Misplaced Pages

Portland Thorns FC

2021 season
Owner	Merritt Paulson
General manager	Gavin Wilkinson (suspended Oct. 6, 2021)
Head coach	Mark Parsons
Stadium	Providence Park (capacity: 25,218)
NWSL	1st (NWSL Shield)
Challenge Cup	Champions
WICC	Champions
NWSL Playoffs	Semi-finalists
Home colors Away colors
← 20202022 →
All statistics correct as of August 5, 2022.

The 2021 Portland Thorns FC season was the team's ninth season as a professional women's soccer team. Thorns FC plays in the National Women's Soccer League, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.

Background

The Thorns were semi-finalists in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup and champions of the 2020 NWSL Fall Series, which replaced the 2020 NWSL season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abuse scandal

Throughout the 2021 National Women's Soccer League season, allegations of abuse surfaced in multiple teams across the National Women's Soccer League in the United States. As a result, five out of the ten teams in the league had head coaches resign or be fired, with league commissioner Lisa Baird also resigning due to the scandal.

In late-September, The Athletic published an investigation into North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley, alleging that Riley had sexually coerced and verbally abused players on his teams, specifically during the time period between 2011 and 2015 (consisting of his time in WPS, WPSL, and NWSL). More than a dozen players from every team Riley had coached since 2010 spoke to the publication and two named players went on the record with allegations against him. In the article, Riley denied the allegations. The article also stated that NWSL failed to act on Riley's alleged abuses multiple times, including earlier in 2021 when the league declined to act on an offer from two of Riley's alleged victims to assist in investigating Riley's alleged abuses. Later that day, the Courage announced that Riley had been fired due to "very serious allegations of misconduct".

The Thorns released a statement the same day citing that some of the incidents occurred during Riley's two-year tenure as head coach of the Thorns in 2015 and discussing their reaction to the incidents at the time. The Thorns later claimed to have investigated the reports and allowed Riley's contact to expire as a result, but did not fire him, and later thanked Riley for his service and continued to praise his performances in the following years. Paulson also apologized for this course of action.

In the report by The Athletic, a former Thorns player who had raised complaints about Riley also said Thorns general manager Gavin Wilkinson complained to her about a newspaper story in 2014 regarding her sexuality and suggested to her that she should not publicly discuss her sexuality or Pride. Wilkinson initially disputed Shim's recollection, calling it "bullshit", then released another statement apologizing to Shim. The player's story was further corroborated by the reporter who wrote the story, who noted that a member of the club's communications staff had complained about the lack of advance notice about the story's publication, as well as for another story about the same player in 2018 after she had left the team. Another reporter who covered the team corroborated the reporter's account.

Also in September, former Sky Blue FC player Nadia Nadim accused management of forging her signature on a contract extension so they could trade her to the Thorns in early 2016.

Thorns and Timbers owner Merritt Paulson apologized in an open letter on October 4, but a number of Portland Thorns players released a statement two days later calling for Wilkinson to be suspended. On the day of the players' statement, Wilkinson, who was responsible for Riley's hire and the eventual non-retainment of Riley's services following the 2015 season, was put on administrative leave from his role as the Thorns general manager, though not from his roles as general manager and president of the co-owned Portland Timbers. That evening, players interrupted several matches to link arms in a circle in the center of a field to protest against abuse. The protest was repeated by players in several leagues outside the United States, such as the FA Women's Super League, in a gesture of solidarity.

Aftermath

The club reinstated Wilkinson as Timbers and Thorns president of soccer in January 2022 following an internal business review; however, due to ongoing league, union, and federation investigations, no players could be interviewed, and the players association disavowed any connection between the internal review and other investigations.

