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Portland Thorns FC
2021 season
OwnerMerritt Paulson
General managerGavin Wilkinson
(suspended Oct. 6, 2021)
Head coachMark Parsons
StadiumProvidence Park
(capacity: 25,218)
NWSL1st (NWSL Shield)
WICCChampions
NWSL PlayoffsSemi-finalists
← 2020
2022 →
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

See also: 2020 Portland Thorns FC season and 2020 National Women's Soccer League season

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

Main article: 2021 NWSL 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.[1][2]

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.[3][4] 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.[5] Later that day, the Courage announced that Riley had been fired due to "very serious allegations of misconduct".[6][7]

Thorns owner Merritt Paulson (left) and general manager Gavin Wilkinson (center) attend a Portland Timbers match in 2016. Paulson and Wilkinson apologized following The Athletic's report on the 2021 NWSL abuse scandal.

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.[8] 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.[9]

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",[3] then released another statement apologizing to Shim.[9] 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.[9] Another reporter who covered the team corroborated the reporter's account.[10]

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.[11]

Thorns and Timbers owner Merritt Paulson apologized in an open letter on October 4,[9] but a number of Portland Thorns players released a statement two days later calling for Wilkinson to be suspended.[12] 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.[13] That evening, players interrupted several matches to link arms in a circle in the center of a field to protest against abuse.[14] 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.[15]

Aftermath

The club reinstated Wilkinson as Timbers and Thorns president of soccer in January 2022 following an internal business review;[16] 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.[17]

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.[18] 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.[19]

Olivia Moultrie lawsuit

See also: Olivia Moultrie

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.[20]

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.[21] 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 persented "any compelling procompetitive reasons" for the policy.[22]

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.[23] If such a ruling became permanent, other league rules that relied on its single-entity structure could be similarly contested.[24]

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.[25][26]

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.[27]

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.[28]

On June 30, 2021, Moultrie officially signed a three-year professional contract with the NWSL to play for Portland Thorns FC.[29][30] 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.[31]

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.[32] Moultrie would finish the 2021 NWSL season with nine appearances and an assist.[33] 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.[34][35]

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.[36]

Team

Staff

As of September 25, 2021.[37]
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.[38]
No. Nat. Name Date of birth (age) Since Previous team Notes
Goalkeepers
1 United States Bella Bixby (1995-11-20)November 20, 1995 (aged 25) 2018 United States Oregon State
35 United States Abby Smith (1993-10-04)October 4, 1993 (aged 27) 2021 United States Kansas City Current
43 United States Shelby Hogan (1998-05-10)May 10, 1998 (aged 23) 2021 United States Providence College
Defenders
4 United States Becky Sauerbrunn (1985-06-06)June 6, 1985 (aged 36) 2020 United States Utah Royals FC
5 United States Emily Menges (1992-07-28)July 28, 1992 (aged 29) 2014 United States Georgetown
14 Finland Natalia Kuikka (1995-12-01)December 1, 1995 (aged 25) 2020 Sweden Kopparberg/Göteborg FC INT[a]
15 United States Madison Pogarch (1997-11-05)November 5, 1997 (aged 23) 2019 United States Rutgers
18 United States Christen Westphal (1993-09-02)September 2, 1993 (aged 28) 2020 United States Reign FC
20 United States Kelli Hubly (1994-08-09)August 9, 1994 (aged 27) 2017 United States DePaul
25 United States Meghan Klingenberg (1988-08-02)August 2, 1988 (aged 33) 2015 United States Orlando Pride
39 United States Meaghan Nally (1998-06-30)June 30, 1998 (aged 23) 2020 United States Georgetown Hoyas
41 United States Hannah Betfort (1999-01-04)January 4, 1999 (aged 22) 2021 United States Wake Forest
Midfielders
10 United States Lindsey Horan (1994-05-26)May 26, 1994 (aged 27) 2016 France Paris Saint-Germain
11 Costa Rica Raquel Rodríguez (1993-10-28)October 28, 1993 (aged 27) 2020 United States Sky Blue FC
19 United States Crystal Dunn (1992-07-03)July 3, 1992 (aged 29) 2020 United States North Carolina Courage
(via United States OL Reign)
23 United States Yazmeen Ryan (1999-02-25)February 25, 1999 (aged 22) 2021 United States Texas Christian
30 United States Celeste Boureille (1994-04-20)April 20, 1994 (aged 27) 2016 United States California Golden Bears
36 United States Angela Salem (1988-07-24)July 24, 1988 (aged 33) 2018 United States Boston Breakers
42 United States Olivia Moultrie (2005-09-17)September 17, 2005 (aged 16) 2021
Forwards
7 United States Simone Charley (1995-02-04)February 4, 1995 (aged 26) 2019 United States Vanderbilt
9 United States Sophia Smith (2000-08-10)August 10, 2000 (aged 21) 2020 United States Stanford
12 Canada Christine Sinclair (1983-06-12)June 12, 1983 (aged 38) 2013 United States Western New York Flash
22 United States Morgan Weaver (1997-10-18)October 18, 1997 (aged 23) 2020 United States Washington State
34 United States Tyler Lussi (1995-01-26)January 26, 1995 (aged 26) 2017 United States Princeton
40 United States Marissa Everett (1997-08-29)August 29, 1997 (aged 24) 2019 United States Oregon
  1. ^ INT: International player

