This 2025 season for the Portland Thorns, has been anything, but ordinary.
Prior to the season they saw club legends, Christine Sinclair and Becky Sauerbrunn retire. To make matters even more dire they saw Morgan Weaver, Nicole Payne, and Marie Müller all lost to injuries before the season.
During the season, they would heartbreakingly lose new additions Caiya Hanks and Julie Dufour to the SEI list. Those darned knee injuries...
Sophia Wilson and Olivia Wade-Katoa would announce their joyous news that each of them would be expecting. This was a happy occasion filled with over 20 players ready to be loving aunties. But it also meant that the team would additionally be without their best player.
Even with all the adversity, this team has refused to quit one bit. Why? It starts with the leaders and the culture they've built throughout the season.
The one constant this season has been captains Sam Coffey and Mackenzie "Macca" Arnold, who the team voted in their key roles. The Portland Thorns also introduced a leadership council filled with so many important voices. This team's direction belonged to all of them.
From those constants, fast-forward to the final match of the regular season against Houston Dash.
The Thorns were missing 10 players, which included Pietra Tordin, M.A. Vignola, and Valerin Loboa. Tordin's injury came up last minute and was announced the morning of the game.
The stakes that morning were high: with KC Current taking care of business against San Diego Wave, the home playoff match was in reach with a win.
And did this team find a way to deliver? Absolutely – and just like they drew it up. Deyna Castellanos and Jessie Fleming both stepped up and scored their second goals of the season, their first since April.
When they needed it the most, players stepped up. It was appropriate, as it has been goals by committee all season long. In 2025, Portland has had 12 different goalscorers.
Portland booked their home playoff game, and proved the doubters wrong.
This team was written off before the season or early on in the season by everyone. The only ones that consistently believed in this team were in the locker room, on coaching staff, or in the front office.
If you look back at beginning of the season, media, experts, and pundits (yours truly included) all laid out their rather low expectations. And that was just the motivation the team needed. Throughout the season, they've become relentless and ruthless in their quest for excellence, even with the amount of setbacks continuing to mount.
For the Portland Thorns, they had to deal with all the adversity, changes, and the constant noise. By continuing to fight for every darn point, they've made this season mean so much more for that locker room.
Captain Sam Coffey on what clinching the playoffs after all the adversity and changes #BAONPDX "It means everything. Honestly, it makes me emotional just thinking about everything this group has been through together." "I am just so proud..."
— Phuoc Nguyen (Fook Win) ✍️ (@phuocerman.bsky.social) 2025-10-20T01:29:42.825Z
"It means everything," said Captain Sam Coffey. "This was the goal we set at the beginning of the year."
"Honestly, it makes me emotional just thinking about everything this group has been through together. We've seen 5-6 of our teammates go down with season-ending injuries and having to go through the pain and challenge of that. Everyone has fought their own battles. There has been so much change. So much inexperience, we're really young. The list can go on."
Despite all of that, Rob Gale has allowed this team to grow and learn through those growing pains expected from such a young team. The culture that the captains and coaches have set forth led them here.
"I'm so proud of them," said head coach Rob Gale. "I'm so proud of the group. I'm so proud of the staff."
Rob Gale: "I'm so proud of them. I'm so proud of the group. I'm proud of my staff. I'm proud of all the people behind the scenes. I'm proud of the players working their butts off and trying to come back." "Delighted for the supporters. They deserved another home game." #BAONPDX
— Phuoc Nguyen (Fook Win) ✍️ (@phuocerman.bsky.social) 2025-11-03T03:29:53.367Z
The club clinched a playoff spot for the ninth consecutive season – that's also their 11th trip to the postseason in their 12 seasons.
This 2025 squad is not an ordinary team. They have restarted from the ground up with a brand-new team culture, underdog mentality, and a determination all should be envy of.
They've given the Rose City hope in a season that at certain points seemed lost with everything that has transpired on and off the pitch.
The Portland Thorns have weathered the storm their way, and now will continue to write their own story the rest of the way.
Are you ready for the playoffs? They sure are.
Tomorrow they take on the San Diego Wave with their city, supporters, and fans all behind them. Onward.
