Categories: Bay FCNWSLPortland Thorns

Thorns set to defend their first place in Kansas City

APRIL 29, 2026 - PORTLAND, OR: NWSL Regular Season Bay City FC at Portland Thorns at Providence Park (Photo by Diego G Diaz).

APRIL 29, 2026 – PORTLAND, OR: NWSL Regular Season Bay City FC at Portland Thorns at Providence Park (Photo by Diego G Diaz).

In a convincing 2-0 win over Bay FC last Wednesday night, the Portland Thorns reclaimed the top spot of the league in their best season form of the RAJ Sports era.

The Portland Thorns are back as a credible candidate to win the 2026 Supporters’ Shield. The iconic NWSL team has undergone many deep changes, from the sale of the team from Peregrine Sports to RAJ Sports to the retirement of the team’s best generation of players. The departures of Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Meghan Klingenberg marked the end of the 2013 OGs and the beginning of a new generation.

The team of the new era, in the hands of Olivia Moultrie, Sophia Wilson (formerly Smith), and Marie Müller, has gone through years of transitions. Several coaches later, Robert Vilahamn seems to be the one who has found the formula to contend for silverware. Vilahamn joined the team in game 1 without preseason time. He has built the team as the league progressed. He has plenty of talent to work with and has built a team that can play box-to-box.

Thorns’ defense starts with high pressing, with players working to recover the ball as soon as it’s lost. With discipline and solidarity, they surround possession players with multiple pressing assets. The team moves like a block across the field, and when in attack, the talent of game-changing players like Sophia Wilson and Olivia Moultrie translates into points. That is the textbook definition of a candidate to be at the 2026 NWSL Championship final on Saturday, November 21.

On Wednesday night, Bay FC played toe-to-toe, and the first-half midfield chess game slowly started to turn in Portland’s favor as Müller, Tordin, and Wilson began to participate more and threatened the visitors’ goal. Mimi Alidou, usually a forward, was repositioned to make up for Moultrie’s absence due to a calf injury, showing the depth of the bench. That depth was especially relevant on the second goal in 90’ by Mallie McKenzie, who was subbed in for Alidou in the 66th minute. The first goal was scored in the first half with an incredible strike from distance by defender M.A. Vignola.

Attendance in this midweek evening game, which was over half capacity, far from the sold-out weekends, contrasts with the team’s form and the generally full stadium atmospheres Portland is famous for. Other fun facts of the evening were the setting of a new home field shutout record at 568 minutes without conceding a goal. It was also Mallie McKenzie’s first professional goal, and longtime Thorns defender Keli Hubly was back at Providence Park as a Bay FC player, in a recycled forward position, playing the last 20 minutes of the match.

On Sunday, May 24, Portland will defend its top position at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. Alongside San Diego Wave FC (22 points) and Utah Royals (20 points), they are slowly shaping the season as this year’s top contenders for the 2026 Supporters’ Shield. In front of the Thorns, Kansas City Current is sitting in 6th place with 15 points (5-0-5). They have to win at home to catch up with the lead group, which will make the contest a very interesting match to follow.

For those who cannot be in Kansas for the 1 PM EDT (10 AM Pacific), the match will stream live on CBS and Paramount+.