PAWTUCKET, R.I. — By the time Portland Thorns forward Pietra Tordin reached the media workroom of Centreville Bank Stadium, she had already heard most of the records she set on Sunday in a 4-3 win over the Boston Legacy.

First career hat trick, and the youngest Thorn to record one. Fastest goal she has ever scored. League leader in goal contributions. But as she sat down, flanked by defender Sam Hiatt, she was not fixated on the accomplishments.

The 22-year-old said she had no thoughts during the 90-minute game, which is why she laughed when remembering her concise halftime interview with CBS. She was just a vessel for soccer, a pure flow state. During her postgame media responsibilities, her words returned — mostly.

“Sometimes it feels like it’s not even me,” she said of her growing list of accolades. “I’m listening to all of this, and I’m like, ‘Wow, like cool! Cool, man.’”

To say Tordin can, at times, have the laidback vibes of Crush, the surfer-dude turtle from “Finding Nemo”, would not be far off base. Her growing in-game interviews are proof of that. During a previous halftime interview, when asked how the Thorns could see out a game, she answered “Score more goals?” in the innocently sly way of a player who can dance around an obvious question as well as she can with a ball at her feet.

There’s more to Tordin than playful charm, though.

Following a collegiate career at Princeton, Tordin signed with the Thorns for the 2025 season. Last year, she scored five goals and picked up a couple of Rookie of the Month nods, though she missed out on being a finalist for the year-end award. Tordin has yet to earn a U.S. senior national team call-up, but was selected for the Futures Camp and was the youth team’s leading scorer at the 2024 U-20 World Cup.

Born in the U.S. to Brazilian parents, Tordin is a dual citizen who trained with Brazil’s youth national team before swapping to the U.S. It did not take the Thorns long to lock her into a new contract through 2029, a necessary piece of business alongside ongoing negotiations with key free agents like Sophia Wilson.

“One of the things about this league is that players come in, they have to learn very quickly,” Thorns assistant coach Sarah Lowdown said on Sunday, stepping in for head coach Robert Vilahamn, who was sent off in the second half against Boston. “Pietra, she’s already a true professional, and she’s always trying to ‘meg everybody at training. She has a really funny personality, and she also knows when to be serious and get to work.”

Tordin started her scoring on Sunday with an early free kick from just outside the corner of the box, tipping it off and over Legacy goalkeeper Casey Murphy’s gloves. Her second was a more standard goal from the middle of the box off a Jessie Fleming assist. Her third, though, was a perfect touch: a long ball from Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, a couple of bounces, and Tordin’s right foot slicing expertly underneath to chip it over Murphy while running at full pace.

Portland Thorns FC forward Pietra Tordin scored her first career hat trick against the Boston Legacy. (Edward Finan / Imagn Images)

“What people will remember is the hat trick, which is fantastic,” Hiatt said, stepping in on a question for Tordin to keep things a little more serious.

“But she put in such a shift for us defensively, and that was absolutely what we needed, especially in the second half towards the end. I just want to recognize that as well, because again, the hat trick was crucial and we love it, but she was really covering ground and doing so much for us defensively. She (did) a little bit of everything today.”

Tordin has been doing that a lot for the fifth-place Thorns this season, but Sunday’s road win could not have come at a more crucial time for Portland as they looked to bounce back from a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Utah Royals.

The victory over Boston was more narrow than the first 15 minutes of the game suggested, but for the Thorns, the win was necessary. It broke a pattern of: score early, head home with zero points. Tordin’s hat trick, plus a goal from Wilson, was enough to keep the Legacy at bay — though it won’t entirely put to rest questions about the team’s ability to close out games.

“A lot was said after our result last week,” Tordin said postgame, “but coming into this game, at least for me and the group, passion, aggression and intent was a big key to moving forward in the season. This game, we definitely did show that we came in with a lot of hunger, obviously. I really think if we keep that same mentality going forward, that it can and it will only lead to good things.”

A CHIP. A HAT TRICK. A GOALKEEPER ASSIST. THIS GOAL HAS EVERYTHING.

Pietra Tordin completes the first-half hat trick ‼️

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— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) August 9, 2026 at 4:49 PM

The smaller moments that Hiatt referenced won’t make the match highlight reels, but they were on Tordin’s mind postgame as a reflection of the previous week’s work.

“Another emphasis that we had was just to put our heads down and work,” she said. “Doing the extra sprint, the proactive movement to get there defensively. I think we did all of that today.”

