The Portland Thorns moved into first place in the NWSL standings with a 2-0 win over the San Diego Wave on Wednesday night.
The Thorns struck early to kick off the Portland vs. San Diego showdown, controlling key moments to secure the result at Providence Park.
Portland opened the scoring in the 10th minute as defender Marie Muller netted her first NWSL goal, assisted by Olivia Moultrie.
San Diego finished with more shots, but Portland's backline held firm. Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold came up with a key one-on-one save in the second half to preserve the lead.
In the 64th minute, Sophia Wilson — fresh off her 2025 maternity leave — scored her first home goal since November 2024. Wilson's strike subsequently sealed the win.
All three of Portland's home victories this season have come on a 2-0 scoreline, something head coach Robert Vilahamn said reflects the team's — and the crowd's — confidence.
“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 told Oregon Live. “There’s nowhere near this loudness and support we have here and it gives us something extra.”
With the win, Portland overtakes San Diego to top the NWSL table. While the Thorns haven’t won the NWSL Shield since 2021, they're back in early position in what promises to be the longest season in league history.
Still, the group is keeping a steady approach.
“We’re not going to get too far ahead of ourselves," Arnold said. "It suits us better to take it game by game... We don’t really read into that too much.”
The Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave are kicking off another stacked midweek slate, as the NWSL looks to squeeze in matchdays ahead of June’s midseason World Cup break.
Tonight’s lineup is primed to shake up the NWSL standings, as No. 1 San Diego and No. 2 Portland square off with just two points between them.
“We know what San Diego is good at. I think they have been the best team in the league thus far,” said Thorns manager Robert Vilahamn.
The Wave won the pair’s first 2026 meeting 3-1 last month. San Diego is subsequently displaying confidence, especially after last weekend’s 3-2 comeback win over Denver
“We focus on our performances and the score will take care of itself,” said Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall. “We’re always performance focused.”
However, fans hoping to see a USWNT showdown between Portland’s Sophia Wilson and San Diego’s Catarina Macario have to wait. The former Chelsea attacker remains sidelined with a December 2025 heel injury.
How to Watch Portland vs San Diego in NWSL Midweek Action
The Portland Thorns hosts the San Diego Wave tonight at 10 PM ET, live on CBS Sports.
The NWSL is back in action, as No. 1 San Diego looks to defend its grip on the NWSL standings against 2026 addition Denver on Saturday.
The Wave is currently two points clear of the competition on a 4-0-1 record, bolstered by rookie Lia Godfrey’s promising attack.
“She has had a really good start to life as a pro, and transitioning from a college player to being a professional player,” said San Diego manager Jonas Eidevall. “It comes from her having such a good preseason.”
The Wave now visits Centennial Stadium for the first time in this weekend’s NWSL slate. The No. 9 Summit is coming off a record-breaking home debut — despite going scoreless in its last two games on a 1-1-3 record.
Blockbuster San Diego signing Catarina Macario could see her first-ever NWSL minutes this weekend, while Denver will have to wait a few more weeks before welcoming its headliner, US and Lyon star Lindsey Heaps.
“It’s been cool to see what they’ve been able to accomplish as an expansion team and coming into the league,” Heaps told the Denver Post ahead of last Saturday’s USWNT friendly in Colorado.
How to Watch San Diego Wave vs Denver Summit in NWSL Action
San Diego kicks off agains Denver on Saturday at 8:45 PM ET, live on ION.
Alex Morgan showed support as the newest member of the Wave joined the team this weekend, attending a San Diego match on Saturday as Catarina Macario begins her next chapter in the NWSL.
The USWNT forward joined the Wave this month on a reported five-year deal worth around $8 million — one of the most valuable contracts in women’s soccer history.
Jimmy Butler starstruck by Alex Morgan is so relatable tbh 🤩 pic.twitter.com/tr2kp0eTsC
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) March 29, 2026
Alex Morgan, a minority investor in the 2022 expansion team, was captured interacting with Macario ahead of San Diego’s 2-0 Saturday win over Chicago. NBA star and fellow Wave co-owner Jimmy Butler was also at Snapdragon Stadium, with Butler appearing visibly starstruck upon meeting the retired Wave and USWNT icon.
