United States forward Sophia Wilson netted her first goal since November 2, 2024, securing a 2-1 victory for the Portland Thorns over Angel City FC on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Wilson’s previous goal came against Angel City nearly a year and a half ago, when she was still known as Smith, helping the Thorns secure a place in the 2024 NWSL postseason.
Since her last goal, the Olympic gold medalist has gotten married, welcomed a child, and took the entire 2025 NWSL season off for maternity leave.
Since her return to the pitch in 2026, Wilson had not found the back of the net for either the Thorns or the U.S. national team.
“It was definitely a long time coming,” Wilson reflected after the match. “I tried not to put too much pressure on myself, but I really needed a goal. Now that I’ve scored, I hope I can keep it going.”
“I’m incredibly proud of my teammates for pulling out this win.”
The match remained scoreless for most of the game until Pietra Tordin scored from close range, giving the Thorns a 1-0 advantage.
With time winding down, Wilson seized a loose ball on the left flank, raced into the penalty area, and unleashed a classic left-footed shot past Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson, solidifying the win.
As she celebrated with her teammates, Wilson wiped tears from her eyes, playfully stating in a post-match interview: “Those weren’t tears.”
This marked the 45th regular season goal of her career.
The hard-earned victory places Portland in second place in the NWSL standings, just two points behind league leaders San Diego Wave FC, after six games this season.
“I knew we had the grit to fight through this match,” Wilson said about the win. “It’s not new for us. We have a standard to control what we can, and we can always control our work ethic, which is exactly what we did.”
Information from ESPN Research contributed to this article.