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Around the Forest: Eryk Williamson, Becky Sauerbrunn, and more

Catch up on some of the best stories about the Timbers and Thorns this week!

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MLS: Portland Timbers at Vancouver Whitecaps FC Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome back to Around the Forest! Each Friday, we’ll curate some of the best stories about the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns from the week. We even throw in some good MLS and NWSL stories that are probably worth your attention. This week, we’ve got a wonderful profile of Eryk Williamson, Becky Sauerbrunn talking with Grant Wahl, Merritt Paulson wanting fans in the stadium, and Christine Sinclair on pushing for change.

Timbers and Thorns

Let’s start with Williamson, who talked about his journey to the Timbers with Matt Pentz of The Athletic. A subscription is required to read this story, but I guarantee it’s worth it to read about Williamson’s basketball past, the influence of his mom, and more. You can read it here.

Next, Becky Sauerbrunn made an appearance on Grant Wahl’s Futbol podcast. She of course talked about soccer, but also touched on navigating 2020, supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, and honoring Ruth Bader Ginsberg. You can click on one of the links in the tweet below to listen.

This is more of a short news piece about a tweet, but it should catch your eye. After the 6-3 victory over the Galaxy on Wednesday, Merritt Paulson tweeted that he thinks Oregon could find a way to get limited crowds in Providence Park. You can read some context NBC Sports Northwest brought about it here.

And finally, Christine Sinclair is still a dominant force in the NWSL. She’s also still pushing for change. Sinclair talked about the challenges of 2020, her advocacy for women in sports, and more with The Cochrane Times. You can read all about it here.

MLS and NWSL

MLS postpones Colorado vs. LAFC after positive COVID-19 test — Yahoo! Sports

Ben Olsen out as DC United head coach — MLS

Top takeaways from Week 16 midweek action — MLS

Why the MLS playoffs need to be in a bubble — SB Nation

Lapchick: MLS can continue to push diversity — ESPN

Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero headed for MLS — MLS

USL Championship playoffs: Who to root for if you’re just joining now — The Athletic (Subscription required)

Why the MLS schedule is causing problems for teams in crunch time — Los Angeles Times

USWNT camp minus Europe-based stars, features top NWSL players — ESPN

USWNT superstar Alex Morgan explains how she joined Tottenham on such short notice — CBS Sports

Crystal Dunn and the Art of Adaptation — Sports Illustrated

Have a story or podcast that we missed? Feel free to share below!