PORTLAND THORNS FC AND USWNT LEGEND BECKY SAUERBRUNN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC captain, four-time NWSL Defender of the Year, three-time NWSL Champion and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Becky Sauerbrunn has announced her retirement from professional football. The Club will celebrate and honor its captain during the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League season at a match to be named once the schedule has been released.
Sauerbrunn retires following a nearly two-decade professional career across four leagues and seven teams. Sauerbrunn was one of four remaining original players from the initial 2013 National Women’s Soccer League allocation process, part of the original group of 55 players selected to help found the league.
As one of the league’s foundational players, Sauerbrunn has been a part of the league for every one of its 12 seasons, finishing her career in the top 10 all-time for Minutes played (16,217), games started/played (184/189) and games won (83). Sauerbrunn ends her career having played in 189 regular-season matches, along with 10 NWSL playoff appearances.
Defensively, Sauerbrunn ends her career with the third-most clearances (653), the fifth-most blocks (99) and the ninth-most interceptions (258). Additionally, Sauerbrunn contributed to 44 regular-season clean sheets, the ninth-most in league history, earning a shutout in 23 percent of her games played.
Sauerbrunn spent the first five years of her NWSL career with the now defunct FC Kansas City, where she won the 2014 and 2015 NWSL Championship, earning the NWSL Defender of the Year award for three-consecutive seasons from 2013-15.
For the 2018 and 2019 seasons Sauerbrunn played for the Utah Royals where she earned a fifth and sixth-consecutive NWSL Best XI honors, as well as her fourth NWSL Defender of the Year award following the 2019 season.
Sauerbrunn joined the Thorns ahead of the 2020 season, and in her five years in Portland she has helped the Club win the 2021 NWSL Shield, the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, the 2020 NWSL Community Shield, the 2021 International Champions Cup and the 2022 NWSL Championship, marking her third career NWSL Championship. Sauerbrunn leaves the Thorns having appeared in 72 regular-season matches, totalling 5,827 minutes.
Prior to joining the NWSL, Sauerbrunn played professionally for the Washington Freedom and magicJack in Women’s Professional Soccer, D.C. United in the USL W-League and Røa IL in Norway’s Toppserien, the top flight of women’s football.
Collegiately, Sauerbrunn spent four years at the University of Virginia from 2003-07, where she appeared in 90 matches, scoring two goals.
On the international stage Sauerbrunn has cemented herself as one of the greatest of all time for the United States Women’s Soccer Team, winning every possible trophy, while appearing in three world cups and two Olympics. Sauerbrunn retires having won two FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019, along with an Olympic Gold Medal for the 2012 Summer Olympics and a Bronze Medal from the 2020 Summer Olympics. She is a four-time winner of the Concacaf Women’s Championship (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), a five-time winner of the She Believes Cup (2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) and winner of the inaugural 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.
Sauerbrunn has earned 219 international caps, recording seven assists. Sauerbrunn’s 219 caps are the 10th most in United States Women’s National Team history.
PORTLAND, Ore. (Saturday, August 15, 2026) – The Portland Thorns continued their impressive home form with a 2-1 win over Orlando Pride on Saturday when forward Caiya Hanks — who was making her return to the pitch after missing action for over a year with an ACL injury — scored a stoppage time winner to secure three points for the home side.
Both sides battled back and forth as they tried to search for the opening goal, with Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold making three saves to ensure the match remained level going into the halftime break.
The Thorns came out into the second half much more threatening in Orlando’s half and finally broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when forward Pietra Tordin laid the ball off to forward Deyna Castellanos, who from the top right corner of Orlando’s box placed the ball perfectly into the top left corner of the goal over the hands of Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse.
The lead was short lived however when Arnold’s diving save to punch out a crossed ball in the 63rd minute ricocheted off the knees of Orlando forward Jacqueline Ovalle and rolled into the net to level things back up.
From there, Portland and Orlando continued in their fight to search for a second and despite several good looks at goal, the match remained level.
That would all change after Hanks — who subbed on in the 88th minute — curled the ball into the goal from outside the box in the 96th to send Providence Park into a frenzy as the Thorns secured three points and extended its home unbeaten streak to 12 matches, nine on the season.
UP NEXT: The Portland Thorns host Denver Summit FC for the first time at Providence Park on Saturday, August 22. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:45 pm PT on ION and 910 ESPN Portland. Purchase tickets for the match HERE.
