Evolving in Front of Our Eyes

With the USWNT qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, the new generation of great players has officially announced themselves to the world. The 21-year-old from Windsor, Colorado, Sophia Smith, showed her potential to be one of the best footballers of the next generation. Smith netted two world-class goals within the first eight minutes of the match against an upstart Jamaican side to ignite the United States to a victory. Despite her young age, Smith has been one of the most prolific strikers in the NWSL this season, scoring eight goals in nine matches to lead the Portland Thorns to one of the best records in the league. Her dynamism, speed, and efficiency in front of the net separate her from most of the strikers in the NWSL.

Despite not scoring in a frustrating match for the United States against Mexico, Smith finished with the second-most goals per 90 minutes of any player in the group stage, behind only Canada's Julia Grosso. Smith is a constant threat in front of the net, and with the semifinals of the W-Championship looming on the horizon, the USWNT needs the Thorns' forward to continue to be as creative as possible to secure the United States a spot in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Although these first three group stage contests were not her best, Smith has demonstrated with her club, and now with the national team, that she has that "it" factor in front of the net.

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USWNT Vlatko Andonovski took some time with Smith to reassure her of a spot in the starting IX going forward, stating, "I don’t think the last game was her best game, and I had a meeting with her and talked about that to reassure her...of what the game is going to be, regardless of what this game is going to look like or the next game is going to look like, she will be a starter for this team just because we know how good she is now and we can see her potential, how good she can be in the future...To be a starter on the best team in the world is not easy. It comes with lots of weight. She wants to be the best every time she steps on the field."

Currently, Smith leads the entire NWSL in shots per 90' and is second only to USWNT forward teammate on the national team, Mallory Pugh, for shots on target per 90' so far this season. In addition, Portland is first in the NWSL in goals scored with 22 and tied for the league lead in assists at 16 with the Red Stars. The combination of her and Christine Sinclair has shown flashes of greatness for the Thorns so far this season, and with Smith's dynamic skills on the ball, the potential for greatness of this young player could not be any higher. She has the tools to become one of the top strikers in the world and the main contributor to the United States and its success on the international stage.

With only 19 caps under her belt, Smith has barely grazed the surface of the complete package on the national team. Forwards like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe are only getting older by the year, but with Smith learning from these two veterans, the passing of the torch will be a much smoother process. Everything leading up to his point eludes to a legendary career in the stars and stripes, from leaving college early to being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NWSL College Draft. She was called up to the USWNT senior team for her debut a year before she even got to Stanford, and now with eight goals in 19 contests at the international level, Smith is proving herself as the next player up to lead the attack for the foreseeable future.

Smith has three multi-goal games in her young career, and with her first World Cup coming up in 2023, she will get the chance to showcase her talents to a much larger audience against the world's best. She was the first player born in the 2000s to appear on the USWNT when she made her first cap in 2020 against the Netherlands. With time and space in front of her, Smith is one of the most dangerous players in the NWSL. Her youth is what makes her so exciting, but people cannot shy away from the success that she has had so far in her career.

In her second year with the USWNT, Morgan made 19 appearances, scoring six goals. On the flip side, in Smith's second full year with the team, she has appeared in nine contests while netting seven goals in the process, 10 fewer games for Smith, and one more goal than Morgan had during this point in her career. Smith may have a long way to go before she gets to Morgan's level, but the trajectory and vision are there. There is no doubt that Smith could lead Portland to its third NWSL Championship in October, but for now, Smith's focus is on becoming a crucial part of the USWNT attack going into the World Cup.