Today, the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC have announced a massive trade. ACFC will trade defender M.A. Vignola and $600,000 in intraleague funds to acquire Japanese International midfielder Hina Sugita.
“I am so grateful to have the opportunity to join Angel City,” said Sugita. “I feel a lot of energy and passion from the club, and I’m happy to be part of this community. I’m very excited to play for this team and look forward to seeing the fans at BMO Stadium.”
“Hina is a world class midfielder who has consistently been one the best players in this extremely competitive league,” said ACFC Sporting Director Mark Parsons. “She is dynamic with high game intelligence who we believe helps us on the field and brings valuable experience off the field. We are proud to bring a championship-caliber player to Angel City.”
“Hina is one of the players that we have wanted for quite some time,” said ACFC Head Coach Alex Straus. “We believe she will fit right in with the direction we are going as she brings a very specific skill set to the midfield. She has played in this league since 2022 for a good team and has been a difference maker for them, so we look forward to having Hina in our environment.”
“Portland has a huge and long history of winning and this is going to be a great opportunity to show what I’m capable of,” said Vignola. ‘I think I bring a little feistiness and I’m the type of player that doesn’t like to back down – and I’m ready to face any challenge with this group as we move forward.”
“M.A. is exactly the type of player we’ve been looking to add,” said Portland Thorns President and General Manager Jeff Agoos. “She addresses a critical need in our squad – a physical, no-nonsense defender who isn’t afraid to do the dirty work and sets a standard with her competitiveness. She’s the kind of teammate you want in any battle, and her addition positions us for success as we enter into the playoffs and beyond.”
Both teams add to positions of need with Angel City reinforcing midfield and Portland Thorns making a backline addition.
ACFC have recently added Nealy Martin to the midfield as well.
This move reunites Hina Sugita with Sporting Director Mark Parsons, who was the former head coach at Portland Thorns FC and instrumental in bringing the star to Rose City.
For the second time in a short span, Parsons and Agoos have made a trade. Julie Dufour and a 2025 international roster spot from Angel City for $40,000 in intra-league transfer funds. Dufour scored two goals in five games for Portland before tearing her ACL.
