Portland Thorns

Update On NWSL Abuse Investigation Hints At Lack Of Cooperation

The women’s soccer world anxiously awaits the outcome of a much-needed investigation into widespread abuse of players in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Crystal Dunn’s Out There 6 Months Pregnant, Putting In That Work

Crystal Dunn is expecting her first child in May, but that’s not stopping her from getting in some touches. Video of Crystal Dunn training pregnant was posted to her social media accounts on Tuesday, and she’s still putting in that work six months pregnant.

With Baby On The Way, Who Is Crystal Dunn’s Husband?

Crystal Dunn is arguably the most versatile footballer on the planet. Capable of being one of the NWSL’s best forwards and then becoming one of the world’s best fullbacks with the USWNT, there isn’t much she can’t do. Her next position? Mom. So just who is this Crystal Dunn husband who will help the star footballer raise a baby along with a few cats and chickens?

N.C. Courage Attempt Apology For Signing Homophobic Player; Fans Aren’t Buying It

If you would like to learn how to alienate a club’s fanbase, perhaps irrevocably, you would struggle to find a better case study than the NWSL’s N.C. Courage this week. On Sunday, the club announced the signing of a player, Jaelene Daniels, antithetical to the vast majority of the team’s and league’s fans. After two full days of silence, the club put out a shockingly meek “apology” late Wednesday night, only further upsetting the once devoted fanbase. 

Openly Homophobic Jaelene Daniels Is Back; NWSL Fans Are Furious

On Sunday afternoon, the N.C. Courage announced they had signed a one-year deal with retired fullback Jaelene Daniels, formerly known as Jaelene Hinkle. Now NWSL fans across the country — especially in North Carolina — are furious over the signing. On the other side of the continent, the Portland Thorns angered their fans for drafting a player with a history of horribly racist, homophobic and transphobic behavior on Twitter. 

This is not how the NWSL wanted to end what has already been a shit year for the league. 

Stanford And USYNT Defender Naomi Girma Selected No. 1 Overall In NWSL College Draft

The 10th annual NWSL Draft was held on Saturday evening, and with the No. 1 overall pick, expansion side San Diego Wave FC selected Stanford defender Naomi Girma, who was U.S. Soccer's 2020 Young Female Player of the Year.

Girma joins a San Diego backline anchored by USWNT veteran Abby Dahlkemper and former Stanford teammate Tegan McGrady. The 21-year-old can also play in midfield, where she may be needed after the club selected a forward, German international Marleen Schimmer out of Grand Canyon University, with its ninth pick in the first round.  

Why Lindsey Horan — Not Carli Lloyd — Was The Obvious Choice For USWNT Player Of The Year

Carli Lloyd passed the torch to Lindsey Horan this year. Lloyd, who won two Women’s World Cups wearing the vaunted No. 10 jersey, bequeathed the number to Horan after retiring. On Thursday night, it was Horan who honored the jersey by being named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. 

Naeher Or Nothing? Ranking The Best Goalkeepers In Women's Football

As a semi-active goalkeeper and current goalkeeper coach, I pride myself on being knowledgeable about all things goalkeeping. But early on into this project, I realized I was in over my head. My goalkeeper expertise was far outweighed by my previous lack of knowledge on women's soccer.

I couldn't rank the top ten women's goalkeepers because I couldn't even name ten of them. I was humbled and also disappointed in myself, but I set out to rectify the situation by producing the best damn rankings of women's goalkeepers I possibly could.

Julie Ertz Traded Away As NWSL Clubs Go Wild With Moves Ahead Of Drafts

Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC will start to really fill out their rosters during the NWSL expansion draft on Dec. 16, during which time each team is allowed to draft up to nine players from other preexisting NWSL squads. But neither club is waiting around for the expansion draft or the 2022 NWSL Draft two days later to make moves, with one USWNT player heading west and a potential blockbuster trade in the works ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. 

Chicago Stuns Portland With 25-Yard Screamer To Make NWSL Championship

After a period of dominance that yielded every trophy (2020 Fall Series, 2021 Challenge Cup, 2021 Women’s ICC, 2021 Shield) apart from the one that really matters, the top-seeded Portland Thorns suffered heartbreak on Sunday in the NWSL playoff semifinals to the Chicago Red Stars, despite the underdogs missing Mal Pugh, Casey Krueger, Kayla Sharples and losing Kealia Watt to injury in the 29th-minute. 

It was Watt’s substitute — Katie Johnson — who gave the Red Stars the advantage in the 37th minute with a shot from an impossible angle that caught Bella Bixby napping. 

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