Wilkinson and the Portland Timbers front office faced further accusations of misconduct in the face of abuse reports in February 2022, when Major League Soccer suspended Timbers player Andy Polo pending an investigation into allegations of domestic violence made by Polo's ex-partner. Police reports later indicated that Timbers employees were present when police arrived to investigate the initial call in May 2021, months before The Athletic's report on Paul Riley was published, but the team failed to report the incident to the league for nine months. Polo's ex-partner detailed the event on Peruvian television, and claimed she had been pressured into not filing charges against Polo. An MLS investigation in March 2022 claimed the Timbers did not pressure Polo's ex-partner nor intentionally conceal the incident or their involvement. Wilkinson claimed Diego Valeri opposed the decision to cut Polo, which Valeri denied as he was no longer with the Timbers at the time of Polo's release from the team.

Olivia Moultrie lawsuit

In 2019, after signing deals with Wasserman Media Group and Nike, Inc., the family of 13-year-old professional soccer player Olivia Moultrie announced that Moultrie was moving from Canyon Country, California, to Portland, Oregon, to join the Portland Thorns FC developmental academy.

On May 4, 2021, with the support of the Thorns front office and players, Moultrie and her father K.C. sued the National Women's Soccer League over a rule preventing players under the age of 18 from signing with the league, claiming it violates antitrust law because Major League Soccer, the North American top-division men's league, did not prohibit such signings. On May 24, 2021, U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut issued a 14-day temporary restraining order against the league on the request of Moultrie's lawyers, stating that the league had not presented "any compelling procompetitive reasons" for the policy.

The league argued that as a single entity, it could not be anticompetitive. However, in the temporary restraining order, Immergut noted that the NWSL might not meet the legal standard for a single-entity organization, being instead a collection of independent teams competing for talent, and that the age rule therefore would violate section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. If such a ruling became permanent, other league rules that relied on its single-entity structure could be similarly contested.

On May 29, 2021, the league delayed, and then denied, the Thorns's discovery claim to the right to sign Moultrie to an NWSL standard player agreement. This prevented the Thorns from signing her despite the court order, made her discovery rights available to other NWSL teams, and delayed any potential NWSL contract offer.

On June 6, 2021, OL Reign acquired the discovery rights to sign Moultrie to an NWSL contract, and subsequently traded them to the Thorns in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft. This allowed the Thorns to extend a professional contract offer to Moultrie in compliance with the court's restraining order. According to Moultrie's attorney, the league claimed to be in the process of creating a special discovery process for young players.

On June 18, 2021, Immergut granted Moultrie a preliminary injunction allowing her to sign an NWSL contract, which the league stated that it would appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on the grounds that the league was negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with the NWSL Players Association that would codify an age rule negotiated with players.

On June 30, 2021, Moultrie officially signed a three-year professional contract with the NWSL to play for Portland Thorns FC. On July 30, 2021, Moultrie and her attorneys settled their lawsuit with the NWSL out of court, which allowed Moultrie to sign with the league but left the league's age rule otherwise prohibiting players under the age of 18 intact. The settlement also allowed any age rule eventually agreed upon in the league's collective bargaining agreement with the Players Association to make Moultrie ineligible again.

Aftermath

Moultrie debuted for the Thorns as a professional on August 19, 2021, against the Houston Dash during the 2021 Women's International Champions Cup exhibition tournament. She scored her first professional goal during the match off a direct free kick. Moultrie would finish the 2021 NWSL season with nine appearances and an assist. In 2022, the league allowed 17-year-old Jaedyn Shaw to join the league in an exemption to the age rule similar to the one created for Moultrie's settlement. Shaw's rights were claimed by San Diego Wave FC, who signed her to a contract through 2023. Shaw started the season training with the Washington Spirit, who had attempted to sign her directly, but were denied by the league's discovery process.

Stadium and facilities

Thorns FC continued to play and train in Providence Park, their home since the team's inaugural season in 2013. The team held its first preseason training at the Portland Timbers training facilities in Beaverton, Oregon, before resuming training at the stadium.

Team

Staff

As of September 25, 2021.