26-year-old Macario arrives in San Diego from Chelsea, where injuries limited her minutes. However, she emerged as one of the most technically gifted attackers in the US player pool in recent years, scoring 16 goals across 29 national team appearances.
"This is a monumental signing, one that reflects not only our ambition on the field, but the unwavering commitment of our ownership group to invest in excellence and build a championship caliber organization," said Wave sporting director and GM Camille Ashton told The Athletic. "We're confident her best years are ahead."
The signing carries added significance for Macario, who grew up in San Diego before beginning her professional career in Europe with French side Lyon.
The Wave have positioned themselves as one of the NWSL’s most aggressive teams in roster building, using the league’s newly implemented High Impact Player mechanism to bring in impact players like Macario. Currently sitting second in the NWSL standings, San Diego is hoping to contend for its first-ever championship title in 2026.
Chelsea FC star Catarina Macario is reportedly heading home, with multiple outlets linking the USWNT striker to a record-breaking deal with the NWSL's San Diego Wave.
Sportico first reported that San Diego sent Chelsea roughly $300,000 to confirm the hometown hero's transfer ahead of the NWSL deadline on Monday, ensuring that Macario can join the Wave immediately rather than wait for her WSL contract to expire at the end of the UK league's 2025/26 season.
According to sources, the 26-year-old will earn upwards of $8 million over five years — the highest-ever total contract value in women's soccer history.
The overall contract surpasses the previous record deal signed by fellow USWNT star Trinity Rodman, though the Washington Spirit forward's annual cut will be higher than Macario's given the January deal's shorter three-year lifespan.
Macario's homecoming is a direct result of the NWSL's new High Impact Player rule, which allows clubs to pay qualified players up to $1 million above the league's $3.7 million salary cap.
The NWSLPA filed a grievance against the rule in December, but the mechanism remains intact while it undergoes the arbitration process.
Though recent injuries saw Macario's playing time — and, therefore, her offensive production — at Chelsea dwindle, she led the USWNT in scoring in 2025.
With eight goals in 10 games, Macario's 2025 tally is double the national team's second-most prolific scorers, with Lynn Biyendolo, Sam Coffey, and Ally Sentnor netting four goals each last year.
International soccer fans should start saving airline miles, as organizers for the LA Olympics announced on Tuesday that the 2028 Summer Games' soccer tournament will play out in seven stadiums across the US.
Giving the competition a coast-to-coast footprint, organizers tapped venues in New York, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose, and San Diego to host both men's and women's matches, before returning to the Rose Bowl in LA for both tournament finals.
All six venues outside LA house MLS clubs, with San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium and San Jose's PayPal Park also serving as home pitches for the NWSL's Wave and Bay FC, respectively.
"Bringing Olympic Football group-stage and knockout matches to stadiums across the United States means more fans will witness this global event and experience the Olympic spirit firsthand," said LA28 chief of sport and games delivery officer Shana Ferguson in a Tuesday statement.
Joining several other off-site LA 2028 events including Oklahoma City's softball tournament and canoe slalom races, the Summer Olympics' expanded soccer competition will likely kick off before the Opening Ceremony.
The tournament will also follow a progressive east-to-west itinerary to minimize travel demands for the teams, with dates and match distribution set to drop this April.
The LA Olympics' women's football final will take place on July 29th, 2028 — the Summer Games' penultimate day of competition.
More NWSL stars are jumping ship, as both the San Diego Wave and North Carolina Courage saw respective key players Delphine Cascarino and Denise O'Sullivan sign with WSL clubs over the last few days.
Former Wave forward Cascarino inked a deal through the 2029/30 season with the London City Lionesses on Monday, one day after San Diego announced they had mutually parted ways with the French international despite her contract running through 2026 with an option for the 2027 NWSL season.
"I'm really happy to be here," said the 28-year-old in a statement. "London City is the only independent women's club in the WSL, which excites me."
North Carolina midfielder and captain O'Sullivan made a similar move on Saturday, as the Ireland international signed with Liverpool following more than eight seasons and a club-record 186 appearances for the Courage.
