History of Portland Thorns FC in Timeline
Portland Thorns FC is a professional women's soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, competing in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Founded in 2012, the Thorns began playing in the NWSL in 2013, a league supported by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
2000: Portland Rain First Season
In 2000, the Portland Rain played their first season in the Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL).
2001: Portland Rain Founded
In 2001, the Portland Timbers started the first professional women's soccer team in Portland, named the Portland Rain, which competed in the USL W-League's W-1 division.
2003: Portland Rain Folded
In 2003, the Portland Rain folded after competing in the PCSL.
2009: Portland Rain Re-founded
In 2009, the Portland Rain were re-founded and joined the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL).
2010: Paul Riley's alleged misconduct
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, including during his two-year tenure as Thorns head coach in 2014 and 2015. The investigation includes claims going back to 2010.
May 2, 2012: Partnership with Portland Timbers
On May 2, 2012, the Portland Timbers partnered with the Portland Rain and the Oregon Youth Soccer Association's (OYSA) Girls Olympic Development Program (ODP) to facilitate an integrated development structure for Oregon's girls youth soccer to elite women's competition.
November 21, 2012: NWSL Formation Announcement
On November 21, 2012, the formation of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was announced, with Portland selected as a host for one of the eight teams.
December 13, 2012: Portland Thorns FC Name and Logo Unveiled
On December 13, 2012, the team name was announced as Portland Thorns FC, and a logo was unveiled. Both the name and logo were intended to invoke Portland's nickname of the Rose City.
December 19, 2012: Cindy Parlow Cone Named First Head Coach
On December 19, 2012, Cindy Parlow Cone was announced as the first head coach of Portland Thorns FC.
2012: Portland Thorns FC Established
In 2012, Portland Thorns FC was established as an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, to compete in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
January 11, 2013: NWSL Player Allocation
On January 11, 2013, during the league's player allocation for national team players, Portland received seven players, including Christine Sinclair, Rachel Buehler, Tobin Heath, Karina LeBlanc, Alex Morgan, Marlene Sandoval, and Luz Saucedo.
April 9, 2013: Home and Away Kits Unveiled
On April 9, 2013, the Thorns unveiled their home and away kits. The home kit was rose red with a white stripe, black shorts, and red socks, while the road kit was white with black shorts and socks. Both uniforms featured sponsorships by Providence Health & Services and Parklane Mattresses and were made by Nike.
April 2013: League Attendance Record
In April 2013, the Thorns' first home match against Seattle broke the league's attendance records with 16,479 attendees.
April 21, 2013: NWSL Attendance Record at Home Opener
On April 21, 2013, the Thorns set the NWSL's all-time attendance record at their home opener with 16,479 attendees.
December 5, 2013: Parlow Cone Resigns as Head Coach
On December 5, 2013, Cindy Parlow Cone resigned as head coach of the Portland Thorns FC, citing personal reasons.
2013: Games Streamed Online and Broadcast on Freedom 970 AM
During the 2013 season, games were streamed online and broadcast on the radio on Freedom 970 AM. Ann Schatz was the play-by-play broadcaster, and Angela Harrison was the color analyst.
2013: Inaugural Season
In 2013, Portland Thorns FC began play in the eight-team NWSL, which received support from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
2013: NWSL Shield Win and Championship Win
In 2013, the Flash won the NWSL Shield by goal-difference tiebreak, including Portland. The Flash hosted the 2013 championship match, but the Thorns defeated Western New York 2–0.
2013: Rose City Riveters Founded
In 2013, the Rose City Riveters, an organized supporters' group, was founded by members of the Portland Timbers supporters' group Timbers Army as the Thorns Alliance. They adopted the Riveters name on April 3.
2013: Championship Match Appearance
In 2013, the Thorns and Flash/Courage met in the championship match.
2013: NWSL Attendance Leaders
In 2013, the Thorns led the NWSL in attendance and were the first team to average more than 10,000 per match in league attendance.
2014: High Season Ticket Sales
By 2014, the Thorns expected to reach 10,000 season tickets sold, and a majority of those season ticket holders did not have season tickets to the sibling Timbers club.
2014: Schatz and Dougherty as Broadcasters
In 2014, Ann Schatz returned as the play-by-play broadcaster, with former Thorns defender Marian Dougherty joining for color commentary.
2014: Paul Riley Announced as New Head Coach
In 2014, the Thorns announced Paul Riley as their new head coach. The Thorns broke the club's own NWSL attendance record during the season, but were knocked out of the playoffs in the semi-finals.
2014: Playoff Qualification
In 2014, the Thorns qualified for the playoffs by defeating the Reign in the season's final match week.
2014: Paul Riley's alleged misconduct
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, including during his two-year tenure as Thorns head coach in 2014 and 2015.
