Sophia Smith is having a great time at the Olympics, thanks in part to Team USA’s powerful front three.
Smith, along with Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman, are helping America regain its status as the Team to Fear.
“I think we fit together really well and we fit together really quickly, and I think that’s only 70 percent of what we can do,” Smith said. “I think the more we play together, the more we’ll lean on each other and learn each other’s tendencies. But it’s really fun to play with them.”
It’s a stark contrast to last year’s Women’s World Cup in Melbourne, where Smith left the stadium in tears after the U.S. was sent home early by Sweden.
So far in France, Swanson has scored three goals, Smith has two and Rodman has scored the team’s first goal of the tournament.
Smith scored twice in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Germany, which sent the U.S. into the quarterfinals of its first major tournament under coach Emma Hayes.
The United States won four gold medals at the Olympics, beating the most women’s soccer teams, and won bronze in Tokyo. Then came a disappointing World Cup performance, and the U.S. reputation suffered as other teams caught up.
After losing to Mexico in the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup earlier this year, the U.S. national team dropped to fifth in the FIFA World Rankings, its lowest ranking ever.
The team was already in transition, waiting for Hayes to arrive in May after finishing his season at Chelsea. Hayes was hired to lead the United States in November.
“You can see I don’t make any changes to the lineup because I have to build my network,” Hayes said after the win over the world No. 4 Germans. “I think that was my sixth game in charge, so I’m still learning about them and what they’re learning about each other.”
Smith, 23, has scored 22 goals in 52 appearances for the national team since making her debut in 2020. Under Hayes, she has played more centrally.
“Emma’s biggest goal for me is to play in that No. 9 position. I tend to get out of the box, but it’s important for me to stay in the box and score tap-ins, which is what I tend to score,” Smith said.
Hayes said it was clear Smith was succeeding.
“She’s my type of player,” Hayes said. “She brings to the team, and I think she has to learn as a No. 9 when to hold, when to stretch, when to play against a No. 10. So it’s really fun to coach her because she absorbs that.”
Back home, