The Portland Thorns upended Gotham FC 4-1 Tuesday night at Providence Park, an emphatic victory that saw four first-time goalscorers get on the board for the club.
Portland netted more goals against Gotham, who were league champions in 2023, than they had in their past four games this season. The feat could mitigate concerns around the team’s attacking prowess given the absence of Thorns and U.S. women’s national team forward Sophia Wilson, who is expecting her first child.
Gotham, meanwhile, had just scored the same number of goals they conceded to the Thorns when they beat Angel City FC 4-0 in Los Angeles last Friday night.
Marie-Yasmine “Mimi” Alidou opened Portland’s account in the seventh minute of the match. A recent signee from Canada who joined the Thorns from Benfica in Portugal, Alidou crashed the box and redirected a cross from rookie forward Caiya Hanks, giving Portland a morale boost and Gotham its first goal conceded to an opponent in the first half of a match since their season began.
Hanks said in the postgame press conference that she felt an instant connection with Alidou, who signed with the Thorns less than a month ago, and intuited her positioning in the penalty box when she assisted her goal.
“I was just like, ‘I know you’re gonna be…