Technical
General manager	Gavin Wilkinson
Head coach	Mark Parsons
Assistant coach	Sophie Clough
Assistant coach	Rich Gunney
Goalkeeper coach	Nadine Angerer
Medical
Head athletic trainer	Pierre Soubrier
Assistant athletic trainer	Kelly Strasser
Performance specialist	Tom Milroy
Head physician	Breanne Brown

Squad

As of September 25, 2021.

No.	Nat.	Name	Date of birth (age)	Since	Previous team	Notes
Goalkeepers
1		Bella Bixby	(1995-11-20)November 20, 1995 (aged 25)	2018	Oregon State
35		Abby Smith	(1993-10-04)October 4, 1993 (aged 27)	2021	Kansas City Current
43		Shelby Hogan	(1998-05-10)May 10, 1998 (aged 23)	2021	Providence College
Defenders
4		Becky Sauerbrunn	(1985-06-06)June 6, 1985 (aged 36)	2020	Utah Royals FC
5		Emily Menges	(1992-07-28)July 28, 1992 (aged 29)	2014	Georgetown
14		Natalia Kuikka	(1995-12-01)December 1, 1995 (aged 25)	2020	Kopparberg/Göteborg FC	INT
15		Madison Pogarch	(1997-11-05)November 5, 1997 (aged 23)	2019	Rutgers
18		Christen Westphal	(1993-09-02)September 2, 1993 (aged 28)	2020	Reign FC
20		Kelli Hubly	(1994-08-09)August 9, 1994 (aged 27)	2017	DePaul
25		Meghan Klingenberg	(1988-08-02)August 2, 1988 (aged 33)	2015	Orlando Pride
39		Meaghan Nally	(1998-06-30)June 30, 1998 (aged 23)	2020	Georgetown Hoyas
41		Hannah Betfort	(1999-01-04)January 4, 1999 (aged 22)	2021	Wake Forest
Midfielders
10		Lindsey Horan	(1994-05-26)May 26, 1994 (aged 27)	2016	Paris Saint-Germain
11		Raquel Rodríguez	(1993-10-28)October 28, 1993 (aged 27)	2020	Sky Blue FC
19		Crystal Dunn	(1992-07-03)July 3, 1992 (aged 29)	2020	North Carolina Courage (via OL Reign)
23		Yazmeen Ryan	(1999-02-25)February 25, 1999 (aged 22)	2021	Texas Christian
30		Celeste Boureille	(1994-04-20)April 20, 1994 (aged 27)	2016	California Golden Bears
36		Angela Salem	(1988-07-24)July 24, 1988 (aged 33)	2018	Boston Breakers
42		Olivia Moultrie	(2005-09-17)September 17, 2005 (aged 16)	2021
Forwards
7		Simone Charley	(1995-02-04)February 4, 1995 (aged 26)	2019	Vanderbilt
9		Sophia Smith	(2000-08-10)August 10, 2000 (aged 21)	2020	Stanford
12		Christine Sinclair	(1983-06-12)June 12, 1983 (aged 38)	2013	Western New York Flash
22		Morgan Weaver	(1997-10-18)October 18, 1997 (aged 23)	2020	Washington State
34		Tyler Lussi	(1995-01-26)January 26, 1995 (aged 26)	2017	Princeton
40		Marissa Everett	(1997-08-29)August 29, 1997 (aged 24)	2019	Oregon

1. INT: International player

Competitions

NWSL Challenge Cup

In 2021, the Thorns competed in the cup's West Division during the group stage.

Group stage

West Division standings

Championship

Portland Thorns FC won the right to host the final by finishing with the best record across both divisions. NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird wrote a letter to Oregon governor Kate Brown requesting an exemption from a ban on fan attendance due to the "extreme risk" designation for COVID-19 in Multnomah County at the time. Brown denied the request, prompting rumors that the league might seek an alternative venue. However, Brown then downgraded the county's status four days before the match on May 4, 2021, to "high risk", allowing the Thorns to make up to 15 percent of the venue's capacity available.

