The Portland Thorns FC opened their NWSL campaign with a thrilling 4‑3 victory over Boston Legacy at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in front of a lively crowd that witnessed a roller‑coaster of attacks and counter‑attacks.
At the heart of the Thorns’ onslaught was forward Pietra Tordin, who at 22 became the youngest player in league history to record a hat trick, sealing the win with three clinical finishes that swung momentum decisively in her team’s favor.
Tordin’s first strike came in the second minute, a swift tap‑in after a defensive miscue, and she added a second shortly thereafter when Jessie Fleming intercepted a pass and laid it off to the forward. Her third goal arrived after Mackenzie Arnold sent a long ball over the midfield, allowing Tordin to sprint onto the ball and slot it past the keeper. Earlier, Sophia Wilson had opened the scoring in the same minute, giving Portland a 2‑0 lead before Boston’s Bianca St‑Georges halved the deficit in the 31st minute.
A Night of Milestones
The match took a dramatic turn when Thorns head coach Robert Vilahamn was shown a red card in the 58th minute for deliberately handling a dead ball, a decision that added a tactical edge to an already volatile contest. Despite the ejection, Portland held firm, preserving a 3‑0 advantage that stretched to 4‑3 as the final whistle blew.
The result left Portland sitting at 10‑6‑4 for the season, while Boston fell to 5‑10‑5, a record that underscores the competitiveness of the league. Tordin’s 15 goals now top the NWSL scoring chart, and the encounter was officially recorded as the highest‑scoring game of the season, highlighting the unpredictable excitement that defines the league’s early weeks.