Portland Thorns news and media roundup: Pietra Tordin earns first USWNT call-up, U23, internationals, prematch media availability

The Portland Thorns are back at Providence Park, set to host NWSL expansion side, Boston Legacy FC for the very first time.

Here's everything you need to know before the match:

First of Many USWNT Call-Ups

Earlier this week, it was announced that Portland Thorns attacker Pietra Tordin had earned her first ever call-up to the USWNT.

She had been knocking on the door with the U23 team under head coach Heather Dyche and now will have the privilege to join Emma Hayes and the senior team.

Her breakthrough 2026 season has put shined a spotlight on Tordin's bright future for country and club.

In my interview with the star, she shared what this moment meant to her.

“When it all happened, the first thing I did was call my parents, call my family and tell them. Just hearing their reactions brings to light how much this means. Hearing my family get emotional when I told them was a surreal moment for me. When things happen to you, you take a second, but once you tell someone else, their reaction is like, 'Wow, this is really a big moment,' even for them, to see this for me. My teammates' reactions as well, the support they've shown and the congratulations I've gotten, it really means a lot to me. It's a big moment to be able to reflect and see this from a third-person perspective almost, to see how people are reacting and how I get to react to the situation. Honestly, I'm really grateful, I'm really happy, I'm excited.”

On the disbelief after finding out

“It's a moment of second-guessing if this is real. It took me a few days to realize, 'Wait, this is actually happening.' At first it was very surreal, kind of disbelief. Once it started becoming more public and people started to know, that's when I was like, 'Okay, this is actually real. It's not a drill.' My initial reaction was disbelief, genuinely. Then a week went by and I was like, 'Oh crap, this is happening.'”

She'll now join Sophia Wilson on the roster as the U.S. Women's National Team takes on Spain in two big matches on Saturday, October 10 and Tuesday, October 13.

*The full interview will be released early next week

Next Up

The Portland Thorns also saw forward Caiya Hanks and defenders Carolyn Calzada and Jayden Perry be named to the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team that will train alongside the senior team.

Portland Thorns FC (@thornsfc) on Threads

our trio is going camping 🏕️ Caiya, JP and CC will join the USWNT U-23’s for training camp along side the USWNT in Georgia and two international friendlies in October! 🇺🇸 vs 🇩🇴 | 10.9 🇺🇸 vs 🇩🇴 | 10.13 More here: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2026/09/ynt-u23-wnt/us-under-23-womens-national-team-training-camp-roster-fayetteville-ga

Threads

The two young defenders both started the season with limited opportunities before earning consistent playing time.

For Robert Vilahamn, it's the proof of the hard work and development for Perry and Calzada that they put in throughout the 2026 season.

“When I signed for Portland Thorns, they were on a mission that we want to create and develop the next national team players and also compete for the title. The mixture of that is that we need those players who can grow into the national team, but we also need key players like Sophia Wilson, Jessie Fleming, Mackenzie Arnold and so on who can help these players develop. Both Jayden and Carolyn have been out of the team for a while and coming back and forth, but since they came in during the second phase, they have been growing a lot and picking up really good performances. To see them now both in the under-23 national team makes me proud, because that's the hard work they have done and the resilience to handle not playing all the games. It shows me and shows the roster that you don't need to be playing every game to have a good pathway to the national team. I'm very proud of them and I think they deserve that. They are young, so they can still develop a lot more, and I really think they are performing well together as well.”

International Duty

Here are the Portland Thorns who will also be representing their countries:

• Reyna Reyes - Mexico
• Nina Nijstad - Netherlands U-23 team
• Cassandra Ella Bogere - Sweden U23 team
• Marie Müller - Germany
• Mackenzie Arnold - Australia
• Jessie Fleming - Canada

HISTORY: Valerin Loboa and Colombia finished with their best ever performance at the FIFA Women's U20 World Cup with a bronze medal.

Prematch Media Availability

Portland Thorns head coach Robert Vilahamn spoke to the media ahead of the match against Boston Legacy FC.

He discusses the following:

• Isa Obaze & Julie Dufour injury updates
• Pietra Tordin's first USWNT call-up and discussions with USWNT head coach Emma Hayes
• U23 call-ups for his young CBs Carolyn Calzada and Jayden Perry
• Struggles at home and against the low block
• Match preview
• Go-to karaoke song

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