Regular season

Matches

Regular season standings

Results summary

Last updated: November 14, 2021.
Source: NWSLsoccer.com

Results by matchday

NWSL Playoffs

In 2021, the NWSL expanded the single-elimination playoff field from four to six teams, and granted the top two teams in the regular-season standings a first-round bye. The Thorns finished first in the league to win the NWSL Shield and hosted the third-seeded Chicago Red Stars in the playoff semi-finals.

International Champions Cup

The 2021 International Champions Cup Women's Tournament was a friendly tournament of women's association football matches. It was the third edition of the Women's International Champions Cup and took place in Portland, Oregon, United States, from August 18 to 21, 2021. Portland Thorns FC qualified as champions of the 2020 Fall Series and emerged the winners, defeating Olympique Lyonnais Féminin 1-0 in the final, while FC Barcelona Femení won the third-place match.

Bracket

	Semi-finals				Final
	August 18 – Portland
	Lyon	3
					August 21 – Portland
	Barcelona	2
					Lyon	0
	August 18 – Portland
					Portland Thorns FC	1
	Portland Thorns FC (p)	2 (3)
	Houston Dash	2 (1)
					Third place play-off
					August 21 – Portland
					Barcelona	3
					Houston Dash	2

Matches

August 18, 2021 (2021-08-18) Semi-finals	Portland Thorns FC	2–2 (3–1 p)	Houston Dash	Portland, Oregon
20:06 PDT	Kuikka 51' Moultrie 58'	Report	Groom 17', 41'	Stadium: Providence Park Referee: Adorae Monroy
	Penalties
	Klingenberg Kuikka Moultrie Charley		Nairn Schmidt Daly Abam

August 21, 2021 (2021-08-21) Final	Lyon	0–1	Portland Thorns FC	Portland, Oregon
19:06 PDT		Report	Weaver 87'	Stadium: Providence Park Referee: Laura Rodriguez

Statistics

Appearances, scoring, and discipline

As of November 14, 2021.

Players with no appearances not included in the list. Players whose names are struck are no longer with the club. Numbers in parentheses in the Appearances column represent appearances as a substitute.

No.	Pos.	Nat.	Name	Challenge Cup					NWSL Season					Total
				App.	G	A			App.	G	A			App.	G	A
1	GK		Bella Bixby	0	0	0	0	0	16	0	0	0	0	16	0	0	0	0
4	DF		Becky Sauerbrunn	3	0	0	0	0	16 (1)	0	0	2	0	19 (1)	0	0	2	0
5	DF		Emily Menges	1 (1)	0	0	0	0	20 (1)	0	1	0	0	21 (2)	0	1	0	0
7	FW		Simone Charley	4 (1)	1	0	3	1	19 (8)	5	0	1	0	23 (9)	6	0	4	1
9	FW		Sophia Smith	3	0	0	0	0	21 (5)	7	1	1	0	24 (5)	7	1	1	0
10	MF		Lindsey Horan	3	1	0	1	0	14	2	3	4	0	17	3	3	5	0
11	MF		Raquel Rodríguez	5 (3)	1	0	0	0	22 (3)	2	2	2	0	27 (6)	3	2	2	0
12	FW		Christine Sinclair	3	2	0	0	0	15	5	1	0	0	18	7	1	0	0
14	DF		Natalia Kuikka	5	0	0	0	0	19 (5)	0	1	1	0	24 (5)	0	1	1	0
15	DF		Madison Pogarch	4 (2)	0	0	0	0	15 (14)	0	0	1	0	19 (16)	0	0	1	0
18	DF		Christen Westphal	4 (2)	0	1	1	0	15 (5)	0	0	0	0	19 (7)	0	1	1	0
19	MF		Crystal Dunn	3	0	0	0	0	15 (3)	1	2	1	0	18 (3)	1	2	1	0
20	DF		Kelli Hubly	5	0	0	0	0	18 (6)	0	0	0	0	23 (6)	0	0	0	0
22	FW		Morgan Weaver	5 (4)	1	0	0	1	19 (7)	1	3	0	0	24 (11)	2	3	0	1
23	GK		Adrianna Franch	5	0	0	0	0	7	0	0	0	0	12	0	0	0	0
23	FW		Yazmeen Ryan	0	0	0	0	0	10 (9)	0	0	2	0	10 (9)	0	0	2	0
25	DF		Meghan Klingenberg	5	0	1	0	0	22 (2)	0	3	1	0	27 (2)	0	4	1	0
30	MF		Celeste Boureille	3 (1)	0	1	0	0	12 (5)	0	0	0	0	15 (6)	0	1	0	0
34	FW		Tyler Lussi	4 (1)	1	0	0	0	10 (9)	1	0	0	0	14 (10)	2	0	0	0
36	MF		Angela Salem	5 (2)	0	0	0	0	23 (2)	2	0	0	0	28 (4)	2	0	0	0
39	DF		Meaghan Nally	1 (1)	0	0	0	0	3 (3)	0	0	0	0	4 (4)	0	0	0	0
40	FW		Marissa Everett	2	0	0	0	0	10 (4)	2	0	1	0	12 (4)	2	0	1	0
41	DF		Hannah Betfort	0	0	0	0	0	1 (1)	0	0	0	0	1 (1)	0	0	0	0
42	MF		Olivia Moultrie	0	0	0	0	0	9 (6)	0	1	2	0	9 (6)	0	1	2	0
45	MF		Taylor Porter	0	0	0	0	0	1 (1)	0	0	0	0	1 (1)	0	0	0	0
46	FW		Raisa Strom-Okimoto	0	0	0	0	0	1 (1)	0	0	0	0	1 (1)	0	0	0	0
				Total	7	3	5	2	Total	28	18	19	0	Total	35	21	24	2

