Portland Thorns and Angel City Produce Scoreless Draw at Providence Park

In front of a crowd of 20,652 at Providence Park on Sunday afternoon, the Thorns battled Angel City to a frustrating 0-0 draw. Despite the anticlimactic conclusion of this match, the Thorns have still not given up a single goal nor lost a single game at home this season.

Olivia Moultrie, who was named ESPN’s best NWSL player this season, was missing from the starting lineup for the first time since April of 2025. She was in attendance, celebrating her 100th cap with the Portland Thorns, and watched the match alongside her fellow injured teammates.

While Moultrie is currently out with a mild calf injury, the Thorns have seen a devastating increase in serious injuries over the last two years. Significant players like Bella Bixby, Caiya Hanks, Julie Dufour, Nicole Payne (recently traded to Orlando Pride), Marie Müller, and Morgan Weaver have all been on the season-ending injury list with knee injuries. 

This problem is plaguing women’s sports everywhere, as female athletes are 2-8x as likely as male athletes to tear their ACLs. Less than 8% of sports science research is focused on women, and the consequences are detrimental. USWNT stars like Sam Mewis, Kelley O’Hara, and Portland’s own Tobin Heath have all had legendary careers cut short by knee injuries.

While this research discrepancy is currently wreaking havoc on the women’s game, as of 2026, the NWSL has joined the WSL to partner with Project ACL. This research initiative is studying why ACL injuries are so common in women’s soccer and how to prevent them by analyzing factors like workload, gear, recovery, travel, and playing conditions to help improve player safety across the sport.

Even amid the growing conversation surrounding injuries in the women’s game, Sunday’s match delivered a gritty, fearless, physical battle from start to finish, with Angel City committing 16 fouls and the Thorns committing 7. Both Nealy Martin and Emily Sans of Angel City were given yellow cards during the match. 

Portland looked more threatening offensively while Angel City showcased a viscous backline. Sarah Gorden was tasked with taming Sophia Wilson’s advances, which often ended in brutal tackles, landing them both on the ground. 

The Thorns were dangerous in transition as Jessie Fleming quietly controlled the tempo in midfield. Reilyn Turner remained a constant threat as she had 3 promising shots off in the first half of the game. She put her body on the line throughout both halves, even though she seemed to be nursing a painful knee injury.  

During an Angel City press, Mackenzie Arnold collided in the box with Ary Borges, leading to a few minutes of medical delay. When asked how she was feeling after the game, she said: “A bit rough, but we’re okay.” 

Pietra Tordin took over as the corner kicker in Moultrie’s absence, and with 10 corners awarded to the Thorns bearing no results, this move only reiterated her importance in the box and Moultrie’s proficiency as a kicker. Pietra has 3 goals and 3 assists this year and was in ESPN’s top 10 players of the year. 

Both teams picked up momentum in the second half, with the Thorns getting two really solid looks in stoppage time, but to no avail.

The Thorns are now in 3rd place and will return home Wednesday night to face Bay FC at Providence Park, where a win could help them climb back to 1st place.