tie was the wildest thing out there last week, that dream is over. We now have a wide range that are all arguably the most bonkers outcome.

The last version of this piece was omakase; you got one incredible scenario to savor, but no choices. This time, you’ve got the whole menu to look over, with truly wild scenarios peppered throughout this piece.

What are my NWSL team’s playoff chances? Your guide to the last two weeks of the season

What if everyone finishes tied for first? The NWSL wants to find out!

There are less than two weeks left in the NWSL regular season, and yet no team has clinched a playoff spot. Only three teams are officially out of the running, and the prospect of a truly bonkers final table — we promise, there is a possible scenario detailed below that is a true mind-melter — is still very much looming over proceedings.

Here, then, is Pro Soccer Wire‘s breakdown of every team’s situation heading into the last 12 days of the season.

What are my NWSL team’s playoff chances? Your guide to the stretch run

We stared at the NWSL standings for 10 hours so you don’t have to

The NWSL is officially in the home stretch, with the season down to its final three weekends. Most teams have just four games left to play, and we have an incredible five teams all within two points of one another at the top of the table, along with a potentially wild race for the last playoff spot.

Here, then, is Pro Soccer Wire‘s breakdown of every team’s situation heading into these final, critical games of the season.

Just 113 days after giving birth, Crystal Dunn was back in action for the Portland Thorns

Dunn’s return from giving birth took less than four months

Crystal Dunn may have had her first child 113 days ago, but since she’s a force of nature, she’s already back on the field.

The U.S. women’s national team and Portland Thorns star, who gave birth on May 20, returned to action Friday night in a 2-0 win for the Thorns over the Orlando Pride.

Dunn made a short appearance off the bench, replacing Sophia Smith in the 86th minute as the Thorns used extensive possession to set themselves up for a road win on goals from Yasmeen Ryan and Hina Sugita.

The appearance was Dunn’s first for either the Thorns or the USWNT since a 1-0 road win in Houston on October 17, 2021, and comes just days after national team manager Vlatko Andonovski—who called Dunn into his September camp in a training-only capacity—told reporters he felt like she was ready to play.

“I’ve visualized this moment for a really long time. Just, you know, thinking about how I was going to feel when I stepped on the field,” Dunn told reporters following the match. “I’ve been training full (speed) for a while now. I went in with the national team, which was really great for me, and I think coming to this moment, I was just like, ‘Crystal, you are a soccer player. Just play soccer, play simple.'”

Dunn said that while she’s not at maximum fitness yet, her status at the moment is right around where she expected to be at this point. One big help, according to her, was that her husband happens to be Thorns head trainer Pierre Soubrier.

“Obviously, he is my husband, but you know, he’s my athletic trainer. He’s really knowledgeable of the return-to-play process,” said Dunn. “I had to really respect that he knows his job well. There were times where he was telling me, ‘Hey, you can’t do this today, you gotta take it slow,’ and I was like (groans) but ultimately, I was like, ‘okay, you’re right.'”

Dunn also noted that she trained with Portland nearly until her due date, and that time spent in the weight room—a place she noted with a grin was not her favorite in the past—has helped her come back so quickly.

That said, she said it’s important to acknowledge that she’s not going to just be the same old Crystal Dunn.

“I feel like people are expecting you to feel the same. And I’m like, ‘you know what? I’m never going to be the same again,” explained Dunn. “I went through childbirth, there’s no going back to Crystal before getting birth, you know?”

No matter how different this version of Dunn is, Thorns veteran Meghan Klingenberg was delighted to have her back on the field.

“Our Thorns baby mama is incredible,” said Klingenberg. “She’s the ultimate team player. She’s the ultimate hard worker. And you know, it’s nice to see her have her moment, because I think a lot of times Crystal doesn’t get her moment. But this was a Crystal moment, and I love being part of it because you know she steps on the field and creates a huge difference.”

Portland head coach said that due to Dunn’s experience, there wasn’t a ton of advice she had to give on the touchline before sending her in.

“All I said was ‘just do what you do, and keep the keep driving the quality of our (passing) and our movement,’ and that’s exactly what she did,” said Wilkinson. “She’s not fully back yet, but she’s not far off. What a phenom. So impressed by her.”

 

Alex Morgan slams ‘pathetic’ Thorns statement in response to report on Merritt Paulson

The USWNT striker was furious at her former club after new reporting about owner Merritt Paulson

Alex Morgan slammed the Portland Thorns after an ESPN report claimed that owner Merritt Paulson tried to persuade former coach Paul Riley not to pursue the U.S. women’s national team job in 2019.

Riley was terminated for cause as Thorns coach in 2015 after sexual misconduct allegations by the club’s player Mana Shim, but the Thorns did not make that public and instead said Riley’s contract was simply not renewed when it expired.

After Riley got another job coaching the Western New York Flash, which moved and became the North Carolina Courage, Shim’s allegations, along with similar charges made by ex-Thorns player Sinead Farrelly, were finally made public last year in a report in The Athletic.

Riley was quickly fired as Courage head coach.

ESPN’s report on Thursday claimed that in 2019, Paulson told North Carolina Courage owner Steve Malik that it was “a good idea” for Riley to withdraw from consideration for the USWNT job.

Paulson was reportedly concerned that if Riley had applied to coach the USWNT, then the real reason behind his Thorns departure in 2015 would become public.

