Team: Thorns owner disclosed coach was fired for cause

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Thorns say team owner Merritt Paulson was contacted in 2019 about former coach Paul Riley’s interest in becoming head coach of the U.S. women’s national team, and he disclosed that Riley had had been fired by the team for cause. But the team maintains Riley didn’t try to shape a decision. The statement came in response to a report by ESPN that detailed a presentation for Thorns employees by a firm conducting an investigation into how allegations of sexual coercion and harassment made against Riley were handled. Riley coached the Thorns in 2014-15 before he was dismissed.