Rose City
Red Card
The unfiltered Portland Thorns podcast. Match breakdowns, NWSL hot takes, and at least one rant per episode that probably goes too long.
Adults only. Bring a drink.
▶ New Episode: One Point Is Better Than ZeroOne Point Is Better Than Zero
Gotham FC 1, Portland Thorns 1. A point on the road at the team top of the table, taken with twenty-six percent of the ball. Jaedyn Shaw scored in the sixtieth and admitted afterwards it was meant to be a cross. Sophia Wilson equalized from the spot in the seventy-fifth, after Pietra Tordin got her ankle stepped on inside the box and her shoe came off, and play ran on for two minutes before VAR looked at it. Marissa's argument is that this was the best the defense has looked all season and that the reason is boring: the same back four two games running, familiarity rather than signings. Her quote of the pod follows from it, that Portland are trading some of their scary offense for that defense, with the midfield sitting instead of pressing and Wilson left alone up top. Then the weekend moved under them. They went into it third, Utah beat Orlando, Washington beat Bay FC, and by the time we sat down they were fifth on thirty-eight. Adults only.
Tobin Heath and 22,017 of Her Friends
Portland Thorns 1, Denver Summit 0. Tobin Heath signed a one-day contract to retire as a Thorn, and 22,017 people came to watch her do it. Sophia Wilson scored in the forty-fourth, Jessie Fleming got the assist, Mackenzie Arnold got her seventh clean sheet. Marissa was in the building on a media credential and went to the press conference. Then there is the part we have been building toward since Episode 6: Rob Vilahamn describing a big, honest meeting the team held after the Utah five-one, where they changed how they press and asked the back line to step. He has never heard of this show. He just started from the same night and got to the same place. Also Pietra Tordin one assist short of Heath's record, on Heath's night, and she did not get it. Adults only.
Hanks for Trying, Orlando
Portland Thorns 2, Orlando Pride 1. Caiya Hanks tore her ACL at Providence Park in June 2025. She came off the season-ending injury list on the Friday, came on in the eighty-eighth minute, and won the game in the ninety-sixth. We were in the building on media credentials for the first time, which meant the press box, the post-match press conference, and the first question this show has ever asked out loud. We also missed the Klingenberg ceremony because credential pickup ran long, so we are not going to pretend we saw it. Olivia Moultrie is out for the season with the same injury Hanks just came back from. Adults only.
The Most Anxiety Filled Win
Boston Legacy 3, Portland Thorns 4. Portland went three up inside nine minutes and thirty-eight seconds, the fastest three goals in NWSL history, and the record they beat was their own. Then they spent the next hour nearly giving the game away. Marissa watched from a bar in Las Vegas where the bartender would not let her touch the remote. Pietra Tordin got her first career hat trick at twenty-two, the goalkeeper has an assist, and the road drought is over after ninety-eight days. Adults only.
F*ck a Six, We Need Center Backs
Utah 5, Portland 1. We recorded two hours after the whistle, and the argument Marissa has been making for five straight episodes died on air. All season it has been the hole Sam Coffey left at the six. Somewhere in the second half she texted Alan "we need center backs. fuck a 6," and most of this one is her working out why she changed her mind and then defending the new version for twenty minutes. Portland scored inside the first minute and lost by four. Adults only.
Don't F*ck with Providence Park
Portland 2, Gotham 2. A point off the league leaders and an eleventh straight home game unbeaten — and none of it is the thing you remember. Emily Sonnett went down in the seventh minute and left Providence Park on a stretcher, and twenty-one thousand people stood up for a player who doesn't wear the shirt anymore. Plus Renee Lyles scoring and assisting in her first ever start, Morgan Weaver back after three knee surgeries, and the salary-cap deep dive we've been promising for two episodes. Adults only.
Mile High Clash of the Captains
Denver 2, Portland 1. Our old MVP came home to Colorado, pulled on the wrong shirt, and assisted the winner. The cohesion problem Marissa can't stop diagnosing, the Lindsey Heaps homecoming, an air-quality mess at the Queen's Classic, and a window still short a center back. Adults only.
The Coffey-Sized Hole
Seattle beat Portland 2-0 in the derby and the Thorns didn't show up. Four trips to Lumen now without a goal, a Coffey-sized hole in the midfield, and a transfer window that just opened. Adults only.
4-0 and Second Place
The Thorns put four past Louisville, Utah's unbeaten run finally cracks, and Portland climbs to 2nd in the table. Plus a firm-but-caring prediction for the Seattle derby. Adults only.
Ep 1: NWSL Is Back
The season opener. What Thorns players got up to over the international break, a wild summer window headlined by Sam Kerr to Gotham, and a Louisville preview.
New here? Start with the 70-second trailer, or browse every episode.
Portland vs. everyone
Rose City Red Card is a Portland Thorns podcast. Soccer. NWSL. All of it. One host bleeds Portland, the other is from Seattle. It gets heated. It gets loud. It gets real.
No filter
This is an adults-only show. We say what we think about the league, the refs, the coaches, and the plays. If you want polished corporate sports coverage, we're not it.
Portland first
Every episode centers on the Thorns. Providence Park is the 12th player and we never let you forget it.
Cascadia rivalry
Our hosts are split across the biggest rivalry in women's soccer. Portland vs. Seattle isn't just a segment, it's the DNA of the show.
Fan-first
We're fans who got a mic, not journalists who got credentials. Expect passion, opinions, and the occasional rant that goes two minutes too long.
What you're getting into
The Kickoff
Hot takes, headlines, and the one thing we couldn't stop thinking about this week.
What We're Imbibing
You brought a drink, right? Quick check on what we're pouring tonight before we get to the football.
Match Report
Deep dive on the Thorns' latest match. What happened, why it matters, and who showed up (or didn't).
Around the League
Expansion teams, transfers, rivalries, and everything else happening across the NWSL.
The Red Card
Someone or something is getting sent off. Bad calls, bad trades, bad takes. Our weekly rant.
The Rose
Who deserves love this week? A player, a moment, a goal. We end on a high note.
Stoppage Time
Predictions, what to watch next week, and listener questions.
One from Portland. One from Seattle.
Marissa
Lifelong Thorns fan, Providence Park regular, and walking encyclopedia of NWSL history. Brings the passion, the knowledge, and the takes that get people yelling at their phones.
Alan
The curious fan who asks the questions you're thinking. From Seattle, which makes things interesting every time the Cascadia rivalry comes up. Steers the ship while Marissa brings the fire.
Never miss an episode
Six episodes in, more all season long. Subscribe and the next one lands in your feed automatically. Or don't. We'll be here yelling about sports either way.