The Thorns responded to ESPN’s report on Thursday, saying it was “an extremely biased and misleading article.”

That response generated plenty of negative reaction on Twitter including from Morgan, who played for the Thorns in 2015 and whom Shim told about some of Riley’s behavior at the time.

“We (the players of the NWSL, especially players in Portland) deserve so much better than a boys club protecting their own. Also, that statement in response by Thorns FC is just pathetic,” she charged.

[lawrence-related id=6773,6499,6380]

Spirit coach Kris Ward called his own home field an ‘abomination’

Of Segra Field, he said: “I hope we never have to play here again”

Kris Ward is through holding back his feelings on Segra Field.

After a 2-1 loss against the Portland Thorns on Wednesday, the Washington Spirit head coach labeled the playing surface at his team’s occasional home stadium an “abomination.”

The Spirit split their home schedule in 2022 between Segra Field in Leesburg, Va. and Audi Field in Washington D.C., playing five matches at each facility.

But players and coaches alive have not hidden their preference for Audi Field, the home of D.C. United, which holds 20,000 fans in comparison to 5,000 at Segra Field, and features a pristine grass playing surface instead of the turf at Segra.

The Spirit played their last 2022 match at Segra Field on Wednesday, and Ward did not mince words after the game.

“It’s an abomination that a professional game has to be played on something like this,” he told reporters of Segra Field, saying the turf affects players’ ability to accelerate and turn, as well as the speed of the ball.

“I hope we never have to play here again,” Ward added.

Aug 10, 2022; Leesburg, Virginia, USA; Portland Thorns FC forward Morgan Weaver (22) scores a goal against Washington Spirit in the second half at Segra Field. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports 

As for the game itself, Ward was left frustrated as Portland scored two goals late to turn around a Spirit lead obtained on a bizarre Bella Bixby own goal.

The loss took the defending NWSL champions’ winless streak to an incredible 17 games, with the Spirit failing to win since the first game of the season on May 1.

“It should’ve been three points,” Ward said. “There’s no two ways around it.”

[lawrence-related id=5926,5899,5885]

Bella Bixby walks ball into her own goal, but Portland Thorns win anyway

Segra Field was naturally the home for one of the strangest goals of the NWSL season

Bella Bixby has been one of NWSL’s best goalkeepers over the last two seasons, but on Wednesday night she had a moment to forget.

In retrospect, the stage was set early. The Portland Thorns were visiting Segra Field, the NWSL venue most likely to play host to bizarre and inexplicable events, to play the Washington Spirit.

That’s the same Spirit team who seem plagued by an endless stream of oddities in just about every game they play in 2022. And on top of that, in a time-honored tradition for NWSL midweek games, the match was delayed by lightning after ferocious storms swept through the DMV region.

In the 76th minute of a game that up to that point was defined by excellent goalkeeping from both Bixby and Aubrey Kingsbury, the former first got poor contact on an attempted punch from a Spirit corner kick. Washington’s Sam Staab nodded the rebound towards goal, and Bixby recovered to make what appeared to be a clean save.

However, she stumbled amid the crowd of bodies in the goalmouth, and in recovering stepped so far back over the goal line that she carried the ball right in with her, giving the Spirit the unlikeliest of leads.

Bixby tried to recover, tossing the ball back out of the goal, though that just saw Ashley Hatch quickly poke the ball back into the goal to make absolutely sure it was given. NWSL eventually ruled that Bixby had already crossed the line, awarding an own goal.

Still, as the Spirit are in the midst of an absolutely cursed season, the gift that gave them a late lead didn’t hold. Portland produced a stunning comeback, equalizing through Christine Sinclair in the 84th minute and then taking all three points on a Morgan Weaver stoppage time goal.

[lawrence-related id=5442,4642]

Becky Sauerbrunn scored a goal. We repeat: Becky Sauerbrunn scored a goal

They actually got Becky a goal

U.S. women’s national team captain and famous non-goalscorer Becky Sauerbrunn scored a goal today, giving the Portland Thorns a 2-0 lead over the Orlando Pride.

Just four minutes after Portland had jumped in front on an emphatic volley from Hina Sugita, the Thorns won a free kick out on the left wing. Sam Coffey, who will join Sauerbrunn in the USWNT camp that begins after this weekend’s NWSL games, powered the dead ball past the wall, forcing Erin McLeod into a great save, only for Sauerbrunn to beat everyone to the rebound for her first goal since joining Portland in 2020.

Sauerbrunn had nearly scored earlier in the game, floating a back-post header across goal only for McLeod to produce a top-notch save to tip that effort wide of the post.

Just nine days before her goal, Sauerbrunn pledged to donate $500 to Playing for Pride, an LGBTQI+ advocacy campaign, for any goal she scores in the month of June.

Sauerbrunn’s USWNT history includes 202 caps, but she hasn’t scored, making the idea of her getting a goal a long-running joke for fans. She has, however, occasionally scored a goal at the club level. Her last NWSL goal came on September 6, 2019, when she was playing for Utah Royals FC (and, funnily enough, it was a game-winner against Portland).

In fully professional club play, Sauerbrunn scored three times for FC Kansas City between 2013-2017, as well as a loan goal for the Washington Freedom in WPS and for Røa IL in Norway.

See Becky Sauerbrunn’s goal

[lawrence-related id=3647,3474,3216]