In soccer, there is nothing better than a little revenge. After losing to the Washington Spirit in last year’s NWSL Semifinals, the Portland Thorns were looking to play spoiler on Friday night at Audi Field. In front of a sellout crowd of 19,215 in the nation’s capital, they did just that. Thanks to a second-half goal from Olivia Moultrie and a strong performance in goal by new goalkeeper Morgan Messner, the Thorns knocked off the Spirit 1-0 to kickstart the 2026 season.
“I think a result like this speaks volumes for what this team has and what our future might look like,” said Messner after the game.
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