Olivia Moultrie Sinks Spirit as Thorns Win 1-0 to Open the NWSL Season

The Washington Spirit sold out Audi Field, started Trinity Rodman and had the ball for most of Friday night. Olivia Moultrie needed one clean look to turn all of that into trivia.

Moultrie's left-footed finish in the 52nd minute gave Portland Thorns FC a 1-0 win over the Spirit in the NWSL's season opener, in front of a sellout crowd of 19,215. Robert Vilahamn, the club's new head coach, won his NWSL debut, and goalkeeper Morgan Messner posted a clean sheet in her regular-season debut. Portland opens 1-0-0 with 3 points. Washington starts 0-0-1.

A Staring Contest in D.C.

The first half was all feel and no punch. Washington kept the ball, Portland kept its shape, and neither side put a shot on target before the break. Leicy Santos and Gabrielle Carle both had efforts blocked inside the opening 10 minutes, Gift Monday was flagged offside twice, and Portland's best moment was a Reyna Reyes drive from outside the box in the 34th minute that sailed high and wide. The fourth official added a single minute, which was about all that half deserved.

Context matters here. The AP noted the questions hanging over the Thorns: midfielder Sam Coffey left for Manchester City in the offseason, and Vilahamn had only met up with his new squad earlier in March. A scoreless half on the road suited a group still getting to know its coach just fine.

One Look, One Goal

The game woke up early in the second half, and fast. In the 51st minute, Monday tried her luck from more than 35 yards and Messner saved it. It would be the only Spirit shot on target all night. Within a minute, Portland went the other way and scored.

In the Thorns' telling, the move started with Isabella Obaze finding Pietra Tordin, who slipped the ball into Moultrie's path. Moultrie got past Tara Rudd, carried it into the box and placed a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner, out of Sandy MacIver's reach. Three players, two passes, one very quiet sellout crowd.

According to the Thorns, it was Moultrie's 19th career regular-season goal and Tordin's first career NWSL assist.

The Post, the Pressure and the Hold

Washington's response was loud. Hal Hershfelt pulled a shot just wide from the left side of the six-yard box in the 54th minute, Rebeca Bernal missed from distance a minute later, and the corners started to pile up. Esme Morgan and Rudd each had headers blocked off Santos crosses in the 69th and 70th minutes.

The swing moment came in the 75th. Moultrie had a chance to make it 2-0 and MacIver saved it. In the same minute, Hershfelt cracked a right-footed shot from the right side of the box off the left post. That is the whole match in one sequence: Portland nearly put it away, Washington nearly drew level, and the woodwork picked a side.

The Spirit kept coming. Sofia Cantore missed from the center of the box in the 79th, Claudia Martínez went close in the 87th, and Rodman's header off a Paige Metayer cross in the 88th went over. Martínez, on in the 71st minute, was making her NWSL debut, and the Spirit say she became the first Paraguayan player to play in the league. Sophia Wilson, on in the 77th for her first official Thorns appearance since a November 2024 quarterfinal at Gotham FC, per the club, drew a save from MacIver in stoppage time. Six added minutes came and went, and Portland's back line held.

Who Ran This Thing

Olivia Moultrie was the best player on the field, and the box score backs it up: four shots, two on target, one goal. That is two of Portland's three shots on target all night. She also set up a Reilyn Turner chance in the 56th and delivered the cross for Shae Harvey's header after a corner in the 84th. Portland's best moments ran through her.

Morgan Messner only had to make one save, but she made it, and the Thorns say she joins Bella Bixby and Nadine Angerer as Portland goalkeepers to post a shutout in their regular-season debut. She also shook off a brief stoppage in the 79th minute.

Pietra Tordin did more than collect the assist. ESPN credited her with setting up both of Moultrie's blocked attempts in the 65th minute too, a connection worth watching.

For Washington, the Spirit highlighted Rebeca Bernal, who won all eight of her duels, and debutant Lucia Di Guglielmo, who won eight of 11. Hal Hershfelt had two shots, one of them off the post. Rodman, who per the AP signed a three-year deal to return to the club in the offseason, drew three fouls but managed just one shot.

The Receipts

• Possession: Washington 61 percent, Portland 39 percent.
• Passing: The Spirit completed 502 of 585 passes; the Thorns completed 293 of 376.
• Shots on target: Portland 3, Washington 1, even though Washington outshot Portland 12 to 9.
• Clearances: Portland made 22 to Washington's 16, which is what protecting a road lead looks like.

Where This Leaves Them

Portland is 1-0-0 with 3 points and a pile of history from one night. The Thorns say it was their first win at Washington since Aug. 10, 2022, their first road shutout there since Aug. 7, 2021, and the first time since 2019 they have won when opening a season on the road. First-year Thorns coaches now have five wins and two draws without a loss in their debut matches, per the club. Next is the 44th edition of the Cascadia Rivalry, with Seattle Reign FC visiting Providence Park on March 20.

Washington is 0-0-1. Per the AP, this is the same Spirit side that reached last season's title game before losing 1-0 to Gotham, and that beat Portland 2-0 in last season's semifinals at Audi Field. One home loss does not erase that. The Spirit visit Racing Louisville FC on March 20.

New Coach Smell

Vilahamn has barely had time to learn the names, and he is already 1-0-0 with a clean sheet. Ted Lasso needed a lot more than a couple of weeks and a Believe sign to look this organized. Portland did not need the ball on Friday. It needed one idea, one finish and 90-plus minutes of discipline, and it got all three.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Additional details from the AP recap via ESPN and from Portland Thorns FC and Washington Spirit match reports.