Portland Thorns face Washington Spirit in quarterfinal showdown

The Portland Thorns will travel to Washington, D.C., on Sunday to take on the Washington Spirit in an NWSL quarterfinal. The match is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at Audi Field, with broadcast coverage on ABC and streaming via Fubo. The Thorns enter the game as one of the league's most productive offenses, a status that relies heavily on the recent form of their forwards.

Sophia Wilson missed the entire 2025 season due to injury but returned for the 2026 campaign. She finished the regular season with 15 goals, ranking third in the league behind Ashley Sanchez and Barbra Banda. Her scoring output has been central to Portland's attack as they prepare for the postseason. The matchup pits Wilson against Washington's Trinity Rodman, with both players expected to be focal points of their respective teams' strategies.

The Thorns lost midfielder Olivia Moultrie to injury after just 16 games in the 2026 season. That absence created a void in the creative department, which 22-year-old Pietra Tordin has since filled. Tordin finished the season with eight goals and nine assists. Her nine assists rank third in the league, matching the total of the top two players in that statistical category.

Tordin's performance has also earned attention at the international level. She received a call-up to the United States women's national team and made her debut in a match against Spain. Her on-field partnership with Wilson has been a key component of Portland's success. Tordin recorded 51 key passes this season, with 20 of those directed specifically to Wilson. This connection provides Portland with a structured route for generating scoring chances.

Washington holds the favorite status in betting markets for the upcoming game. The odds list the Spirit at -105, with a draw at +280 and the Thorns at +230. The Spirit are attempting to reach their third consecutive NWSL final. Coach Adrian Gonzalez leads a squad built with high expectations, as the club is widely viewed as a title contender this season.

The Thorns, however, enter the contest with a different dynamic. After navigating the loss of Moultrie, the team is playing without the same weight of expectation that has been placed on Washington. The Spirit face pressure to deliver a championship, with coaching job security potentially at stake if they fail to win the title. The Thorns will look to exploit any defensive errors from Washington as they attempt to advance to the next round of the playoffs.