2014: Third-Largest Seated Capacity in NWSL
Upon the NWSL's founding, Providence Park's seated capacity of 21,144 was the third-largest in the NWSL, after the Boston Breakers' Harvard Stadium and the 2014 expansion Houston Dash's BBVA Compass Stadium.
July 2015: League Attendance Record in Portland
In July 2015, matches between Portland and Seattle broke the league's attendance records in Portland with 21,144 attendees.
July 23, 2015: NWSL Attendance Record
On July 23, 2015, the Thorns set the NWSL's all-time attendance record at Providence Park with 21,144 attendees.
October 5, 2015: Mark Parsons Hired as Head Coach
On October 5, 2015, Mark Parsons was hired to replace Paul Riley as the head coach of the Portland Thorns FC.
2015: Paul Riley's alleged misconduct
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, including during his two-year tenure as Thorns head coach in 2014 and 2015.
2016: NWSL Shield win
In 2016, the Portland Thorns FC won the NWSL Shield.
2016: Acquisitions and First NWSL Shield
In 2016, the Thorns acquired Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Horan, Meghan Klingenberg, Adrianna Franch, Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, Amandine Henry, and Nadia Nadim. The team also won its first NWSL Shield.
2016: Playoff Semifinals Appearance
In 2016, the Thorns and Flash/Courage met in the playoff semifinals.
2016: Parsons' head coach since 2016
Mark Parsons served as head coach of the Thorns since 2016.
April 2017: Go90 and NWSL Website Streaming
As of April 2017, Thorns games are streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers.
August 2017: First Win at Seattle's Memorial Stadium
In August 2017, the Thorns didn't win at Seattle's Memorial Stadium until this date.
September 30, 2017: Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week
For the 2017 season, the Thorns were featured in six nationally televised Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts, including September 30, 2017.
2017: Championship Match Appearance
In 2017, the Thorns and Flash/Courage met in the championship match.
2017: Championship Win
In 2017, the Thorns won their revenge in the championship match, defeating the Courage 1–0.
May 30, 2018: Portland Crowd Booing Daniels
On May 30, 2018, during a match against the Thorns in Portland, the Portland crowd booed Jaelene Daniels when she was announced and each time she touched the ball due to her stance on LGBT pride-themed uniforms. Members of the Riveters displayed a rainbow-lettered banner reading "personal reasons" at the match.
2018: Daniels's Appearance on The 700 Club
In 2018, Courage defender Jaelene Daniels appeared on The 700 Club about refusing to wear LGBT pride-themed uniforms and being excused from the national team roster, and the relocation of a Courage 2018 playoff match to Portland from Cary, North Carolina due to Hurricane Florence.
2018: Courage Defeat Portland in Championship Match
In 2018, the Courage defeated Portland 4–1 in the May 30 match, then 3–0 in the championship match against — and hosted by — Portland. Jessica McDonald scored a goal against Portland during the championship match, then removed her jersey to display an undershirt with "Jesus Paid It All" written on it.
2018: Championship Match Appearance
In 2018, the Thorns and Flash/Courage met in the championship match.
2018: Back-to-Back Home Wins Against Seattle
In 2018, the Thorns defeated Seattle in back-to-back home matches, first in the season's final match week to secure home-pitch advantage, then again in the first round of the playoffs.
2018: Second Place Finish and Championship Loss
In 2018, the Thorns finished second again, but lost to the Courage 3–0 in the NWSL Championship, which was hosted in the Thorns' home stadium of Providence Park.
August 11, 2019: All-Time Attendance Record Set
On August 11, 2019, the Portland Thorns FC set a club all-time attendance record with a capacity of 25,218 at a match against the North Carolina Courage, which also set a league record at the time.
2019: First to Average 20,000 Per Match
In 2019, the Thorns became the first team to average 20,000 per match in league attendance.
2019: Increased Use of Black as Primary Color
In 2019, the Thorns began expanding the use of black as a primary color with a home kit that had wide black stripe-like blocks.
2019: NWSL Continued Play During FIFA Women's World Cup
In 2019, the rivalry continued even as United States players from the Thorns and Reign were in France at the FIFA Women's World Cup, during which the NWSL continued play with a match between the teams.
2019: Providence Park Expansion
Providence Park was expanded in 2019 to a seated capacity of 25,218, making it the second-largest NWSL venue at the time behind Orlando Pride's Exploria Stadium.
October 11, 2020: 2020 NWSL Fall Series Community Shield Win
On October 11, 2020, the Portland Thorns clinched the 2020 NWSL Fall Series Community Shield with a win over OL Reign.
2020: Played in NWSL Fall Series
As of June 3, 2023, the Thorns have played more matches against the Reign across the NWSL regular season, playoffs, Challenge Cup, and 2020 Fall Series than any other team in the NWSL, with Portland holding a record of 13–14–8 with a -4 goal differential.
2020: Community Shield Win
In 2020, the Portland Thorns won the Community Shield with the best record in the 2020 NWSL Fall Series.
