Portland 2, Kansas City 1

In a dramatic ending to the game, Thorns forward Simone Charley was sent off in the 90th minute for a second yellow on a mistimed challenge. Coach Mark Parsons then received a red for arguing the call. 

Not to be outdone, Kansas City defender Kristen Edmonds and Thorns forward Morgan Weaver were also sent off following a clash on the sideline.

Morgan Weaver is innocent. pic.twitter.com/pBBmsigzds

— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) April 10, 2021

In total, the Thorns finished the match with nine players to Kansas City’s 10. 

“Unfortunately, I think I’m really disappointed in what happened,” said  Thorns’ defender Morgan Klingenberg after the game. “Not necessarily from our side, because what I saw was, Morgan Weaver didn’t do anything, she was the one that got taken down, and we watch it on replay and I think that needs to be rectified, because it’s unfair for a player to be carded, and then not able to play in the next game when they didn’t do anything.”

Barring any changes due to appeal, Charley, Weaver and Parsons will miss the Thorns’ next match against Chicago due to the red cards.

North Carolina Courage 3, Washington Spirit 2

This one was one for the history books.

Months after making history for becoming the youngest player ever drafted in league history, Trinity Rodman – daughter of NBA star Dennis Rodman – made history once again.

Coming in at the 55th minute for Kumi Yokoyama, Rodman scored five minutes later to bring the Spirit within one. In doing so, she became the youngest American to ever score in the NWSL. 

First touch 🥵 https://t.co/3IHNV73z0D

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) April 10, 2021

Unfortunately, that effort would not be enough as the Courage would go on to win thanks to goals from Kristen Hamilton, Jessica McDonald and Merritt Mathias.

Houston Dash 0, Chicago Red Stars 0

Despite a lot of hard play from both sides, the rematch of last year’s final in Utah saw the Dash and Red Stars play to a scoreless draw. 

Racing Louisville 2, Orlando Pride 2

Racing Louisville got their first-ever start against the Orlando Pride in this 2-2 draw. 

It was the first time in 45 years that Kentucky played home to a top-tier sports team. And boy, did it not disappoint. The match began in a downpour before Louisville forward Cece Kizer etched her name into the Racing Louisville history books.

FIRST GOAL IN @RacingLouFC HISTORY 🙌🙌🙌 CECE KIZER

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) April 10, 2021

CECE. KIZER.

Welcome to the league, @RacingLouFC ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/1QoXn0REgH

— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) April 10, 2021

A lot of back and forth insinuated before the game was capped off by a 93rd-minute goal by Louisville defender Brooke Hendrix. Four players – Kizer, Hendrix, Pride forwards Taylor Kornieck and Abigail Kim – scored their first NWSL goals.

“It was incredible,” said Hendrix. “The lights, the sounds, the fans. It was unreal, honestly. It kind of took my breath away at first.”

The Tour de France Femmes confirmed its course for 2026 this week, setting up next year's event as the longest iteration of the race in the women's tour history.

The 2026 course will run in nine stages starting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on August 1st and continuing through the finish line in Nice, France, on August 9th.

Cyclists will cover a total of 1,175 kilometers, with 18,795 meters of climbing.

The course will feature three flat stages and three hilly stages as well as two mountain stages and one individual time trial, with riders tackling Mont Ventoux — an iconic climb from the men's event — for the first time.

Though 2026 will only by the fifth edition of the modern Tour de France Femmes, the race will make its debut in a standalone time slot one full week after the men’s race ends, with recent record viewership fueling the move to separate the races rather than continue the previous tactic of scheduling the two events back-to-back.

"We no longer need men for the Tour de France Femmes to exist,"  said race director Marion Rousse at Thursday's course unveiling. "There's no need to have the men's race as a platform to launch the women's race. Now people are waiting to see us."

"People have embraced us," Rousse continued. "The new dates, separate to the men, prove it."

This weekend's slate of international soccer features more than one blockbuster matchup, as some of the summer's top performers, including England and Brazil, begin the long process of preparing for the 2027 World Cup.

Reigning UEFA Women's Euro champions England will be hosting 2025 Copa América Femenina winners Brazil at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Saturday, when the Lionesses officially kick off their four-game Homecoming Series to close out 2025 play.

The match between world No. 4 England and No. 7 Brazil will serve as the first of the series of friendlies that will span the final two international breaks of the year, with the Lionesses closing out the opening pair of games against No. 15 Australia on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, while England fans will be enjoying the team's victory lap after their second-straight Euro title, other top UEFA competition are honing in on 2025 Nations League play.

Behind a long-range goal from winger Klara Bühl, No. 5 Germany snagged a narrow 1-0 victory over No. 6 France on Friday morning, taking the lead in the pair's two-leg semifinal.

The second Nations League semifinal round kicks off at 2 PM ET on Friday, when No. 1 Spain faces No. 3 Sweden live on Prime.

How to watch England vs. Brazil this weekend

England takes on Brazil at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage streaming on Prime.

The Wings have found their next sideline leader, as multiple reports on Thursday linked longtime University of South Florida (USF) head coach Jose Fernandez to the open position in Dallas.

Fernandez is still finalizing his contract with the WNBA team, with the 53-year-old exiting USF having led the Bulls for 25 years, making 10 NCAA tournament appearances along the way.

Calling his impact "profound," USF athletics CEO Rob Higgins acknowledged that Fernandez is leaving for a WNBA position in a Thursday statement.

"While this is a bittersweet moment for our program, it is a well-deserved opportunity for Jose," said Higgins. "We are incredibly proud of him."

Replacing Chris Koclanes after one year, Fernandez will become the fifth Dallas head coach in seven seasons, with the Wings trying to build a title-contending roster around 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 1 pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.

Fernandez will also be the third WNBA hiring out of the college ranks in the last two years, joining Atlanta Dream boss Karl Smesko (FGCU) and LA Sparks manager Lynne Roberts (Utah).

Hoping to improve on a 13th-place 2025 finish — and make the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2023 — Dallas could claim a second straight No. 1 draftee next year, with the Wings entering 2026 with the highest odds to snag the top pick in the league's draft lottery.

The WNBA league office and the Players Association (WNBPA) exchanged escalating public statements this week, as both sides dispute terms surrounding a key issue in the ongoing CBA negotiations: revenue sharing.

"When the players opted out [of their CBA] a year ago, they made it clear they wanted a salary system that values their labor and allows them to grow with the business they are very clearly driving," WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson told ESPN in a statement this week, citing the vast disparity in revenue sharing percentages between the WNBA and the NBA.

Jackson continued by claiming that the WNBA intends to "run out the clock" and double down on a model that "intentionally undervalues the players."

Days ago, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said publicly that "[Revenue] share isn't the right way to look at it," pushing instead for salary increases in "absolute numbers."

WNBA leadership, however, denied that their current offer to players omits all revenue sharing, with the league calling the WNBPA's claim "incorrect and surprising," while indicating that an uncapped revenue sharing model "directly tied to the league's performance" is on the table.

"It is frustrating and counterproductive for the union to be making misrepresentations about our proposals while also accusing the league of engaging in delay," the WNBA's statement continued. "That is simply not true."

With both parties not seeing eye to eye, a resolution before the October 31st CBA deadline appears unlikely, though a formal request for an extension on negotiations is not currently in the cards.