The Portland Thorns head into the NWSL playoffs with one of the league's most productive attacks, and they will need every bit of it on Sunday when they visit the Washington Spirit in a quarterfinal matchup at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET, with the match airing on ABC and streaming on Fubo.
Sophia Wilson has returned with a vengeance after missing the 2025 season. She closed the 2026 regular season with 15 goals, the third-most in the league behind only Ashley Sanchez and Barbra Banda, an impressive output as Portland enters the postseason. Wilson and Washington's Trinity Rodman will be the headliners of the match, but how Portland's attack functions will be critical as the Thorns try to stop the Spirit from reaching their third consecutive NWSL final.
Portland lost Olivia Moultrie to injury only 16 games into the season, a significant blow to the squad. In her absence, 22-year-old midfielder Pietra Tordin has stepped forward as another creative force to lead the attack. Tordin finished the season with nine assists and eight goals, recording the third-most assists in the league, and her play will be one of the major factors in whether Portland can get past Washington.
Tordin's rise has already earned recognition at the international level. She received a United States women's national team call-up and made her debut against Spain. Her partnership with Wilson has been the driving force behind Portland's season: Tordin has produced 51 key passes this season, and 20 of those have gone directly to Wilson. Having a striker of Wilson's caliber to pick out makes things easier for Tordin when Portland attacks, but Tordin's talent and ability to string plays together make the Thorns a genuinely dangerous team.
On paper, Washington is expected to win the match given its talent level, but the Spirit can be susceptible to defensive breakdowns, which is exactly when Tordin can strike. Playing at home, Adrian Gonzalez and the Spirit will be under considerable pressure, as expectations are high this season. This is a team expected to win an NWSL title, and if that does not happen, the club could be looking for a new coach next season. Gonzalez has done a good job with the squad, but they are built to win.
That pressure also makes it tougher to deal with a Portland team coming to town with the pressure off. The Thorns may be one of the most successful teams in NWSL history, but after needing to rebound from Moultrie's injury, they are playing with house money. It is exactly the kind of team that can win an NWSL championship if things break their way, and with Tordin in her current form, Portland has the talent to go on a run. It all begins with Washington.
According to the listed odds, the Washington Spirit are favored at -105, with a draw at +280 and the Portland Thorns at +230.
