Thorns to be sold amid fallout from women’s soccer scandals

The owner of the Portland Thorns has announced he is putting the club up for sale, the latest fallout from an investigation into misconduct in the National Women’s Soccer League. Merritt Paulson’s decision comes nearly two months after a pair of team executives were dismissed for their roles in systemic abuse and misconduct that had spanned multiple teams in the NWSL, including the Thorns. Paulson had relinquished his decision-making role with the Thorns in October. But there have been continuous calls for Paulson to sell the team.