Clean sheets

As of November 14, 2021.

No.	Pos.	Nat.	Name	Challenge Cup	NWSL Season	Total
1	GK		Bella Bixby	0	9	9
23	GK		Adrianna Franch	2	4	6
Total				2	13	15

Awards

NWSL annual awards

Announced November 17, 2021

Best XI

Pos.	Nat.	Player
MF		Angela Salem

Second XI

Pos.	Nat.	Player
GK		Bella Bixby
DF		Emily Menges
		Meghan Klingenberg
MF		Lindsey Horan

NWSL monthly awards

Team of the Month

Month	Pos.	Nat.	Player	Ref.
May	MF		Crystal Dunn
July	GK		Bella Bixby
	DF		Emily Menges
			Meghan Klingenberg
August	DF		Emily Menges
	MF		Angela Salem
September	MF		Angela Salem
October	MF		Angela Salem

NWSL weekly awards

Player of the Week

Week	Nat.	Player	Ref.
4		Lindsey Horan

Save of the Week

Week	Nat.	Player	Won	Ref.
11		Bella Bixby	Won
12		Christen Westphal	Won
13		Bella Bixby	Nom.
17		Bella Bixby	Won

Transactions

NWSL Draft

Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2021 NWSL Draft was held on January 13, 2021.

Round	Pick	Nat.	Player	Pos.	College	Status	Ref.
1	6		Yazmeen Ryan	MF	TCU	Signed a three-year contract with one-year option.
2	12		Sam Coffey	MF	Penn State	Returned to Penn State; signed a two-year contract in 2022.
3	22		Amirah Ali	FW	Rutgers	Returned to Rutgers; rights traded to San Diego Wave FC.
4	37		Hannah Betfort	DF	Wake Forest	Signed a one-year contract with one-year option.

