Marie Müller's First NWSL Goal and Sophia Wilson Strike Lift Thorns Past Wave 2-0 Into First Place

PORTLAND, Ore. — Marie Müller had waited a long time for this one. The German defender, back from a knee injury that wiped out her entire 2025 season, scored her first NWSL goal 10 minutes into Wednesday night's match at Providence Park. Sophia Wilson added the second in the 64th minute, Mackenzie Arnold made the save that mattered, and the Portland Thorns beat the San Diego Wave 2-0 on April 29 to take over first place in the league.

The win was a statement in more ways than one. San Diego arrived on top of the standings and riding a five-game winning streak, and it had beaten Portland 3-1 on March 25, handing the Thorns their only loss of the season. Portland flipped both of those storylines in front of 19,806 fans, which the club said was the largest midweek crowd ever in the first half of a season.

Müller's Moment

The opener came early and came from an unlikely source. Olivia Moultrie played the ball into the box for Müller, who struck it first time and curled it into the far post, as the Wave's match report described it. It was Müller's first NWSL goal in her 30th regular-season appearance, according to The Oregonian, and it gave Moultrie her second assist of the season and the 12th of her career.

Müller, 25, told The Oregonian she was "super happy" but also "kind of surprised" to score. She admitted her celebration needed some polish. "I need to work on my goal celebrations," she said.

For a player who spent last season on the sideline, the moment carried extra weight. "It's the worst just watching," Müller told the newspaper. "You can support your team and work hard every day, but you can't really do anything."

San Diego Pushes, Arnold Holds

San Diego had the ball for long stretches after that. The Wave finished with 58 percent possession and outshot Portland 11-5, though each team put three shots on target. The visitors wasted their best early chance when Kimmi Ascanio missed from close range, The Oregonian reported.

The biggest save of the night came on the hour mark, when Arnold won a one-on-one in the 60th minute, as the club noted in its match report. The Oregonian highlighted her stop on a breakaway by Gabi Portilho, who had entered at halftime. Arnold made three saves in all and finished with her second clean sheet of the season.

Four minutes later, Portland doubled the lead. Mimi Alidou, who had come on in the 59th minute, set up Wilson at the top of the box, and Wilson drove a low strike into the net. It was her second goal in as many matches and her first at Providence Park since November 2024. Wilson missed the 2025 season on maternity leave.

Head coach Robert Vilahamn singled out the finish. "There are not too many strikers who can do that," he said, according to The Oregonian.

A Coach Who Wants More

Vilahamn was pleased with the result, not satisfied with the performance. "We're still not dominating or playing our identity the whole game," he told The Oregonian, adding, "I think you can see glimpses and we are showing how we can win games." He also praised the opponent. "I think San Diego is a really good team in this league and I've been impressed with how they play."

He saved his strongest words for the stands. "I don't think you can find a spot in the world in the women's game that has this kind of fan base and atmosphere," Vilahamn said, according to the newspaper.

Arnold, for her part, was not interested in reading the table yet. "We're not going to get too far ahead of ourselves," she said, according to The Oregonian.

Top of the Table

The win moved Portland to 16 points, one ahead of San Diego at 15, according to The Oregonian. It was the first time the Thorns had been in first place since the final week of the 2023 season. Portland has won all three of its home matches this season, every one of them 2-0, and the club said it is unbeaten in its last seven home matches across all competitions, dating to September 2025.

Portland played with a back four of Müller, Jayden Perry, Isabella Obaze and Reyna Reyes in front of Arnold, with captain Jessie Fleming and Cassandra Bogere in midfield. Wilson was booked in the first half and Perry in the 85th minute, while San Diego's lone caution went to substitute Byars in the 72nd minute.

There was little time to celebrate. The Thorns were scheduled to visit Chicago Stars FC on Sunday, May 3, at 10 a.m. PT, while San Diego was set to host Bay FC at Snapdragon Stadium the same day. The two teams will not meet again in the regular season, according to The Oregonian, which means Wednesday's result is the last word in the series. For one night, at least, it belonged to a defender scoring her first goal.

Photo Credit: Aaron Leopold/Undrafted