Portland Thorns reach NWSL Championship amid abuse scandal

PORTLAND, Ore. — In the third minute of second-half stoppage time, with the score tied 1-1 in the National Women’s Soccer League semifinal between the Portland Thorns and the San Diego Wave, Thorns defender Meghan Klingenberg prepared to take a corner kick, and the entire north end of Providence Park roared as one.

“P-T! F-C! P-T! F-C!”

The rest of the 22,035 fans in attendance joined in, at which point the fans’ and players’ collective will delivered a moment that the team — and the city — desperately needed.

Klingenberg’s corner was cleared only as far as Crystal Dunn at the edge of the Wave penalty area, who unleashed an unstoppable, rising shot into the net. The black and red smoke was released — so were the collective emotions of the crowd, with the goal ultimately giving the Thorns a 2-1 win and a spot in the NWSL final on Saturday against the Kansas City Current.

– Wow! Dunn leads Thorns into NWSL final with dramatic late goal

For the Thorns, it was a win that went to 11 on the catharsis meter. For the past 13 months, the NWSL has been rocked by scandal, culminating in the release of the Yates report earlier this month. Portland was central, not just the allegations of sexual harassment and coercion against former manager Paul Riley but also the way the organization handled them, paving the way for Riley to keep coaching.

Merritt Paulson, in conjunction with his father, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, owns both the Thorns and MLS side the Portland Timbers. He has sought to position his own missteps as a single mistake in 2015, when the club kept the real reason for Riley’s exit — allegations of sexual coercion and predatory behavior — hidden from the public, instead saying that Riley’s contract wasn’t renewed for on-field reasons. In a letter this month announcing he’d step down as CEO, Paulson wrote that he…