Pietra Tordin and Sophia Wilson fuel Portland Thorns attack ahead of NWSL playoff clash with Washington Spirit — SkimNews
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- Sophia Wilson returned after missing the 2025 season and closed the regular season with 15 goals, the third-most in the league behind Ashley Sanchez and Barbara Banda.
- Pietra Tordin finished with eight goals and nine assists — the third-most assists in the league — and logged 51 key passes, 20 of them directly to Wilson, with the partnership driving Portland's season.
- Pietra Tordin earned a call-up to the U.S. women's national team and made her debut against Spain.
- Olivia Moultrie went out with an injury only 16 games into the season, a blow that left Portland short a creative force and saw the 22-year-old Tordin step forward to lead the attack.
- Washington Spirit host the Thorns at Audi Field on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. ET, with odds of Washington -105, draw +280 and Portland +230; Washington are rated ahead on talent but can be susceptible to defensive breakdowns.
- Adrian Gonzalez has done a good job with a Washington squad built to win, and the club is chasing a third consecutive NWSL final, with a new coach the stated fallback next season if no title follows.
- Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson will headline the quarterfinal, but Tordin's play is identified as a major factor in whether Portland gets past the Spirit, with the Thorns, described as one of the NWSL's most successful teams in history, playing on "house money" after Moultrie's injury.
Why it matters: Tordin's nine assists and 51 key passes give Portland a second creator alongside Wilson's 15 goals, making Washington — listed at -105 — vulnerable to the defensive breakdowns the analysis flags. Sunday's result keeps the Spirit in the hunt for a third straight NWSL final, where a failed title run puts Adrian Gonzalez's position in play.
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