LOS ANGELES — Returning to NWSL action after more than three weeks off for the international break, Angel City FC, the league’s highest-scoring team through four matches, fell 2-1 to the Portland Thorns.
A poor clearance in the 76th minute on Portland’s first corner kick of the match at BMO Stadium set up forward Pietra Tordin for the game-winning header past Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson, her third goal of the young season.
Thorns forward Sophia Wilson added her first goal of the season in the 95th minute. The finish was Wilson’s first since November 2024, when she also scored against Angel City. Sunday marked her sixth game since returning from maternity leave.
ACFC (3-2-0, 9 points) avoided a shutout in front of an announced crowd of 16,636 when Prisca Chilufya scored her first of the season in the 98th minute.
Angel City nearly broke through more than an hour earlier when defender Gisele Thompson danced past a familiar face, former ACFC original M.A. Vignola. Part of Angel City’s inaugural squad, Vignola, a defender from Cincinnati, Ohio, was traded to the Thorns in late 2025 in the transaction that brought midfielder Hina Sugita to L.A.
Beating Vignola into the box, Thompson forced Portland goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold into a quick reaction save that sent the ball above the crossbar. On the subsequent corner kick in the 26th minute, Taylor Suarez set up Maiara Niehues for a half-volley through traffic from eight yards out, but Arnold reached out with her right hand to swat away the shot.
Portland (4-1-1, 13 points) had two additional goals wiped off the board by offside calls.
Sunday’s contest was the first of seven scheduled matches for ACFC before the World Cup break. Five of those are home games, with Portland the first of three straight at BMO Stadium. Angel City hosts the Utah Royals next Saturday.
Notwithstanding the outcome, Angel City saw the return of Japanese forward Jun Endo, who made her first appearance of 2026 after struggling physically in the preseason. Endo missed 2024 with a torn ACL and had six appearances last year.