The Portland Thorns know this season could have been better.
That was the takeaway following the team’s difficult 4-1 loss to the Washington Spirit Sunday at Audi Field in Washington, DC.
Portland looked vulnerable from the beginning, something forward Morgan Weaver acknowledged while speaking to reporters after the match. Weaver admitted she felt “sad, a little bit” and “honestly, a little embarrassed.”
She continued, “It sucks that this was the outcome, and it kind of sucks this is what happened—but I still believe in this team, and I still believe in all the players.”
The Thorns were in trouble early in the match after the Spirit scored the team’s first goal in the first six minutes. Washington tacked on two more goals before the first half while working at a dizzying speed that seemed to overwhelm Portland more than anything else.
That first half was rough, Weaver conceded, “but I will say the second half was better. We definitely tried. I tried. I tried to give it my all.”
The second half offered Thorns fans a glimmer of hope when Pietra Tordin scored what would end up being the team’s only goal in the 51st minute. Caiya Hanks made a second attempt at a goal, but hesitated a hair too long, which allowed the Spirit’s goalkeeper Sandy MacIver to block the shot.
Sophia Wilson, who leads the team in points scored, made three attempts of her own, but was ultimately unsuccessful in her attempt to land a goal.
The 2026 season hasn’t been an easy one for the Thorns. The team saw the departures of Sam Coffey and Nicole Payne, as well as former head coach Rob Gale and first assistant head coach Adam Day.
There were also injuries before and during the season. Julie Dufour missed most of the 2026 season after suffering an ACL tear in September 2025 (she returned to the pitch on October 18, 2026); Hanks was finally made available again this August after tearing her ACL in July 2025; and Olivia Moultrie tore her ACL this July.
With all that in mind, it would be ridiculous and even a little cruel to say the Thorns had a clear path to the NWSL Finals this season. But that didn’t stop the team—and their fans—from believing.
“We know deep down this hasn’t been our best season,” Weaver admitted. “And we all know it. We hear it. We see it. We know deep down we’re all like, ‘We wish we could be better.’ And we know we aren’t. And I think that’s something that sucks, but it’s also kind of exciting because we can be better [next season].”
Next season could come with new changes and challenges for the Thorns. Wilson, who has been with Portland since she was drafted as the No. 1 pick by the Thorns in 2020, will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time, something that will give her the ability to shop the league and potentially strike a new deal with another team. The Thorns will undoubtedly do what they can to keep her, but what will happen in free agency is anyone’s guess at this point.
For now, there is still plenty to look forward to. As head coach Robert Vilahamn told reporters following today’s loss, “Today everything feels just really, really bad, but I know that we have a lot of talent in this group. We have some players that are top, top, top, and I think we can build around those players. And I know when we can take us to the next layer, we’re going to be competing in these games as well.”
There’s plenty to fix—defense is top of the list—but there’s also plenty of time. For now, the Thorns can rest, recuperate, and maybe even find ways to have a little offseason fun.