Competitions

NWSL Challenge Cup

Main article: 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup

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

Group stage

April 18, 2022 (2022-04-18) 1 Portland Thorns FC 2–1 Kansas City NWSL Portland, Oregon
19:30 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 4,646[39]
Referee: Danielle Chesky[40]
Assistant referees: Deleana Quan, Kali Smith
Fourth official: Adorae Monroy
April 25, 2021 (2021-04-25) 2 Chicago Red Stars 0–1 Portland Thorns FC Bridgeview, Illinois
 Report
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium
April 21, 2021 (2021-04-21) 3 Portland Thorns FC 2–0 OL Reign Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 5,289[41]
May 2, 2021 (2021-05-02) 4 Houston Dash 1–1 Portland Thorns FC Houston, Texas
18:30 CDT
Report
Stadium: PNC Stadium
Attendance: 3,162
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic

West Division standings

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Portland Thorns FC 4 3 1 0 6 2 +4 10 Qualification for the Championship
2 OL Reign 4 2 1 1 5 5 0 7
3 Houston Dash 4 1 3 0 4 2 +2 6
4 Chicago Red Stars 4 0 2 2 3 5 −2 2
5 Kansas City 4 0 1 3 4 8 −4 1
Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Championship

Main article: 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup Championship

Portland Thorns FC won the right to host the final by finishing with the best record across both divisions.[42] 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.[43] Brown denied the request, prompting rumors that the league might seek an alternative venue.[42] 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.[44]

May 8, 2021 (2021-05-08) Finals Portland Thorns FC 1–1
(6–5 p)		 NJ/NY Gotham FC Portland, Oregon
10:00 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Referee: Natalie Simon
Assistant referees: Brooke Mayo, Deleana Quan
Reserve assistant: Rachel Smith
Fourth official: Karen Callado
Penalties

