The new women’s professional soccer team in Portland, Ore., will be named Portland Thorns FC, the team announced on Thursday. Merritt Paulson owns the team, and he also owns the Portland Timbers of MLS.
Brent Diskin of the Timbers Army designed the club crest.
“I tried to stay away from any imagery that would be considered too ‘girly’ or ‘cartoony,’ ” Diskin said in a Q&A on the Timbers website. “The combination of symbolism and simplicity is meant to inform all that this is a team that this is a professional team that means serious business.”
Paulson said the name was a natural fit for the Rose City, as Portland is known.
“Portland Thorns FC quickly emerged as a natural choice that was appropriate for the city and the culture of Soccer City, USA,” Paulson said in a team release. “And a nice side benefit of the name is the Army’s P-T-F-C chant doesn’t need much re-scripting for the women’s team.”
Here’s video unveiling the new crest:
Timbers/Thorns ownership has been taking refundable season ticket deposits since U.S. Soccer announced the creation of a new yet-to-be-named women’s professional soccer league on Nov. 21. The majority of Thorns FC home games will be played at JELD-WEN Field in downtown Portland, although Paulson said during halftime of the U.S. women’s game against Ireland there on Nov. 28 that Merlo Field on the campus of University of Portland is also under consideration to host some matches.
Current U.S. star Megan Rapinoe and 2012 Canadian Athlete of the Year Christine Sinclair went to University of Portland. Rapinoe won an NCAA national championship in 2005 with the Pilots, which was Sinclair’s second title, having won one in 2002 also.
Abby Wambach recently purchased a home in the Portland area, so all three are prime candidates to call the new club their home.
Liviu Bird contributed to this report.