Hiatt is right, though. People will remember the hat trick. And a performance like that might finally nudge Tordin over the line for more end-of-season recognition and into serious contention for the senior national team, even at this point in the cycle with 2027 World Cup qualification on the horizon in November.

If nothing else, on a chaotic NWSL weekend full of award leaders scoring goals, Tordin provided one of the most entertaining performances. After all, as Lowdown said with a smile, “We know Pietra is a footballer.”

Teenage sprinter Tate Taylor has completed a historic medal sweep at the World Under-20 Championships hosted at Hayward Field, Oregon.

The 18-year-old American won 100m gold in a 9.94s personal best on Thursday, victorious by a tenth of a second over Gary Card (silver, 10.05s). He’s the first U.S. man to win that title since Noah Lyles, who did so in 2016.

“Once I got out at the top end, I knew it was going to be a good race,” he told World Athletics media. “There were some tweaks I was looking to fix after the semi-finals, and I think I executed those pretty well.”

Taylor followed that up with a storming 19.83s run for the 200m crown two days later, surpassing Lyles and all American men before him in an unprecedented double youth sprint gold. In still conditions, he won by nearly half a second ahead of compatriot Blake Hamilton (silver, 20.31s), bettering the championship record that Letsile Tebogo and Blessing Afrifah had jointly held from 2022 (19.96s).

Then he closed out the championships by anchoring the U.S. men to 4x100m gold, running an 8.75s anchor split — the quickest in the field — to complete an under-20 world-record run by the quartet, who clocked 38.16s. In second were Great Britain, who set an age-group European record with 38.90s.

Taylor is the first athlete in 40 years of the Under-20 World Championships to win the sprint treble. “It means a lot winning this gold medal,” he said. “We have been talking about this relay the whole week. We knew something special was about to happen. McDonalds’s, I am coming for you.”

Team USA enjoyed a record-breaking championships on home soil, winning 24 medals in total and 12 golds — bettering the Soviet Union’s 22 medals from 1988. Texas-born Mia Maxwell also claimed two individual sprint crowns (100m and 200m).

“This double gold that Tate Taylor and Mia Maxwell just pulled off is probably one of the hardest to do,” wrote Lyles, the 100m Olympic and 200m world champion, on X. “Mostly because of how hard the schedule is. Six races in four days is so hard on the body. Then to do it as U20 athletes is even crazier.”

Last week saw the end of a 23-race season for Taylor. He heads to Texas Tech to compete in the NCAAs from this September. Taylor also won 100m and 200m national age-group titles this year, and his standout win came at the Prefontaine Classic in early July, when he took down a senior 200m field in 19.75s, beating Tebogo in the process. Big personal bests this season means he is up to joint-fifth and third on the men’s under-20 lists for 100m and 200m respectively.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — New York Giants coach John Harbaugh emphasized the importance of the second week of training camp when the Giants returned to action last Monday after their lone day off during a nearly two-week stay in West Virginia.

“The second week is the big week of camp. This is your opportunity to really grow as a football team,” Harbaugh said. “You build your foundation in training camp for your team. The second week should be where you cover the most miles, gain the most ground. We want to put the most miles behind us as far as developing the foundation of our team this week.”

So, after the Giants wrapped up their sixth straight day of practice on Saturday before heading home to New Jersey, how did Harbaugh think the important second week went?

“I think we got a lot better,” Harbaugh said. “We improved tremendously. … I think we can look back and say that we’ve come a long way.”

The Giants certainly didn’t take any shortcuts on the path to improvement. They practiced on 10 of the 11 days in West Virginia and wore full pads five times, which was the maximum allowable by the current collective bargaining agreement. The Giants finished with four straight practices that ran longer than two hours, including a marathon two-hour, 25-minute session on Friday. Before getting on a plane to return to New Jersey, Saturday’s practice featured young backups competing in a live-tackling, goal-line period. The offense scored three touchdowns on the five plays from the 2-yard line, setting off a celebration from the entire offense.

There hadn’t been a lot for the offense to celebrate early in camp, as quarterback Jaxson Dart often looked uncomfortable while running a system that is drastically different from his rookie year. Dart left West Virginia on a high note, however, with his best performance of camp coming in Friday’s grueling practice. Dart completed 16-of-19 passes during 11-on-11 periods, capping a 14-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darius Slayton to finish the day.