Transfers in

Date	Nat.	Player	Pos.	Previous club	Fee/notes	Ref.
October 22, 2020		Crystal Dunn	MF	North Carolina Courage (via OL Reign in a three-way trade)	Acquired in exchange for the Thorns' natural first-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, a 2021 international slot, and $250,000 in allocation money.
October 29, 2020		Natalia Kuikka	DF	Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC	Signed a two-year contract.
July 2, 2021		Taylor Porter	MF	UD Granadilla Tenerife	Signed as a National Team Replacement player.
		Raisa Strom-Okimoto	FW	Kansas City NWSL
August 17, 2021		Abby Smith	GK	Kansas City NWSL	Acquired with $150,000 in allocation money in exchange for Adrianna Franch.

Transfers out

Date	Nat.	Player	Pos.	Destination club	Fee/notes	Ref.
August 17, 2021		Adrianna Franch	GK	Kansas City NWSL	Traded in exchange for $150,000 in allocation money and Abby Smith.
August 25, 2021		Raisa Strom-Okimoto	FW	None	National Team Replacement contract expired.
December 8, 2021		Simone Charley	FW	Angel City FC	Traded in exchange for protection from Angel City FC in the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft, $100,000 in allocation money, and Angel City's natural second-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft.
		Tyler Lussi	FW
		Taylor Porter	MF	None	Contract expired.
December 16, 2021		Christen Westphal	DF	San Diego Wave FC	Traded in exchange for $50,000 in allocation money.
		Amirah Ali	FW
January 27, 2022		Lindsey Horan	MF	Olympique Lyon	Loaned through June 2023.
February 2, 2022		Angela Salem	MF	None	Retired.