TEAM NOTES
GOAL BREAKDOWN
First Half
N/A
Second Half
POR – Deyna Castellanos (Pietra Tordin) 58’
ORL – Jacqueline Ovalle 63’
POR – Caiya Hanks (M.A. Vignola) 90+6’
LINEUPS
Portland Thorns (4-2-3-1): Mackenzie Arnold (GK), M.A. Vignola, Jayden Perry, Isabella Obaze (Sam Hiatt 78’), Carolyn Calzada, Jessie Fleming-C, Nina Nijstad (Cassandra Bogere 85’), Pietra Tordin (Caiya Hanks 88’), Deyna Castellanos (Renee Lyles 78’), Marie Müller (Morgan Weaver 67’), Sophia Wilson
Subs not used: Morgan Messner (GK), Reyna Reyes, Shae Harvey, Mallie McKenzie
Orlando Pride (4-4-2): Anna Moorhouse (GK), Hailie Mace (Gabi Nunes 90+8’), Rafaelle (Zoe Matthews 89’), Cori Dyke, Oihane Hernández (Zara Chavoshi 76’), Solai Washington, Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon-C, Julie Doyle (Summer Yates 65’), Jacqueline Ovalle, Barbra Banda (Angelina 65’)
Subs not used: Cara Martin (GK), Cossette Morche, Luana, Nicole Payne
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
POR: N/A
ORL: Jacqueline Ovalle (Yellow) 40’, Julie Doyle (Yellow) 52’, Rafaelle (Yellow) 85’
MATCH STATS
POR | ORL
Goals: 2|1
Assists: 2|0
Possession: 51|49
Shots: 10|12
Shots on Target: 4|6
Saves: 5|2
Tackles: 16|16
Tackles Won: 9|11
Interceptions: 14|26
Fouls: 7|6
Offsides: 0|1
Corner Kicks: 0|6
ATTENDANCE: 19,106
Referee: Brad Jensen
Assistant Referee 1: Katarzyna Wasiak
Assistant Referee 2: Sarah Gaddes
4th Official: Justin St. Pierre
VAR: Danielle Chesky
Assistant VAR: Seun Yinka-Kehinde
PORTLAND THORNS FC AND USWNT LEGEND BECKY SAUERBRUNN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC captain, four-time NWSL Defender of the Year, three-time NWSL Champion and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Becky Sauerbrunn has announced her retirement from professional football. The Club will celebrate and honor its captain during the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League season at a match to be named once the schedule has been released.
Sauerbrunn retires following a nearly two-decade professional career across four leagues and seven teams. Sauerbrunn was one of four remaining original players from the initial 2013 National Women’s Soccer League allocation process, part of the original group of 55 players selected to help found the league.
As one of the league’s foundational players, Sauerbrunn has been a part of the league for every one of its 12 seasons, finishing her career in the top 10 all-time for Minutes played (16,217), games started/played (184/189) and games won (83). Sauerbrunn ends her career having played in 189 regular-season matches, along with 10 NWSL playoff appearances.
Defensively, Sauerbrunn ends her career with the third-most clearances (653), the fifth-most blocks (99) and the ninth-most interceptions (258). Additionally, Sauerbrunn contributed to 44 regular-season clean sheets, the ninth-most in league history, earning a shutout in 23 percent of her games played.
Sauerbrunn spent the first five years of her NWSL career with the now defunct FC Kansas City, where she won the 2014 and 2015 NWSL Championship, earning the NWSL Defender of the Year award for three-consecutive seasons from 2013-15.
For the 2018 and 2019 seasons Sauerbrunn played for the Utah Royals where she earned a fifth and sixth-consecutive NWSL Best XI honors, as well as her fourth NWSL Defender of the Year award following the 2019 season.
Sauerbrunn joined the Thorns ahead of the 2020 season, and in her five years in Portland she has helped the Club win the 2021 NWSL Shield, the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, the 2020 NWSL Community Shield, the 2021 International Champions Cup and the 2022 NWSL Championship, marking her third career NWSL Championship. Sauerbrunn leaves the Thorns having appeared in 72 regular-season matches, totalling 5,827 minutes.
Prior to joining the NWSL, Sauerbrunn played professionally for the Washington Freedom and magicJack in Women’s Professional Soccer, D.C. United in the USL W-League and Røa IL in Norway’s Toppserien, the top flight of women’s football.
Collegiately, Sauerbrunn spent four years at the University of Virginia from 2003-07, where she appeared in 90 matches, scoring two goals.
On the international stage Sauerbrunn has cemented herself as one of the greatest of all time for the United States Women’s Soccer Team, winning every possible trophy, while appearing in three world cups and two Olympics. Sauerbrunn retires having won two FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019, along with an Olympic Gold Medal for the 2012 Summer Olympics and a Bronze Medal from the 2020 Summer Olympics. She is a four-time winner of the Concacaf Women’s Championship (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), a five-time winner of the She Believes Cup (2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) and winner of the inaugural 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.
Sauerbrunn has earned 219 international caps, recording seven assists. Sauerbrunn’s 219 caps are the 10th most in United States Women’s National Team history.
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