Dart continues to make the transition from the RPO-heavy offense he ran at Ole Miss and last season to the under-center scheme of new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. The growing pains are evident, but the hope is that Dart gets comfortable in an offense that will be centered on a power rushing attack from heavy personnel with a play-action passing game.

“I’m happy with where we’re at,” Harbaugh said. “It’s just a matter of keeping your head down and staying after it every day. Never taking a breath in terms of your mindset and determination to get better.”

The next step will be leaving the distraction-free surroundings of the Allegheny Mountains to return home to team headquarters, which remain under construction as part of a major renovation. Harbaugh gave the experience at the luxurious Greenbrier resort an “A-plus.” The resort was appealing because it had a turnkey NFL-caliber practice facility the team could inhabit. There was a strong showing of roughly 2,000 fans at most of the six practices open to the public.

With the Giants’ facility upgrades not expected to be completed until the start of the 2028 season, all options — including a return to West Virginia — are on the table for training camp next year.

Another week in the books 📚 pic.twitter.com/FwvT6hA1py

— New York Giants (@Giants) August 9, 2026

Diving into the depth chart

The depth chart is coming into focus after 10 practices, although there are sure to be more changes after Saturday’s preseason opener against the Vikings. Here are the most notable depth chart developments from the first two weeks of camp:

• Cam Skattebo has been the first running back up in team periods on most days, with Tyrone Tracy Jr. taking the majority of snaps in two-minute drives. That figures to be a time share, with Skattebo the 1-A and Tracy the 1-B. Devin Singletary has been the only other back to get significant reps with the first-team offense. Running back remains a position where the Giants figure to seek a reinforcement before the season, particularly if they can find a dynamic runner.

• The top wide receivers on the depth chart are Slayton, Malik Nabers, Malachi Fields, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin, Odell Beckham Jr., Braxton Berrios and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Nabers is obviously the No. 1 receiver, and Fields has started to make strides toward claiming the No. 2 role. Beyond that, it’s wide open. None of the other receivers have stood out. The preseason games should go a long way in settling the battle for the final receiver spots, with Dalen Cambre looming as a dark horse based on his special teams acumen.

• Isaiah Likely and Theo Johnson are the top two tight ends, with Chris Manhertz re-signed because the Giants value his blocking ability. Pat Ricard will factor in at tight end because he lines up in-line and in the backfield at fullback. That likely doesn’t leave room for another tight end. However, 2025 seventh-round pick Thomas Fidone II has flashed impressive hands since getting involved in team periods after being limited early in camp as he recovered from the foot injury that prematurely ended his rookie season.

It will be interesting to see how much Johnson’s playing time gets squeezed since Likely is the top receiving tight end, and Ricard and Manhertz have defined roles as blockers. Johnson is the most well-rounded tight end on the roster, but his maddening drops have continued in camp. Johnson should see plenty of snaps alongside Likely in two-tight end sets, but he needs to become more consistent.

• There has been no competition for any starting jobs on the offensive line. Left guard Jon Runyan, right guard Francis Mauigoa and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor have taken every first-team rep. The same applied to center John Michael Schmitz before he left Friday’s practice to get evaluated for a concussion. Left tackle Andrew Thomas may have more job security than any player on the roster, so when he has rotated with Marcus Mbow that has only been part of a maintenance plan for the veteran.

The second-team offensive line has been similarly consistent with Mbow at left tackle, Josh Ezeudu at right tackle, Daniel Faalele and Aaron Stinnie at the guard spots, and Lucas Patrick at center. Patrick has been battling through a knee injury that has limited his participation. Bryan Hudson has a prime opportunity to make a push, as he took first-team center reps on Saturday with Schmitz and Patrick not participating in team periods. The 31-year-old Patrick’s experience is appealing as a backup, but he has a lengthy injury history that could work against him in a competition with the 25-year-old Hudson.

Rookie sixth-round pick JC Davis has been the third-team left tackle, but his draft status could enable him to leapfrog Ezeudu for a roster spot. Evan Neal has been the third-team right guard throughout camp with no indications that he’s in the mix for a roster spot.

• Second-year pro Darius Alexander has had a strong start to camp to solidify his spot alongside veteran defensive linemen DJ Reader and Shelby Harris. Leki Fotu and Josh Tupou have gotten the most first-team reps among the crowd of defensive tackles competing for backup jobs. Rookie sixth-round pick Bobby Jamison-Travis has mostly played with the third-team. He’s a player the Giants likely could slide to the practice squad if necessary. Defensive tackle stands out as a position that the Giants, who are fifth in the waiver order, will look to upgrade before the season.