Regular season

Main article: 2021 National Women's Soccer League season

Matches

May 16, 2021 (2021-05-16) Portland Thorns FC 5–0 Chicago Red Stars Portland, Oregon
16:00 PDT
Report Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 5,819[45]
Referee: Katja Koroleva
May 23, 2021 (2021-05-23) Portland Thorns FC 1–2 OL Reign Portland, Oregon
15:00 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 6,435[46]
Referee: Karen Callado
May 26, 2021 (2021-05-26) Orlando Pride 2–1 Portland Thorns FC Orlando, Florida
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 3,407
Referee: Laura Rodriguez
May 30, 2021 (2021-05-30) NJ/NY Gotham FC 0–1 Portland Thorns FC Harrison, New Jersey
15:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Attendance: 2,750
Referee: Karen Abt
June 5, 2021 (2021-06-05) Portland Thorns FC 3–0 Racing Louisville FC Portland, Oregon
19:30 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Referee: Samantha Martinez
June 20, 2021 (2021-06-20) Portland Thorns FC 1–0 Kansas City NWSL Portland, Oregon
13:00 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Referee: Adorae Monroy
June 26, 2021 (2021-06-26) North Carolina Courage 2–0 Portland Thorns FC Cary, North Carolina
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 5,674
Referee: Natalie Simon
July 3, 2021 (2021-07-03) Racing Louisville FC 0–2 Portland Thorns FC Louisville, Kentucky
19:30 EDT
Report
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 6,822
Referee: Karen Callado
July 11, 2021 (2021-07-11) Portland Thorns FC 0–0 NJ/NY Gotham FC Portland, Oregon
12:00 PDT Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 14,731
Referee: Tori Penso
July 18, 2021 (2021-07-18) Portland Thorns FC 2–1 Orlando Pride Portland, Oregon
19:30 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 14,985
Referee: Laura Rodriguez
July 24, 2021 (2021-07-24) Houston Dash 0–1 Portland Thorns FC Houston, Texas
19:30 CDT
Report
Stadium: PNC Stadium
Attendance: 1,929
Referee: Luis Guardia
August 1, 2021 (2021-08-01) Portland Thorns FC 2–0 Kansas City NWSL Portland, Oregon
12:00 PDT
Report Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 16,246
Referee: Samantha Martinez
August 7, 2021 (2021-08-07) Washington Spirit 0–1 Portland Thorns FC Leesburg, Virginia
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: Segra Field
Attendance: 2,889
Referee: Katja Koroleva
Assistant referees: Ben Pilgrim, Laura Waliski
Fourth official: Jonah Kind
August 14, 2021 (2021-08-14) Orlando Pride 1–1 Portland Thorns FC Orlando, Florida
19:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 4,209
Referee: Matthew Franz
August 25, 2021 (2021-08-25) Portland Thorns FC 2–1 NJ/NY Gotham FC Portland, Oregon
19:30 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 14,299
Referee: Mark Allatin
August 29, 2021 (2021-08-29) OL Reign 1–2 Portland Thorns FC Seattle, Washington
16:00 PDT
Report
Stadium: Lumen Field
Attendance: 27,278
Referee: Jon Freemon
Note: Doubleheader with Seattle Sounders FC. As of the date played, this was the largest reported attendance to any NWSL match.
September 4, 2021 (2021-09-04) Portland Thorns FC 3–0
(forfeit)		 Washington Spirit Portland, Oregon
Report Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: N/A
Note: This match was not played. After being initially postponed due to the Spirit being unable to field a full roster after four players tested positive for COVID-19,[47] the NWSL declared this match a forfeit by the Spirit on Sept. 16, citing alleged violations of the league's COVID-19 protocols, and credited Portland with a 3–0 victory.[48]
September 12, 2021 (2021-09-12) North Carolina Courage 0–1 Portland Thorns FC Portland, Oregon
15:00 EDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 5,161
Referee: Matthew Franz
September 25, 2021 (2021-09-25) Chicago Red Stars 2–1 Portland Thorns FC Bridgeview, Illinois
19:00 CDT
Report
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium
Attendance: 3,527
Referee: Katja Koroleva
October 6, 2021 (2021-10-06) Portland Thorns FC 2–3 Houston Dash Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 11,139
Referee: Natalie Simon
October 10, 2021 (2021-10-10) Kansas City NWSL 0–0 Portland Thorns FC Kansas City, Kansas
16:00 CDT Report Stadium: Legends Field
Attendance: 5,438
Referee: Alyssa Nichols
October 13, 2021 (2021-10-13) Portland Thorns FC 1–1 OL Reign Portland, Oregon
19:30 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 11,754
Referee: Tori Penso
October 17, 2021 (2021-10-17) Houston Dash 0–1 Portland Thorns FC Houston, Texas
18:00 CDT
Report
Stadium: PNC Stadium
Attendance: 4,792
Referee: Luis Guardia
October 30, 2021 (2021-10-30) Portland Thorns FC 0–0 North Carolina Courage Portland, Oregon
19:00 PDT Report Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 17,584
Referee: Greg Dopka

Regular season standings

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Portland Thorns FC 24 13 5 6 33 17 +16 44 NWSL Shield
2 OL Reign 24 13 3 8 37 24 +13 42 Playoffs – Semi-finals
3 Washington Spirit (C) 24 11 6 7 29 26 +3 39 Playoffs – First round
4 Chicago Red Stars 24 11 5 8 28 28 0 38
5 NJ/NY Gotham FC 24 8 11 5 29 21 +8 35
6 North Carolina Courage 24 9 6 9 28 23 +5 33
7 Houston Dash 24 9 5 10 31 31 0 32
8 Orlando Pride 24 7 7 10 27 32 −5 28
9 Racing Louisville FC 24 5 7 12 21 40 −19 22
10 Kansas City 24 3 7 14 15 36 −21 16
Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(C) Champions

