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MARCH 16, 2025 – PORTLAND, OR: Thorns forward Reilyn Turner takes a shot on goal during NWSL Regular Season Portland Thorns vs. Angel City at Providence Park (Photo by Diego G Diaz).
The 2025 NWSL season hasn’t started off the best foot for the three-time champion. The challenges of the team’s renewal go well beyond the pitch, as the new ownership RAJ Sports asserts full control of the franchise.
The Portland Thorns opened the 2025 season in Kansas on March 15th with a decisive 3-1 loss against the Current. The road to opening day was marked by the loss of key players and heavy changes across the organization. One week after, in their home opener against Angel City, there was great expectations on what this new era was going to show in what is called one of the best atmospheres in NWSL .
This new look Thorns side brought new talent, at least nine new players so far like Venezuelan star forward Deyna Castellanos, midfielder Sam Hiatt, and Brazilian international defender Daiane, among others. They join already successful figures like Sam Coffee, Hina Sugita, and Olivia Moultrie, while players are still joining the squad, the team is slowly coming together.
On March 21st, the Portland Thorns were back at their stronghold of Providence Park hoping for a breakthrough in front of their fans. After the loss in Kansas, everybody was looking forward to the first home game, “we look forward to finally starting the season on a strong foot” coach Rob Gale said to the press ahead of week 2. It didn’t quite pan out, but neither was it a complete disappointment.
Against Angle City FC, the Thorns managed to fight back to a 1-1 draw, after an early deficit from forward Kennedy Fuller’s goal in the ninth minute. The game run carried the level of imprecision natural of an early season game, and nerves got the best of the team. While the Thorns saw their worst case scenario materialize with the early goal. goalie McKenzie Arnold series good saves in the first 15 minutes denied Angel City of bigger advantage and kept Portland in the game.
MARCH 16, 2025 – PORTLAND, OR: Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey sends a pass forward during NWSL Regular Season Portland Thorns vs. Angel City at Providence Park (Photo by Diego G Diaz).
Slowly, the good work of Sam Coffey and Sam Hiatt in the midfield, both disrupting and generating plays, Hina Sugita’s exquisite footwork and hassle, and Olivia Moultrie constant threat, wrestled the initiative from the visitors, and started to feed forward Reilyn Turner of plenty of good attacking opportunities.
The Thorns were getting closer to an equalizer with every new chance on goal. In minute 19, Turner pressured Angel City goal keeper Angelina Anderson and the ball was left to Olivia Moultrie on an excellent shooting position. A quick action by defender Savy King blocked the shot directed to an empty goal, and fooled the referee into a goal kick.
Nine minutes later, Mountie won a header at the three-quarter line, and skillfully send it forward to Turner who controlled the ball surrounded by Angel City defenders. Her diagonal run, from the right of the attack, with control and pace, shook opposition off, and won her a clean shooting position near the penalty spot. Her shot was punched to the right of the goal by Anderson in a magnificent save.
The subsequent corner found Isabella Oblaze free of mark in the penalty box, her placed header sent to the right of the box and found Raelyn turner who beat Anderson with a low placed shot.
The rest of the match saw the same dynamic, Portland Thorns relentlessly pushing forward cheered by the fans unwavering support, and Angel City trying to surprise in the counter.
The Thorns attack never gave up, and chained some moments of great football, but it wasn’t enough to beat Anderson a second time. Castellanos, Turner, Oblaze, Sugita, Moultrie, and even substitutes Alexa Spanstra and Pietra Torpin, had clear chances. Angel City’s counters could have gotten them ahead several times with attempts by Kennedy Fuller and Alyssa Thompson.
MARCH 16, 2025 – PORTLAND, OR: Thorns attacker Caiya Hanks takes a shot on goal during stoppage time of the NWSL Regular Season Portland Thorns vs. Angel City at Providence Park (Photo by Diego G Diaz).
The great work from both goalkeepers Mackenzie Arnold (Thorns) and Angelina Anderson (Angel City) denied both teams from taking the advantage, and at the end of regulation it was a 1-1 draw.
This is a transformational year both inside and outside the pitch for the franchise after the acquisition of the team by the Bhathal family’s RAJ Sports and after a generational change that forced deep movements in the squad. Yet, the expectations are high, still after a slow start with one point earned out of 6 possible, and sitting on the 11th position in the table.
The new ownership came in 2024 with a promise of heavy investment in women’s sports in the city of Portland, not just on the Thorns but also kick starting a new WNBA team, and the construction of a new training facility to house them both at a $75M price tag.
This year concluded the ownership transition, the Thorns have finally severed all ties with the previous owners, Peregrine Sports (owners of Portland Timbers. They are two completely different philosophies of ownership, two clubs, one city sharing a stadium and the process doesn’t seem to have been 100% frictionless, “we are just tenants here” could be heard in the hallways.
At the leadership level, The Portland Thorns have introduced new GM Jeff Agoos, who took over in January from Karina LeBlanc who has been moved up in a new role in the RAJ Sports hierarchy. Mike Norris has been kept as a technical director, and they have retained Rob Gale as a coach, a move that can be interpreted as trying to give the team some level of continuity in a time of radical changes.
Jeff Agoos (Photo by Diego G Diaz).
On the pitch, the retirements of international figures like Becky Sauerbrunn and Christine Sinclair, and local legend wing back engine Meghan Klingenberg put an end to the era of the old Thorns. The acquisition of many new players, plus the early loss to injuries of key names like Marie Müller, Morgan Weaver, and the international star forward Sophia Wilson (neé Smith) to maternity, have left coach Rob Gale with a massive puzzle to solve.
The team still has all the tools to be successful, the question is how long until it gels together, starts winning points and surges to the higher end of the table. The next opportunity to show progress is coming real soon this Saturday, March 29th, again at home against North Carolina Courage at 7:00 PM Pacific time.