• There isn’t much intrigue at either linebacker position. Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Chauncey Golston are locked in as the four outside linebackers. Thibodeaux has been working inside much more this summer, as he’ll likely be an interior rusher on passing downs.

Tremaine Edmunds and rookie Arvell Reese, who looks ready to make an immediate impact, never come off the field at inside linebacker, while Micah McFadden has had a strong camp as the top backup. Rookie sixth-round pick Jack Kelly has solidified his spot as McFadden’s running mate on the second-team. The fate of Zaire Barnes and Darius Muasau will be determined by special teams (more on that below).

• Cornerback continues to be unsettled, with four players getting first-team reps. This is my unofficial tally on who has taken the most first-team reps, in order: Greg Newsome II, Deonte Banks, Paulson Adebo and Colton Hood. Newsome has been steady on the outside and has gotten some work in the slot with Dru Phillips sidelined by a sprained knee. Newsome had a scare during the final practice in West Virginia on Saturday when he went down with an apparent non-contact knee injury. He checked out OK, although he understandably didn’t finish practice.

Banks continues to play better than he has in his first three seasons, although there have been more completions in his direction as camp has progressed. Even though it’s a new coaching staff, there has to be some internal trepidation about relying on Banks after his past performance. That he has moved ahead of Adebo is telling about how disappointing the big-money corner has been. Adebo has given up far too many completions in camp for supposed No. 1 corner, and his standing on the depth chart reflects the coaching staff’s dissatisfaction with his play.

Hood doesn’t look ready to be a Day 1 starter, which is fine with the Giants facing the Cowboys and Rams’ high-octane passing attacks to start the season. Phillips has remained the starting slot corner, but he has split reps with Ar’Darius Washington depending on the situation.

• Jevon Holland Tyler Nubin appeared to be locked in as the starting safeties, but Jason Pinnock suddenly has been rotating with Nubin on the first team. Pinnock has made 46 career starts, including 37 for the Giants from 2022 to 2024, so it’s conceivable that he could push Nubin for the starting job. Washington will have a role as a Swiss Army knife in the secondary, while Elijah Campbell will need to excel on special teams to force the Giants to carry a fifth safety.

• The special teams depth charts always give a clue on which bubble players are best positioned to make the roster. McFadden, Kelly, Barnes and cornerback Art Green are starters on all of the core for special teams units (kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return). Banks and Muasau are starters on three units, while Campbell and cornerback Nic Jones are starters on two units.

The special teams depth chart is fluid, and coordinators know they’ll have to adjust based on offensive and defensive needs. But it’s noteworthy that players like Barnes and Green have such prominent roles in the kicking game, which is deeply valued by Harbaugh.

• The biggest head-to-head position battle of camp is between kickers Dominic Zvada and Ben Sauls. Sauls has bounced back after a dreadful spring, but he is still lagging in the competition. Sauls is 35-for-44 (79.5 percent) on field goals in camp. Meanwhile, Zvada has made 41-of-45 (91.1 percent) of his field goal attempts. Zvada’s leg strength is obvious, and he’s the heavy favorite in the competition as the focus shifts to preseason games.

Undrafted rookie long snapper Ben Mann has been consistently accurate with his snaps. Mann can secure the job if he covers punts well in preseason games.

Injury tracker

The Giants left West Virginia encouragingly healthy. Schmitz and Phillips were the only starters to get injured during the first 10 practices of camp. Harbaugh didn’t confirm if Schmitz, who missed a game last season with a concussion, is in the concussion protocol but said, “It wasn’t anything terrible.” So it sounds like Schmitz won’t be sidelined for long.

Phillips went down with what Harbaugh called a “mild knee sprain” in last Wednesday’s practice. Phillips was moving well while working with a trainer during Saturday’s practice, so it doesn’t seem like he’s due for an extended absence.

The most important — and encouraging — development on the injury front has been Nabers’ comeback from a torn ACL and meniscus. Nabers participated in individual drills and install periods in nine of the 10 practices in West Virginia. He ramped up his workload by the end of the trip, showing an explosiveness that suggests he is ready for the next step in his return.

Harbaugh said late last week that Nabers will be “working his way back into practice more and more.” That could mean participation in team periods this week as the team continues to target having Nabers in the lineup for the Sept. 13 opener against the Cowboys.