It’s arduous to think about the U.S. ladies’s nationwide crew on this model with out Sophia Smith in it.
Because the American attacking corps has gone right into a revamp with legendary gamers like Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe — and even Alex Morgan fading into the background, gamers like Crystal Dunn, Trinity Rodman and Smith have turn into the two.0 of a nationwide crew wanting to return to its historic spot because the preeminent world No. 1.
Smith is a participant who can actually take them there. However who’s she? From her enjoying days at Stanford to her quick impression on U.S. Soccer’s senior squad, listed below are 5 issues you must find out about Sophia Smith.
She guided Stanford to a nationwide championship … as a sophomore
In her breakthrough second season with the Cardinal, Smith helped information this system to the Closing 4 after which supplanted their journey to the championship in 2019 by scoring a hat trick in a semifinal recreation in opposition to UCLA. She’d observe that up with a dominant efficiency within the remaining, making certain a win along with being named the Most Excellent Participant of the match.
Sophia Smith is as much as seven objectives and two two-goal video games for the USWNT this yr.
Looks like we have seen a bit extra of the burden of that World Cup (Smith did not rating after the opener / USWNT struggled) come off with every aim. pic.twitter.com/B5NoNFgFpv
— Ella Brockway (@ellabrockway) July 28, 2024
She was named participant of the match in her first FIFA World Cup
Within the U.S.’ first match in opposition to Vietnam, Smith scored two objectives and assisted on a 3rd to safe a 3-0 win. It might give the then 22-year-old ahead her first Participant of the Match award. Coincidentally, in her second Olympic look on Sunday, Smith scored a brace to steer the People in a 4-1 win over Germany.
She’s the primary participant born within the 2000s to play for the USWNT
In a win over the Netherlands on Nov. 20, 2020, Smith earned her first “cap,” soccer terminology for her first look with the senior nationwide crew. At just some months into being 20, she grew to become the primary U.S. ladies’s nationwide crew participant to make the senior roster born in 2000 or later. Since that begin, Smith has racked up 22 objectives in over 50 appearances with the crew.
She’s getting married quickly
In June, Smith received engaged to Arizona Cardinals vast receiver Michael Wilson, whom she met whereas each attended Stanford. Wilson, a 6-2, 213-pound goal, was chosen within the third spherical by the Cardinals in final yr’s NFL Draft. In his first season, he racked up 565 yards receiving on 38 catches and three TDs. The gene pool is robust with these two.
Talking of gene swimming pools…
Sophia isn’t the one one within the Smith household that has been a high-level athlete. Her mother and father, Kenny and Molly Smith have been school athletes, along with her dad a basketball participant on the College of Wyoming and her mother a volleyball standout. She is the youngest of three sisters, and her older sister Savannah, nonetheless holds the all-time scoring document on the College of Northern Colorado.
