Pietra Tordin and Sophia Wilson fuel Portland Thorns attack ahead of NWSL playoff clash with Washington Spirit

Sophia Wilson is back with a vengeance. After missing the 2025 season, she's finished the regular season with the third-most goals in the league, behind only Ashley Sanchez and Barbara Banda. Those 15 goals are an impressive number as she and the Thorns enter the NWSL playoffs, where they'll travel to face the Washington Spirit. But while Wilson and Trinity Rodman will be the headliners of the match, how Portland's attack ticks over is what'll be critical as they try to stop the Spirit from making a run to their third consecutive appearance in the NWSL final in Sunday's quarterfinal matchup.

Losing Olivia Moultrie to injury only 16 games into the season was a blow to the squad, but another creative force has stepped forward to lead the attack in 22-year-old midfielder Pietra Tordin. With nine assists and eight goals, she has finished the season with the third-most assists in the league, and her play will be one of the major factors in whether Portland can get past the Spirit. Talent-wise, Washington are expected to win the match, but they can be susceptible to defensive breakdowns, which is when Tordin can strike.

She's already been rewarded with a United States women's national team call-up and made her debut against Spain, and her partnership with Wilson has been the driving force behind Portland's season. Tordin has 51 key passes this season, and 20 of those have been directly to Wilson. Having a striker of Wilson's caliber to pick out does make things easier for Tordin when Portland attack, but Tordin's talent and ability to string plays together make the Thorns quite a dangerous team.

Playing at home, Adrian Gonzalez and the Spirit will be under pressure, as expectations are high this season. This is a team that is expected to win an NWSL title, and if it doesn't happen, they could be looking for a new coach next season. Gonzalez has done a good job with the squad, but they're built to win. That pressure also makes it tougher to deal with Portland coming to town with the pressure off. The Thorns may be one of the NWSL's most successful teams in history, but in needing to rebound from Moultrie's injury, they're playing with house money. It's exactly the kind of team that can win an NWSL championship if things break their way, and with Tordin in the form that she's in, the Thorns have the talent to go on a run. It all begins with Washington.

How to watch Washinton Spirit vs. Portland Thorns, odds