RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ was on her way to join her new National Women’s Soccer League team when sports were suddenly shut down by the coronavirus.

It certainly wasn’t an ideal start for the Costa Rican striker with the Portland Thorns. Rodriguez nonetheless bonded — albeit remotely — with her teammates, and three months later the Thorns are set to open the NWSL Challenge Cup with a game against the North Carolina Courage on Saturday.

The NWSL is the first professional team sports league in the United States to return to the field amid the pandemic. Teams arrived on Wednesday in Utah, where they’ll be sequestered for the duration of the World Cup-style tournament. The final is set for July 26.