Portland 4, Racing Louisville 0. Our first reaction episode: we watched it live, then broke it down with fresh eyes. The Thorns roll the last-place team, jump to 2nd in the NWSL, and we look ahead to a Cascadia derby at Seattle. Adults only — bring a drink.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:14 Cold open — Dank Coast IPA & Midnight Runts
02:51 The Game — Thorns 4-0 Louisville, and how it could've gone sideways
06:22 Emma Sears & "we told you" — the Louisville winger's trade request (Ep 1 callback)
13:02 Around the League — Rodman's brace, KC's turnaround, Utah's streak snapped
18:15 Standings — Portland climbs to 2nd, one point behind San Diego
19:08 The Window & What's Next — transfer window opens in a week; the six they still need
21:35 Next week: Seattle — the Cascadia derby, and the "not my Seattle" of it all

What we were drinking: "Dank Coast IPA," a home-brew (the AI named it), the first decent beer in ten years. Plus "Midnight Runts" on the smoke side.

Takeaways:
- Portland 4-0 Racing Louisville at Providence Park — revenge for the 3-1 loss earlier this season, against the same last-place side.
- Perry, a center back, opened the scoring off a Moultrie free kick, three minutes after a yellow — right as the club chases a center back. Started over Reyes and looked the part.
- Tordin: a goal and two assists. Wilson capped it in the 82nd; McKenzie Arnold kept the clean sheet — the POTM debate was Tordin vs Arnold.
- Portland looked like the best team in the league — clinical in the final third while Louisville lumped long balls in with nothing to show.
- The 4-0 plus Utah's first loss in nine pushes Portland to 2nd, 27 pts, one behind San Diego.
- Transfer window opens in about a week. The take: keep the core (Wilson, Moultrie, Turner, Tordin, Müller) and buy a real defensive six.
- Next up: Seattle Reign, who just lost 3-1 to North Carolina. Jess Fishlock is out injured and retiring this year.

Around the league (Round 11): Washington 2-1 Houston, KC 3-0 Denver, Angel City 2-0 Orlando, NC 3-1 Seattle, San Diego 2-0 Gotham, Chicago 3-2 Utah, Boston 2-2 Bay.

Next match: Portland at Seattle Reign, Sun Jul 12, Lumen Field, on ESPN.

New episodes weekly. Listen wherever you get podcasts.

The international break is over and the Thorns are back. Alan and Marissa — with a drop-in from our friend Randi and fact-checks from Brooke on the screen — run down what Portland's players got up to around the world (Marie Müller's Germany debut, the USA's ugly Brazil friendlies, Canada, Australia), then dig into a wild summer trade window headlined by Sam Kerr to Gotham, and preview Sunday's home match against Racing Louisville. Adults only — bring a drink.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:15 Cold open — the NWSL is finally back
01:09 Thorns around the world — Marie Müller's Germany debut
02:05 USA in Brazil — Wilson and Moultrie in the "rugby match" friendlies
07:08 Canada — Alidou and Fleming in the 6-0 over Costa Rica
07:56 Australia vs Mexico — Arnold and Reyes ("thorn-on-thorn crime")
08:50 Cheers — Randi joins for a WSL-vs-NWSL explainer
14:21 The trades — Sam Kerr to Gotham headlines a busy June
18:38 More moves — Sentnor to Angel City, and a coaching mess in LA
21:34 Back to the board — Reale to Boston, Fuller to Bay FC
24:05 Prep for Louisville — Sunday at Providence Park
26:47 Wrap and tease — Emma Sears breaking news, then out

New episodes weekly. Listen wherever you get podcasts.

The unfiltered Portland Thorns podcast.

Marissa is a lifelong Thorns fan and Providence Park regular. Alan is from Seattle, which makes things interesting. Match breakdowns, NWSL hot takes, and one rant per episode that probably goes too long.

Full episodes start during the 2026 NWSL season. Subscribe so episode 1 lands in your feed.

Adults only. Bring a drink.

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Hosts: Alan & Marissa
Recorded in Portland OR
Site: rosecityredcard.com