Sophia Smith introduced herself to the World Cup in style on Friday night, scoring two goals and adding an assist in the U.S. women’s national team’s 3-0 win over Vietnam.
Contributing to every one of your team’s goals is no small feat at the top level of international soccer, but that’s exactly the type of performance that fans of the U.S. and Smith’s club team, the Portland Thorns, have been getting accustomed to over the last few years.
The Athletic’s Meg Linehan summed it up in The Radar: “Don’t be surprised by Sophia Smith at the 2023 World Cup — she’s an elite finisher who can kill you with a smile and a shrug.”
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The Radar – The Athletic’s 2023 Women’s World Cup scouting guide
Smith was drafted by Portland with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft out of Stanford University, where she teamed up with fellow USWNT World Cup squad member Naomi Girma (and Caterina Macario, who was a near-lock to make this roster before being ruled out through injury).
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Smith became the first player born in the 2000s to receive a USWNT cap at the end of 2020 against the Netherlands, and 2021 turned into a solid first full season in NWSL, having scored seven goals in 24 appearances.
But it was in 2022 when Smith made the leap…
