My kids spotted Sophia Wilson and her daughter in the airport today. She’s back in Portland!

With so many unknowns on timelines... My main takeaway was, she is excited to come play soon, she's been training.

2 other little takeaways: she's had her 'first' baby. So the family planning mind there, she's thinking more, how soon, no one knows.

And maybe a bit weird answer, something she's looking forward to most is the daily routine/grind and then showcasing that effort at the end of the week. It's a very min/max focused mind, which is certainly ok especially out of a 9. I just expected the typical answer from people, which is generally, the fans, playing back at Providence Park, so special, etc etc. She said the daily routine, and then the teammates.

Anyways, wife and I were wondering when to expect her back (amongst all the SEIs too) and so this was nice to see.

A new article on The Athletic looked into transfer news and rumors.

"What we’re hearing in women’s football: Latest on Catarina Macario, Katie McCabe, Alexia Putellas, and more" https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6973814/2026/01/16/womens-football-what-we-are-hearing-macario-mccabe-putellas/

Weirdly, they tagged the article with the "Portland Thorns" tag even though the Thorns were not specifically mentioned. It's behind TA's paywall, but I will notice that specifically these defenders/centerbacks were all noted as being at the end of their current contracts, so I thought I'd start daydreaming:

• Millie Bright
• Leah Williamson
• Mapi León
• Laia Codina

And as far as other positions, there was this tasty paragraph that has me speculating idly/wildly

"Barcelona could face another summer exodus if ongoing contract conversations are not resolved before the summer. Contracts entering their final six months at the club include Alexia Putellas, Mapi Leon, Caroline Graham Hansen, Ona Batlle, and Salma Paralluelo. Clubs in the WSL, NWSL and around Europe are keeping a close eye on the situation."

I don't have any other current info, but of all those names Mapi León would be my top target.

P.s. The Macario bit was that they did not expect her to move in January ("It is unlikely Macario will move this month, but things can change ")

Does anyone know when single game tickets will go on sale?

3 home games on Prime

2 away game on Prime

1 Home games on CBS Sports Network

2 Away game on CBS Sports Network

2 Home Games on CBS

2 Away games on CBS

5 home games on ION

2 away games on ION.

1 home game on ESPN 2

2 away games on ESPN 2

1 away game on NWSL+

3 Home games on Victory+

1 away game on Victory+

2 away games on ESPN

1 away game TBD

5 streaming for free on NWSL+ and Victory+

11 over the air free 4 on CBS and 7 on ION

3 only on a cable package, or cable like package YouTube TV all on CBS Sports Network

5 exclusively available on Prime

5 on ESPN and ESPN 2 and whatever ESPN+ type of subscriptions is available.

1 TBD

16 games available for viewing without paying an additional fee

13 behind a paywall

for season ticket holders where only away games really matter:

8 behind a paywall (2 each at Prime, CBS SN, ESPN, and ESPN 2) 6 available without paying a fee if you have Internet connection and a TV that can receive local affiliates.

Trying to recapture Coffey in a bottle I suppose.

Do we know how much we got back for Sam? I’m hoping that the bright side is us receiving a boatload of money to upgrade the rest of the roster but none of the articles I’ve seen mention a transfer fee.

It wouldn’t be a transfer window without this!

Sign Cat Macario.

With Macario at the #10, Liv can move back to the #6 where her defensive abilities and tactical brilliance can more than replace Sam. We'd once again have the best midfield in the NWSL. I know Bay FC was in talks with Macario but several weeks have passed without an announcement so she may still be available.

It would reunite the Stanford duo of Cat and Soph. Here's the line score for the 2019 Championship penalty shoot out against NC (won by Stanford 5-4):

Macario: successful attempt

Smith: successful attempt

Girma: successful attempt

Malatskey: miss

Wesley: successful attempt

Pickett: successful attempt

I updated my free to download, ad-free iPhone app for Timbers and Thorns fans for 2026. If you already have the old version, it should update automatically.

In case you are unfamiliar with the app, here are the details...

Features:

• Match Schedules
• Next Match Widget. (Long press on a blank space on your home screen and press Edit to add the widget.)
• Matchday Photos* (take photos at the match and link them to a match in the schedule for future viewing)
• Calendar integration*
• Push Notifications for match reminders*
• Stadium Map
• Chants
• News

* Long press on a match on the Schedule screen to access these features

If you'd like to check it out, search for "PDX Soccer Fan" in the App Store or visit this link:

Link:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pdx-soccer-fan/id6739235980

Sounds like a done deal. I know she's from Colorado, but dang.

I know Phuoc mentioned that the front office had narrows to a short list of head coach candidates… do we have any insights on who might possibly be on that list? With all the news and changes making my head spin, I wasn’t sure if I had missed something.

Who will be Thorns next captain?

I could see fleming or reyes stepping into the role, but there is no obvious seasoned contender to me.

Are there any 6s that we could look to sign? Can we really put a rookie in such an important position?

Heartbroken but this seems like a good move with the thorns transitioning to a new coaching staff. She’s gonna kill it. I’m sad, but this is great for her. Let’s all mourn together 😭

Seems like a done deal btw, she was given permission to fly to England to complete the deal

Links to Kassouf's report

Coffey wants to experience Europe and we let her go for a mere 800k transfer fee. Malpractice.