References

1. Azzi, Alex (November 23, 2021). "2021 NWSL Timeline: Five male coaches ousted due to misconduct, abuse allegations". NBC Sports. NBC. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
2. Barker, Stuart; Paquette, Catherine (October 6, 2021). "The Long Read: NWSL Abuse, Not New or Isolated". Since 71. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
3. ^ Linehan, Meg (September 30, 2021). "'This guy has a pattern': Amid institutional failure, former NWSL players accuse prominent coach of sexual coercion". The Athletic. The Athletic Media Company. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
4. "NWSL side Portland Thorns regret 'systematic failure'". BBC Sport. BBC Online. October 4, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
5. Morgan, Alex (September 30, 2021). "(2/3)" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2021 – via Twitter.
6. Herrera, Sandra (September 30, 2021). "Paul Riley fired after former players accuse coach of sexual coercion; players union says NWSL 'failed us'". CBSSports.com. ViacomCBS Streaming. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
7. Streeter, Kurt (October 3, 2021). "Female Soccer Players Are Done Taking Abuse. Let's Stop Dishing It Out". The New York Times. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
8. Little, Grant (September 30, 2021). "-Former Thorns coach Paul Riley accused of sexual coercion". Stumptown Footy. SB Nation. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
9. ^ Goldberg, Jamie (October 4, 2021). "Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson apologizes, announces independent investigation in wake of Paul Riley allegations". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
10. Caitlin Murray (October 4, 2021). "I remember discussing this incident with Jamie back in 2014 - we were both confused as to why the Thorns would be upset about one of its players being profiled in the local newspaper" (Tweet). Retrieved August 7, 2022 – via Twitter.
11. McMullen, Justin (September 30, 2021). "Players Excoriate NWSL in Response To More Abuse Allegations". Venus Sports. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
12. Azzi, Alex (October 6, 2021). "NWSL teams pause games: "this is not business as usual"". NBC Sports. NBC. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
13. "Thorns GM Gavin Wilkinson on administrative leave pending investigation results". The Athletic. October 6, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
14. "NWSL players halt play mid-game to protest against alleged abuse in league". The Guardian. October 7, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
15. "Chelsea, Aston Villa & Reading link arms to unite with NWSL players over allegations". BBC Sport. BBC Online. October 10, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
16. Salvador, Joseph (January 24, 2022). "Gavin Wilkinson Reinstated as Portland Thorns' President of Soccer After Investigation". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
17. Murray, Caitlin (January 25, 2022). "NWSL's Portland Thorns closes investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, could be reopened if players choose". ESPN. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
18. Freeman, Joe (February 9, 2020). "Portland Timbers' Andy Polo accused of domestic violence, suspended by MLS". The Oregonian/Oregon Live. Advance Publications. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
19. Rueter, Jeff (August 1, 2022). "Contextualizing the Timbers' Andy Polo saga, as questions remain among fans". The Athletic. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
20. Goldberg, Jamie (February 26, 2019). "13-year-old phenom Olivia Moultrie to move to Portland to join Thorns developmental academy". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
21. Bernstein, Maxine (May 4, 2021). "15-year-old soccer phenom Olivia Moultrie sues for right to compete in National Women's Soccer League". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
22. Carlisle, Jeff (May 24, 2021). "Court order could allow Olivia Moultrie, 15, to sign with NWSL team". ESPN. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
23. Schwager, Adam (May 25, 2021). "U.S. judge issues order allowing 15-year-old Olivia Moultrie to play in NWSL". SoccerWire. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
24. Kassouf, Jeff (June 18, 2021). "Olivia Moultrie wins preliminary injunction against NWSL's age rule". The Equalizer. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
25. Tenorio, Paul (May 29, 2021). "NWSL considers 'special discovery process' for Olivia Moultrie, delaying her court-ordered right to play". The Athletic. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
26. Bernstein, Maxine (May 28, 2021). "Portland Thorns make discovery claim for 15-year-old player Olivia Moultrie but National Women's Soccer League rejects it". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
27. Tenorio, Paul; Linehan, Meg (June 6, 2021). "Olivia Moultrie signing with NWSL after trade from Reign to Thorns: Sources". The Athletic. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
28. "Olivia Moultrie, 15, granted preliminary injunction to sign NWSL contract". ESPN. June 18, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
29. Hensley-Clancy, Molly (July 1, 2021). "Olivia Moultrie, 15, becomes NWSL's youngest player after suing the league to play". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
30. Herrera, Sandra (June 30, 2021). "Portland Thorns FC sign 15-year-old Olivia Moultrie to three-year contract". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
31. McCann, Michael (July 30, 2021). "Olivia Moultrie Age Eligibility Lawsuit Against NWSL Settled". Sportico. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
32. "Olivia Moultrie, 15, scores first pro goal as Portland Thorns advance to WICC final". ESPN. Associated Press. August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
33. "Olivia Moultrie". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
34. Peterson, Anne M. (August 8, 2022). "Olivia Moultrie proud of stand she took to play in NWSL". The Olympian. Associated Press. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
35. Vertelney, Seth (July 18, 2022). "Spirit miss out as teenage star Jaedyn Shaw signs with San Diego Wave". USA Today. Pro Soccer Wire. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
36. Farley, Richard (January 31, 2021). "Thorns FC assemble at Timbers Training Center ahead of 2021 NWSL preseason" (Press release). Portland Timbers. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
