Boston Legacy set to host Portland Thorns in Matchweek 16 of expansion club's debut NWSL season

Boston Legacy FC are set to host the Portland Thorns in Matchweek 16 of the National Women's Soccer League season, with the league's availability report listing five players as unavailable for the fixture. According to the report, Lais (thigh), Ella Stevens (knee), Olivia Moultrie (knee), Reilyn Turner (knee) and Julia Grosso (thigh) will all miss the match. The game pits the NWSL's newest club against one of its most established. Boston Legacy are playing their first professional season in 2026, splitting home matches between Gillette Stadium and Centreville Bank Stadium ahead of a planned move to White Stadium in 2027. Portland, by contrast, are in their fourteenth season in the league, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States. The Thorns arrive in Boston off a heavy defeat, having lost 5-1 to the Utah Royals the previous weekend. Boston, meanwhile, come into the fixture after facing expansion rivals Denver Summit in Matchweek 15, according to reports. The match offers the debutants a chance to test themselves against a seasoned opponent at a vulnerable moment.

Boston Legacy host Portland Thorns in Matchweek 16

Boston Legacy FC welcome Portland Thorns FC for a Matchweek 16 fixture in the National Women's Soccer League, the top level of women's soccer in the United States. The meeting pits the league's newest club against one of its most established. Boston is playing its first season as a professional women's soccer club, while Portland is in its fourteenth campaign. The expansion side came into the weekend off a Matchweek 15 fixture against Denver Summit, according to reports. The result of the Boston-Portland match was not yet known at the time of writing, with the fixture scheduled as part of the Matchweek 16 slate across the league.

Thorns arrive off a 5-1 loss to Utah Royals

Portland Thorns travel to Boston nursing a heavy defeat. The Thorns, in their fourteenth NWSL season, were beaten 5-1 by the Utah Royals the weekend before the Matchweek 16 fixture, a result that leaves them searching for a response against the league's newest club.

Boston's own preparation came on the road. According to reports, the expansion side faced Denver Summit in a Matchweek 15 fixture before turning its attention to Portland, though details of that match were not confirmed at the time of publication.

The contrast between the two clubs could hardly be sharper. Portland brings more than a decade of top-flight experience to the fixture, while Boston is playing just its first professional season. Yet it is the Thorns who arrive with questions to answer after conceding five goals in a single afternoon.

Five players listed as unavailable in league report

According to the NWSL's availability report for the fixture, five players were listed as unavailable for the Matchweek 16 meeting between Boston Legacy and Portland Thorns. The report named Lais with a thigh injury, Ella Stevens with a knee problem, Olivia Moultrie with a knee issue, Reilyn Turner with a knee injury and Julia Grosso with a thigh complaint. The league's report did not specify which club each player belonged to, and Portland's absentees for the match were not confirmed. That left uncertainty over the full extent of the Thorns' selection problems heading into the fixture, with the availability report offering only a partial picture of the players ruled out.

An expansion club with two homes and a third planned

Boston Legacy FC is playing its first season as a professional women's soccer club in 2026, joining the National Women's Soccer League as an expansion side. The club has split its home matches between two venues in its debut campaign: Gillette Stadium and Centreville Bank Stadium. That arrangement is temporary. Boston Legacy plans to move to White Stadium in 2027, giving the club a permanent home from its second season onward. The Matchweek 16 visit of Portland Thorns FC, a club in its fourteenth professional season, underlines the contrast between one of the league's established sides and its newest member still settling into its surroundings.

Elsewhere in Matchweek 16 and what comes next

The Matchweek 16 slate also featured Lia Godfrey scoring the only goal as San Diego Wave beat Washington Spirit 1-0 on the road.

Much about the Boston Legacy–Portland Thorns fixture itself remains unclear. The final result had not been confirmed at the time of writing, nor had attendance figures for the match. It is also not yet known how the outcome of Denver Summit's Matchweek 15 meeting with Boston Legacy affected the league standings, or whether any injuries occurred during the game in Boston. Those details are expected to emerge as the weekend's results are finalised.

Frequently asked questions