Boston Legacy FC
“Eighty-seven great minutes. Ten minutes that was a disappointment for us.”
Down 3-0 just 10 minutes into the match, Boston Legacy FC defender Bianca St-Georges put her team on the board with a goal in the 32nd minute. Greg M. Cooper
August 10, 2026 | 8:06 AM
2 minutes to read
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — The fastest three goals in NWSL history buried Boston Legacy FC before most fans had even found their seats at Centreville Bank Stadium.
The Portland Thorns scored three times in the first 9 minutes, 38 seconds of Sunday’s match, and for all the Legacy’s efforts to claw back, there was no rallying from that historic deficit.
An 82nd-minute goal by Amanda Gutierres brought the Legacy within one, but Boston suffered a 4-3 loss in front of 10,223 fans.
“Our players fought and played very well for 80 minutes, 87 if we count [stoppage time],” Legacy coach Filipa Patão said after her team fell to 5-9-5 (13th place). “Eighty-seven great minutes. Ten minutes that was a disappointment for us.”
Patão blamed herself for the opening collapse, admitting she should have made some changes as soon as the second goal hit the back of the net.
To set up the Thorns’ early barrage, Jorelyn Carabalí committed a foul just 20 seconds into the match, and Pietra Tordin gave Portland an early lead on the ensuing set piece. Four minutes later, Sophia Wilson made it 2-0, and Tordin added one more off a turnover before the clock reached 10 minutes.
Bianca St-Georges cut into Portland’s lead in the 32nd minute with her second goal of the season, but rather than celebrating, she kept a straight face while she handed out a subdued high-five and marched back to midfield.
She knew Boston still faced a daunting deficit against one of the league’s top offenses.
“We wanted to stay focused and not let [celebrating] distract us,” St-Georges said. “But at the same time, looking back, I wish I celebrated a little bit more. I feel like we were lacking maybe a little bit more [emotion].”
Patão said she was glad St-Georges didn’t pump her fists and cheer herself on, even if it may have given the rest of the team a boost. Celebrating is only for wins, the coach said, and game time is too precious to spend showboating.
“We’re going to celebrate what? Being in a game?” Patão said. “We need to do more. So move, catch the ball fast, and don’t lose any minutes because every minute can be precious to recover this result.”
The Legacy’s relucatance to celebrate proved prophetic, as Portland’s Marie Müller rang one off the crossbar in the 33rd minute before Tordin, assisted by goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, completed her hat trick to give Portland a 4-1 lead in the 37th.
A long-distance shot from Legacy midfielder Alba Caño cut the deficit to 4-2 before the halftime whistle sounded — a merciful respite for the Legacy after a chaotic first half — and Gutierres’s late tally made it 4-3.
How does this loss feel compared to Boston’s first eight?
“For me, the worst one,” Patão said. “The worst because the players were amazing.”
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