The last-place WSL team reportedly shelled out a club-record transfer fee of approximately £300,000 to roster the 31-year-old two-time NWSL champion and three-time Shield-winner, who called Liverpool "a new challenge" that will see her "only a 40-minute flight away" from her family in Cork, Ireland.
Though the NWSL departures of Cascarino and O'Sullivan mark a kind of homecoming for the European standouts, they are just the latest to exit the US league, after USWNT star Sam Coffey joined WSL-leaders Manchester City last week.
"England — for men and women — is the country of football," noted Cascarino. "It's always been a goal of mine to play in this league."
The NWSL saw another major move on Tuesday, as the San Diego Wave acquired Brazil international Ludmila from the Chicago Stars in a trade worth up to $1 million, signing the standout attacker through the 2028 season.
The Stars received $800,000 in transfer funds for the 31-year-old striker, plus an estimated $200,000 in conditional incentives — making Ludmila's trade one of the most lucrative intraleague deals in NWSL history.
"I scored my first NWSL goal against San Diego and [it] always was a team I admired. I loved the supporters, the energy of the team, and the vibes of the city when I visited. I'm very happy to be part of this Club's history," Ludmila said in the Wave's Thursday statement. "I'm very excited to show my football in front of all the supporters and score many goals in these colors."
Second only to Jaedyn Shaw's $1.25 million transfer from the North Carolina Courage to Gotham FC last September, this week's Ludmila transaction underlines the soaring price tags to roster — and retain — top talent.
"[Ludmila's] versatility allows her to operate in multiple attacking roles, giving our coaches more tactical options in different game situations," said Wave GM Camille Ashton. "We're confident she will be a valuable asset to the Club's success moving forward."
The signing of Ludmila comes as news emerges that San Diego Wave star Delphine Cascarino is on the brink of exiting the league entirely, with L'Équipe reporting on Tuesday that the French forward is closing in on a deal to join WSL debutants, the London City Lionesses.
San Diego made roster waves this week, as the 2022 NWSL expansion team announced on Monday that founding goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan is leaving the franchise in a mutual contract termination.
Sheridan joined the Wave ahead of the club's inaugural year, making 87 appearances over four seasons while registering nine shutouts in the team's 2023 Shield-winning campaign.
"Kailen has been an integral part of this Club since day one," Wave sporting director Camille Ashton said in a Monday statement. "We thank her for the contributions to this Club and this city and wish her the best in the next chapter of her career."
While San Diego hunts for a new starting keeper, they pointed to the future by also announcing the signing of Florida State defender Mimi Van Zanten on Monday.
Van Zanten is fresh off her second NCAA championship in three seasons, building youth experience with the USWNT before joining the Jamaica senior women's national team.
"Her championship experience and ability to contribute on both sides of the ball make her a strong addition to the Wave," Ashton remarked about the 20-year-old.
Ultimately, while San Diego has long had an aggressive transfer market approach, the move away from their 2023 Shield-winning core raises questions about the future of the Wave roster.
The San Diego Wave are closing out 2025 with a title, defeating Liga MX Femenil side Tigres UANL 3-0 to lift the World Sevens Football (W7F) trophy on Sunday.
Wave attacker Makenzy Robbe opened the scoring in the 7v7 venture's championship match, before forward Adriana Leon tacked on a second-half brace to put the game out of reach — and secure the $2 million winner's share of the $5 million prize pool for the NWSL side.
"I think in sevens it's a lot more emphasis on the individual, and so I think players who maybe don't play [as much in NWSL matches]...get to show their creative side," noted Robbe. "It was definitely an element to this, which was really fun."
In a showcase of club talent across the Americas, the San Diego Wave finished the second-ever W7F tournament undefeated, scoring 14 goals while only conceding three en route to becoming the champion of the competition's first-ever North American iteration.
"It was so fun, and honestly, I would love to be back again," said San Diego goalkeeper and the tournament's golden Glove winner DiDi Haračić. "And we got the bag."
Wave midfielder Gia Corley took home the Breakout Player award, and while Tigres fell just short of the trophy, forward María Sánchez earned the competition's Golden Ball and Golden Boot with her six goals and two assists.
Club América of Liga MX Femenil earned a third-place finish, winning $700,000 in prize money as the bronze medal winners.