Soccer-Thorns, Timbers fire two executives amid abuse report fallout

The Thorns said they had dismissed President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson and President of Business Mike Golub, and the pair had also been axed from their roles with the team's Major League Soccer counterparts, the Portland Timbers. Team owner Merritt Paulson said on Tuesday he would remove himself from "Thorns-related decision making" after the independent report by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said the team was not transparent about accusations of abuse against a coach after terminating his contract in 2015.

Portland Thorns fired two key executives on Wednesday after a report said abuse was rampant in the top-flight U.S. National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The Thorns said they had dismissed President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson and President of Business Mike Golub, and the pair had also been axed from their roles with the team's Major League Soccer counterparts, the Portland Timbers.

Team owner Merritt Paulson said on Tuesday he would remove himself from "Thorns-related decision making" after the independent report by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said the team was not transparent about accusations of abuse against a coach after terminating his contract in 2015. General counsel Heather Davis was named interim president of Paulson's Peregrine Sports, which operates the Thorns and Timbers.

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