Portland Thorns hire ex-Tottenham manager Robert Vilahamn to usher in ‘new era’

The Portland Thorns are on the cusp of a new era, and after an extended search, former Tottenham Hotspur Women manager Robert Vilahamn will be the head coach to lead them into it. The 43-year-old Swede fills the final vacant head coaching position left in the 16-team National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) with less than two weeks until the start of the 2026 season. “It’s Portland, it is one of those clubs you look at and say, ‘Wow,’” Vilahamn told The Athletic on a video call. “They have come so