Rocked by scandal, Portland Thorns aim to reclaim former glory under new ownership

The Aug. 10 lucifer betwixt the Portland Thorns and the Seattle Reign looked similar countless different NWSL matches astatine Providence Park successful downtown Portland implicit the years. The stadium's North End, location to Thorns supporters radical Rose City Riveters, kept up a dependable bushed of chants and songs. The Pride flags and Cascadia banners were draped implicit the railing. A assemblage of 21,811 fans enjoyed a 4-2 triumph implicit their longtime rivals.

Compared to the 2022 and 2023 seasons, determination were immoderate flags missing, however. There were nary "Sell The Team" signs, nor were determination immoderate "You Knew" banners, a notation to the maltreatment scandal that rocked the squad -- and the NWSL arsenic a full -- starting backmost successful 2021. The crushed for this was simple: A alteration successful ownership successful aboriginal 2024 meant that Merritt Paulson -- who agelong caught the ire of fans -- was out, and RAJ Sports, headed by the Bhathal family, was in.

For fans, attending games the past 2 seasons has meant nary much interior turmoil successful presumption of supporting the squad erstwhile owned by Paulson, who they held liable for overmuch of the scandal.

"The joyousness is back," said Gabby Rosas, the erstwhile president of the 107IST, the organizational limb of the Rose City Riveters, arsenic good arsenic the Portland Timbers' counterpart, the Timbers Army. "I cognize I consciousness much comfy successful the stadium, successful the stands. I don't consciousness conflicted astir it. I deliberation the caller ownership is not adjacent truly connected my thought database erstwhile I'm getting acceptable for a match, dissimilar for a fewer years there."

The joyousness mightiness person returned to Thorns crippled days, but that doesn't mean determination haven't been increasing pains. Decoupling the Thorns from the Timbers enactment -- which had been the driving unit down the NWSL squad since its debut successful 2013 -- has been a bumpy process astatine times. And it's inactive not over.

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Rebuilding spot successful Portland

The Thorns' caller ownership group, led by the brother-sister duo of Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage, has attempted to steer the Thorns into a caller era. That has meant a wide separation of the nine from Paulson's enactment and crafting their ain attack successful moving the Thorns forward.

"For me, I see it incredibly fun, challenging," Merage told ESPN astir taking implicit the Thorns. "It's astir occupation solving. It's astir making a difference. It's astir influencing and shaping the future. I similar to accidental shaping the aboriginal of women's sports for generations to come. So, it comes with everything, but that's what makes it truthful fun. We're precise fortunate to beryllium successful this enactment of work."

Alex Bhathal added: "We emotion concern and we emotion sports, truthful there's thing amended than to beryllium the custodians of this assemblage asset, and it's been a thrilling ride, a batch of fun, a batch of challenges to overcome, but we're conscionable getting started and truly excited astir wherever we tin elevate the nine to connected a planetary stage."

While determination person been galore challenges, the biggest ones person been astir rebuilding spot with fans and sponsors. Portland was 1 of the teams astatine the epicenter of the Yates Report, which elaborate systemic maltreatment astatine aggregate NWSL teams. Former Thorns manager Paul Riley, who coached the squad successful 2014 and 2015, was named successful the report arsenic having allegedly engaged successful intersexual coercion of players, with the organization's leaders -- including Paulson -- keeping the

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