
Report: NWSL will expand to San Francisco, Utah and Boston
Utah will be rejoining the league.
Sunday’s matchup between the Portland Thorns and Orlando Pride was a physical one.
Natalia Kuikka and Celeste Boureille both suffered knocks to the head, while Morgan Weaver incurred an injury after a contentious challenge. Weaver was eventually forced to exit the match due to the injury and was subbed off in the game’s final minutes.
According to The Oregonian, Portland head coach Mark Parsons said Weaver was on crutches following the game and that the team is awaiting an X-ray to determine the severity of her injury.
“I feel like it’s been every game for the last month or two that Weaver’s getting kicked, and it’s just frustrating,” said Parsons in Sunday’s post-game press conference.
Parsons’s comments are the latest in a string of critiques against NWSL officiating. Earlier in July, Red Stars coach Rory Dames called for “some level of consistency” in the league’s refereeing following a streak of both controversial red cards and no calls.
Utah will be rejoining the league.
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The NWSL will become the first women's pro league to do so
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