At her first FIFA Women’s World Cup, Sophia Smith appears to be off to a strong start. The 22-year-old scored twice in the opening period of the USA’s match against Vietnam, giving her team a 2-0 advantage before the interval. It ultimately resulted in a 3-0 victory, giving the Stars and Stripes their first triumph of the competition.
Despite the victory, the USWNT gave a performance that could have been far better. While the Americans squandered numerous chances to score throughout the game, Smith’s two goals were likely the game’s biggest plus as they allowed them to reach their primary goal of earning three points.
The following information may help you better understand Smith as she excels in her first World Cup appearance:
How old is Sophia Smith?
Smith is a 22-year-old woman who was born on August 10, 2000. Her birthday, which falls on the day of the opening quarterfinal game, will fall during this year’s World Cup.
Alyssa Thompson (18 years old) and Trinity Rodman (21 years old), two of her fellow forwards, are the two older players on this year’s USWNT team. She is the third youngest.
Sophia Smith hometown:
A little hamlet approximately an hour’s drive north of Denver, Smith was born there in Windsor, Colorado. She was raised there and went to nearby Fort Collins’ Fossil Ridge High School.
Jaelin Howell, another famous American from Windsor, was a close childhood friend of hers. Lorne Donaldson, who is currently the head coach of the Jamaica women’s national team but was previously the president of illustrious club Real Colorado, took note of the pair.
Sophia Smith parents:
Smith comes from a family that is quite active. Her older sister Savannah is the all-time leading scorer for the women’s basketball team at the University of Northern Colorado, and her father Kenny played basketball at the University of Wyoming.
In basketball and soccer, she excelled in high school. But when it was time to choose one, she disregarded her ancestry and chose to pursue football.
Where did Sophia Smith go to college?
Smith committed to Stanford University, where she will compete in collegiate basketball for head coach Paul Ratcliffe. The programme is among the best in the nation and has made the NCAA Tournament every year since 1990 with the exception of one year (1997).
In college, she got off to a fast start, scoring against San Francisco after just 17 minutes. In her subsequent 13 appearances as a freshman, she went on to record seven goals and two assists.
She made 21 appearances as a sophomore and finished with 17 goals and 9 assists, including a remarkable hat trick in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. In the crucial shootout, she also scored a penalty as the Cardinal defeated North Carolina to claim the 2019 championship.
Sophia Smith club team:
Smith entered the 2020 NWSL Draught after two seasons at Stanford, and the Portland Thorns selected her with the first overall pick.
When the league began after the COVID-19 pandemic, she swiftly found her footing and scored seven goals in her debut season in 2021.
She scored 14 goals and had three assists in 2022, earning the title of NWSL MVP. the year, Portland won its first championship in team history after the Thorns defeated Kansas City 2-0. Smith scored the first goal in the victory.
She’s been on fire once more in 2023, scoring 10 goals and dishing out five assists in just 12 games.
The Thorns, who are now in second place in the league, will keep trying to win the championship when the season picks back up in August.
Sophia Smith international career:
Since 2016, when she took part in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Smith has been a member of the USWNT team.
She played her maiden game for the senior United States team against the Netherlands in November 2020. She became the first athlete born after 2000 to play for the American national team as a result.
She has now scored 14 goals in all competitions, including the two she scored against Vietnam. She’ll try to increase that total this summer as the USA tries to win the World Cup for the third time in a row.