Mark Parsons Has Suspension Overturned, Will Coach Team Against Orlando

After serving one game of his touchline suspension during the game against Chicago, Mark Parsons will be back early to coach the Thorns in their home opener after the Thorns won their appeal to the NWSL to overturn the suspension,The Oregonian reports.

The NWSL confirmed that they had rescinded the extra suspension, noting that the fine initially assessed to the team would be upheld. It remains unclear what the actual incident that merited the suspension was.

Thorns Assistant Coach Rich Gunney took charge for the 2-3 victory over Chicago while Parsons said he watched the game in Chicago in a suite with Merritt Paulson and Gavin Wilkinson, “outside, embracing the elements like everyone else”.

Parsons was generally positive about the experience: “It’s not good for any player or coach to be missing the game, but I was pretty calm except for the fact that having a view from up high, there were some things that I could see that I knew other people couldn’t see from down low, and there were a couple of urges to want to share what you can see from up there which you obviously can’t do. It was a good view of seeing what our offside line looked like and where there was a lot of space we could take advantage of. We will work for another day to be able to take advantage of that.”

The Thorns resume play on April 15th at home against the Orlando Pride.