By OkayGoal
The Portland Thorns are headed back to the NWSL playoffs, a place they are very familiar with. And while they may be heading into the playoffs in their worst standings position potentially ever, the talent the Thorns possess makes them as dangerous as anyone come November.
While Sophia Wilson and her remarkable return to the pitch has been one of the biggest stories of the season, there’s another Thorn who is taking the league by storm. Pietra Tordin has quickly cemented herself as a premier player for Portland– and her journey to this point has been a quick one.
Doing it in Doral
Tordin was born in Miami-suburb Doral, Florida to Brazilian parents. There, she made a name for herself on the youth scene, playing in the ECNL with Sunrise Prime FC, while also captaining her high school team at Doral Academy.
She quickly became a big-time prospect, being ranked as the 39th midfielder and 109th player overall in the Top Drawer’s Soccer Class of 2022. This would culminate in Tordin making the move from Florida all the way up the East Coast, and taking her talents to Princeton University.
Taking Over the Ivy league and International Scene
At Princeton, Tordin quickly became a name on the rise, both through her play collegiately and on the international scene.
She was a three-year starter for the Tigers, racking up Ivy League accolades each step of the way. This included being named first-team All-Ivy twice and second-team All-Ivy once, as well as being crowned the 2022 Ivy Rookie of the Year and 2024 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year.
The stat sheet backed up these accolades, with Tordin recording 30 goals and 11 assists through just three seasons– including ten goals in ten games during that 2024 Offensive Player of the Year campaign.
And while Pietra Tordin was taking the Ivy League by storm, she was also putting to work internationally. Initially, she played with Brazil’s U-20 team, before making the jump to representing the U.S. She then would go on to lead the U.S. U-20 team in scoring en route to the team’s best finish at the tournament since 2012.
Pushing Greatness in Portland
Since her time with Princeton and the U.S. U-20 national team, Tordin has continued to reach new heights in her career. On the international side of things, she has worked her way up the ranks, which led to her first senior national team call-up and appearance against Spain just this month.
And of course, what she’s been doing in Portland since signing in 2025 has been just as notable, if not more. During her rookie season, she showed flashes, appearing in most of the Thorns’ games and even scoring four times on the season.
But 2026 has been nothing short of remarkable for Pietra Tordin, truly arising as one of the best young forwards the NWSL has to offer. She has started 28 of 29 games on the season, posting eight goals and nine assists, making her a lethal attacking option alongside Sophia Wilson and her 13-goal season.
At just 22 years old, Tordin quickly became one of the driving forces behind the Portland Thorns’ 2026 campaign. And if the Thorns are able to win some games on the road and make serious noise come playoffs-time, there’s no doubt about it that Pietra Tordin will be a major factor as to why.
Featured image via @thornsfc