37. "Technical Staff". Portland Timbers. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021.
38. "Portland Thorns FC". Portland Timbers. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021.
39. "Portland Thorns FC vs. Kansas City Current - Football Match Summary". ESPN. April 18, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
40. "2021 NWSL Challenge Cup Assignments: Week 1" (Press release). Professional Referee Organization. May 8, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
41. "Portland Thorns FC vs. OL Reign - Football Match Summary". ESPN. April 21, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
42. ^ Tannenwald, Jonathan (May 4, 2021). "Union offer to host NWSL Challenge Cup final at Subaru Park if game has to be moved from Portland". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
43. Peterson, Anne M. (May 2, 2021). "NWSL commissioner appeals to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown for exemption so fans can attend Challenge Cup final in Portland". The Oregonian. Associated Press. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
44. Murray, Caitlin (May 9, 2021). "Portland Thorns win NWSL Challenge Cup title over Gotham FC in thrilling PK shootout". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
45. "Portland Thorns FC vs. Chicago Red Stars - Football Match Summary". ESPN. May 16, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
46. "Portland Thorns FC vs. OL Reign - Football Match Summary". ESPN. May 23, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
47. Melnick, Kyle; Hensley-Clancy, Molly (September 4, 2021). "Spirit-Thorns match postponed after four Washington players test positive". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
48. "Postponed match between Portland Thorns, Washington Spirit ruled a forfeit". KGW. September 16, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
49. Herrera, Sandra (November 20, 2021). "NWSL playoff bracket, results, schedule: Washington Spirit come back, down Chicago Red Stars, win championship". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
50. "Portland Thorns are the 2021 WICC Champions!".
51. "NWSL takeaways: Chicago Red Stars break down NC Courage midfield; Orlando Pride stay unbeaten".
52. Herrera, Sandra (August 22, 2021). "Portland Thorns FC win Women's International Champions Cup as Morgan Weaver scores game-winning goal". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
53. Murray, Caitlin (August 21, 2021). "Portland Thorns beat Olympique Lyonnais, earn title as 'World's Best Club' in Women's International Champions Cup final". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
54. ^ "Statistics". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
55. "NWSL Announces the Winners of Mastercard Inaugural 2021 Best XI Awards". October 17, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
56. "NWSL Announces May Team of the Month" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
57. "NWSL Announces July Team of the Month" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
58. "NWSL Announces August Team of the Month" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
59. "NWSL Announces September Team of the Month" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
60. "NWSL Announces October Team of the Month" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
61. National Women's Soccer League (June 9, 2021). "A thorn in the opposition's side 🌹" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2022 – via Twitter.
62. Verizon Save of the Week: Bella Bixby, Portland Thorns FC. Week 11. National Women's Soccer League. August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2022 – via YouTube.
63. Verizon Save of the Week: Christen Westphal, Portland Thorns FC. Week 12. National Women's Soccer League. August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2022 – via YouTube.
64. Verizon Save of the Week Nominees | Week 13. National Women's Soccer League. August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2022 – via YouTube.
65. National Women's Soccer League (September 15, 2021). "Bella's Big Week 😎" (Tweet). Retrieved August 7, 2022 – via Twitter.
66. ^ Little, Grant (June 5, 2021). "Portland Thorns sign Yazmeen Ryan and Hannah Betfort". Stumptown Footy. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
67. Freeman, Joe (January 7, 2022). "Portland Thorns sign Sam Coffey to 2-year contract". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
68. ^ Odom, Joel (December 16, 2021). "Portland Thorns trade Christen Westphal, Amirah Ali to San Diego Wave FC for allocation money". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
69. ^ "2020-21 NWSL Transactions Tracker". The Equalizer. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
70. von Wendt, Jonas (October 30, 2020). "Natalia Kuikka byter Göteborg mot Portland" (in Finnish). Hufvudstadsbladet. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
71. Ränkeskog, Gustaf; Thorén, Petra (October 27, 2020). "Uppgifter: Landslagsbacken lämnar" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
72. Odom, Joel (October 29, 2020). "Portland Thorns sign defender Natalia Kuikka to 2-year deal". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
73. ^ Garcia, Kyle (July 2, 2021). "Thorns sign two players as National Team replacements". Stumptown Footy. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
74. ^ "Thorns goalkeeper Franch traded to KC NWSL". Associated Press. August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
75. ^ "2021-22 NWSL Transfer Tracker". The Equalizer. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
76. Odom, Joel (December 8, 2021). "Portland Thorns trade Simone Charley, Tyler Lussi to Angel City FC". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
77. Little, Grant (December 8, 2021). "Portland Thorns exercise 2022 contract options on six players". Stumptown Footy. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
78. "Thorns Send USWNT Star Horan to Lyon on Loan". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. January 27, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
79. Odom, Joel (February 2, 2022). "Portland Thorns midfielder Angela Salem retires". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 7, 2022.

• 2021 National Women's Soccer League season
• American soccer clubs 2021 season
• Portland Thorns FC seasons
• 2021 in sports in Oregon
• NWSL Shield–winning seasons