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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.
NEW POD: 2-time World Cup winner @beckysauerbrunn on putting RBG on her jersey, "Appreciate Excellence," white players & BLM, Portland Thorns, the USWNT, how she's navigating 2020 & much more.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) October 8, 2020
SUBSCRIBE, RATE, REVIEW
Apple https://t.co/A1kX0uYUEg
Spotify https://t.co/VCDYuGPWy7 pic.twitter.com/COqtPwn4iH
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.
This has been a really really fun @TimbersFC team to watch. Its a shame no fans have seen it live.
— Merritt Paulson (@MerrittPaulson) October 8, 2020
Oregon has managed COVID well. We have the 2nd lowest infection rate in the country. We can 100% safely manage a limited crowd. Hopefully we will get a chance in 2020 #rctid
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!