Results summary

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
24 13 5 6 33 17  +16 44 7 3 2 22 8  +14 6 2 4 11 9  +2

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

Results by matchday

Matchday12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
GroundHHAAHHAAHHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHH
ResultWLLWWWLWDWWWWDWLWWLLDDWDL
Position1573223231111111111111111
Updated to match(es) played on November 14, 2021. Source: NWSL
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

NWSL Playoffs

Main article: 2021 National Women's Soccer League season § 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.[49]

November 14, 2021 (2021-11-14) Portland Thorns FC 0–2 Chicago Red Stars Portland, Oregon
14:30 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 15,832
Referee: Katja Koroleva
Assistant referees: Deleana Quan, Meghan Mullen
Fourth official: Samantha Martinez

International Champions Cup

Main article: 2021 Women's 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.[50][51] 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.[52][53]

Bracket

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
August 18 – Portland
 
 
France Lyon3
 
August 21 – Portland
 
Spain Barcelona2
 
France Lyon0
 
August 18 – Portland
 
United States Portland Thorns FC1
 
United States Portland Thorns FC (p)2 (3)
 
 
United States Houston Dash2 (1)
 
Third place play-off
 
 
August 21 – Portland
 
 
Spain Barcelona3
 
 
United States Houston Dash2

Matches

August 18, 2021 (2021-08-18) Semi-finals Portland Thorns FC United States 2–2
(3–1 p)		 United States Houston Dash Portland, Oregon
20:06 PDT
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Referee: Adorae Monroy
Penalties
August 21, 2021 (2021-08-21) Final Lyon France 0–1 United States Portland Thorns FC Portland, Oregon
19:06 PDT Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Referee: Laura Rodriguez

Statistics

Appearances, scoring, and discipline

As of November 14, 2021.[54]

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 Yellow card Red card App. G A Yellow card Red card App. G A Yellow card Red card
1 GK United States Bella Bixby 0 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0
4 DF United States Becky Sauerbrunn 3 0 0 0 0 16 (1) 0 0 2 0 19 (1) 0 0 2 0
5 DF United States Emily Menges 1 (1) 0 0 0 0 20 (1) 0 1 0 0 21 (2) 0 1 0 0
7 FW United States Simone Charley 4 (1) 1 0 3 1 19 (8) 5 0 1 0 23 (9) 6 0 4 1
9 FW United States Sophia Smith 3 0 0 0 0 21 (5) 7 1 1 0 24 (5) 7 1 1 0
10 MF United States Lindsey Horan 3 1 0 1 0 14 2 3 4 0 17 3 3 5 0
11 MF Costa Rica Raquel Rodríguez 5 (3) 1 0 0 0 22 (3) 2 2 2 0 27 (6) 3 2 2 0
12 FW Canada Christine Sinclair 3 2 0 0 0 15 5 1 0 0 18 7 1 0 0
14 DF Finland Natalia Kuikka 5 0 0 0 0 19 (5) 0 1 1 0 24 (5) 0 1 1 0
15 DF United States Madison Pogarch 4 (2) 0 0 0 0 15 (14) 0 0 1 0 19 (16) 0 0 1 0
18 DF United States Christen Westphal 4 (2) 0 1 1 0 15 (5) 0 0 0 0 19 (7) 0 1 1 0
19 MF United States Crystal Dunn 3 0 0 0 0 15 (3) 1 2 1 0 18 (3) 1 2 1 0
20 DF United States Kelli Hubly 5 0 0 0 0 18 (6) 0 0 0 0 23 (6) 0 0 0 0
22 FW United States Morgan Weaver 5 (4) 1 0 0 1 19 (7) 1 3 0 0 24 (11) 2 3 0 1
23 GK United States Adrianna Franch 5 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 0
23 FW United States Yazmeen Ryan 0 0 0 0 0 10 (9) 0 0 2 0 10 (9) 0 0 2 0
25 DF United States Meghan Klingenberg 5 0 1 0 0 22 (2) 0 3 1 0 27 (2) 0 4 1 0
30 MF United States Celeste Boureille 3 (1) 0 1 0 0 12 (5) 0 0 0 0 15 (6) 0 1 0 0
34 FW United States Tyler Lussi 4 (1) 1 0 0 0 10 (9) 1 0 0 0 14 (10) 2 0 0 0
36 MF United States Angela Salem 5 (2) 0 0 0 0 23 (2) 2 0 0 0 28 (4) 2 0 0 0
39 DF United States Meaghan Nally 1 (1) 0 0 0 0 3 (3) 0 0 0 0 4 (4) 0 0 0 0
40 FW United States Marissa Everett 2 0 0 0 0 10 (4) 2 0 1 0 12 (4) 2 0 1 0
41 DF United States Hannah Betfort 0 0 0 0 0 1 (1) 0 0 0 0 1 (1) 0 0 0 0
42 MF United States Olivia Moultrie 0 0 0 0 0 9 (6) 0 1 2 0 9 (6) 0 1 2 0
45 MF United States Taylor Porter 0 0 0 0 0 1 (1) 0 0 0 0 1 (1) 0 0 0 0
46 FW United States 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.[54]
No. Pos. Nat. Name Challenge Cup NWSL Season Total
1 GK United States Bella Bixby 0 9 9
23 GK United States Adrianna Franch 2 4 6
Total 2 13 15

