As the United States was preparing for its game Friday against England at Wembley Stadium, players were trying to process an investigation that found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct are systemic in women's soccer .
When Tina Ettlin, a member of the Rose City Riveters steering committee, began reading the report on US Soccer’s independent investigation of abuse in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) on Monday, she was horrified. The investigation, led by former US Attorney General Sally Yates, found that Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson and president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson enabled former Thorns manager Paul Riley’s alleged abuse of Thorns players and protected him in its aftermath..