2020: Challenge Cup Quarter-Finals Appearance
In 2020, the Thorns and Flash/Courage met in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.
2020: Women's International Champions Cup Qualification
In 2020, the Thorns qualified for the 2021 Women's International Champions Cup as champions of the 2020 Fall Series.
2020: Transition to Black as Primary Color Completed
The transition to black as the team's primary color was completed in 2020, with a black shirt printed with gray roses that used a black and red variation on the original crest. The away shirt also used a monochrome black and gray crest and accents.
May 2021: Challenge Cup win
In May 2021, The Thorns won the West Division of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup and hosted the finals, defeating NJ/NY Gotham FC 6–5 in a penalty shoot-out.
August 2021: League Attendance Record in Seattle
In August 2021, matches between Portland and Seattle broke the league's attendance records in Seattle with 27,248 attendees.
November 2021: LeBlanc and Wilkinson hired
In November 2021, the Thorns hired Karina LeBlanc as the Thorns general manager, and Rhian Wilkinson as Parsons's replacement as head coach.
2021: NWSL Challenge Cup, Women's International Champions Cup, and NWSL Shield Wins
In 2021, the Portland Thorns won the NWSL Challenge Cup, the Women's International Champions Cup, and the NWSL Shield.
2021: Multi-Year Deal with KPTV and KPDX
In 2021, the team struck a multi-year deal with KPTV and KPDX to be its local broadcast partner.
2021: Reports reveal Paul Riley was investigated for sexual harassment
Reports in 2021 revealed that Paul Riley had been investigated for alleged sexual harassment and coercion and quietly terminated.
2021: Attendance Leadership
The Thorns led the NWSL in attendance from 2013 to 2021.
October 3, 2022: Yates Report Published
On October 3, 2022, the U.S. Soccer Federation published the Sally Yates-led report indicating that the club interfered with access to witnesses and documents, and that Wilkinson advised other clubs to hire Riley and downplayed alleged abuses.
December 1, 2022: Paulson Announces Sale of Thorns
On December 1, 2022, Paulson announced that he was selling the Thorns while retaining the Timbers and control of Providence Park.
2022: OL Reign Move to Lumen Field and San Diego Wave FC Move to Snapdragon Stadium
In 2022, OL Reign moved into 68,740-seat Lumen Field, and 2022 expansion team San Diego Wave FC moved into 32,000-capacity Snapdragon Stadium.
2022: NWSL Championship
In 2022, Portland Thorns FC won the NWSL championship.
January 2023: Mike Norris promoted
In January 2023, the team promoted Wilkinson's assistant Mike Norris to the head coaching role.
March 2023: Heritage Design Reappearance
In March 2023, the original four-color crest design reappeared in the team's identity with a "Heritage" designation as part of new secondary kits.
June 3, 2023: Most Matches Played Against Reign
As of June 3, 2023, the Thorns have played more matches against the Reign across the NWSL regular season, playoffs, Challenge Cup, and 2020 Fall Series than any other team in the NWSL, with Portland holding a record of 13–14–8 with a -4 goal differential.
2023: Use of Green in Team Kits
In 2023, the Thorns finally used green in the team's kits, despite the team colors being announced as red, green, and black from the start.
2023: Playoff Loss
The 2023 regular season ended with the Thorns finishing in second place, and they lost their first-round playoff game to NJ/NY Gotham FC in extra time.
January 3, 2024: Sale of Thorns Completed
On January 3, 2024, the sale of the Thorns to RAJ Sports was completed.
March 27, 2024: Sophia Wilson Contract Extension
On March 27, 2024, Sophia Wilson (then named Sophia Smith) was signed by the Thorns to a two-year contract extension, making her the highest paid player in the NWSL.
April 18, 2024: Coaching Change
On April 18, 2024, following a four-game winless streak, the Thorns promoted Norris to Technical Director, named Rob Gale interim head coach, and announced a search for the permanent head coach.
July 19, 2024: Gale Named Permanent Head Coach
On July 19, 2024, the Thorns announced that Gale would be the permanent head coach.
2024: Broadcasting Platforms for Portland Thorns FC Games
In 2024, Portland Thorns FC games will be broadcast across 5 broadcasting platforms and NWSL's own streaming service. Games will be available on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, ION Network, NWSL+, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ and prime Video.
January 7, 2025: Jeff Agoos named General Manager and Club President
On January 7, 2025, the Thorns announced that Jeff Agoos would succeed LeBlanc as general manager. Agoos was also named club president.
2025: Gale and Thorns Part Ways
In 2025, the Thorns and coach Gale agreed to part ways, and assistant coach Sarah Lowdon became the interim head coach.
2026: Roster Information
As of the 2026 season, bold indicates the player is rostered by the Thorns.
2026: Robert Vilahamn Announced as New Head Coach
In 2026, the Thorns announced Robert Vilahamn as the club’s new head coach.
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