Awards

NWSL annual awards

See also: NWSL awards § 2021

Announced November 17, 2021[55]

Best XI

Pos. Nat. Player
MF United States Angela Salem

Second XI

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

NWSL monthly awards

Team of the Month

See also: NWSL Team of the Month § 2021
Month Pos. Nat. Player Ref.
May MF United States Crystal Dunn [56]
July GK United States Bella Bixby [57]
DF United States Emily Menges
United States Meghan Klingenberg
August DF United States Emily Menges [58]
MF United States Angela Salem
September MF United States Angela Salem [59]
October MF United States Angela Salem [60]

NWSL weekly awards

Player of the Week

See also: NWSL Player of the Week § 2021
Week Nat. Player Ref.
4 United States Lindsey Horan [61]

Save of the Week

See also: NWSL Save of the Week § 2021
Week Nat. Player Won Ref.
11 United States Bella Bixby Won [62]
12 United States Christen Westphal Won [63]
13 United States Bella Bixby Nom. [64]
17 United States Bella Bixby Won [65]

Transactions

NWSL Draft

Main article: 2021 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 United States Yazmeen Ryan MF TCU Signed a three-year contract with one-year option. [66]
2 12 United States Sam Coffey MF Penn State Returned to Penn State; signed a two-year contract in 2022. [67]
3 22 United States Amirah Ali FW Rutgers Returned to Rutgers; rights traded to San Diego Wave FC. [68]
4 37 United States Hannah Betfort DF Wake Forest Signed a one-year contract with one-year option. [66]

Transfers in

Date Nat. Player Pos. Previous club Fee/Notes Ref.
October 22, 2020 United States Crystal Dunn MF United States North Carolina Courage
(via United States 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. [69]
October 29, 2020 Finland Natalia Kuikka DF Sweden Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC Signed a two-year contract. [69][70][71][72]
July 2, 2021 United States Taylor Porter MF Spain UD Granadilla Tenerife Signed as a National Team Replacement player. [73]
United States Raisa Strom-Okimoto FW United States Kansas City NWSL
August 17, 2021 United States Abby Smith GK United States Kansas City NWSL Acquired with $150,000 in allocation money in exchange for Adrianna Franch. [74]

Transfers out

Date Nat. Player Pos. Destination club Fee/Notes Ref.
August 17, 2021 United States Adrianna Franch GK United States Kansas City NWSL Traded in exchange for $150,000 in allocation money and Abby Smith. [74]
August 25, 2021 United States Raisa Strom-Okimoto FW None National Team Replacement contract expired. [73]
December 8, 2021 United States Simone Charley FW United States 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. [75][76]
United States Tyler Lussi FW
United States Taylor Porter MF None Contract expired. [77]
December 16, 2021 United States Christen Westphal DF United States San Diego Wave FC Traded in exchange for $50,000 in allocation money. [75][68]
United States Amirah Ali FW
January 27, 2022 United States Lindsey Horan MF France Olympique Lyon Loaned through June 2023. [75][78]
February 2, 2022 United States Angela Salem MF None Retired. [79]

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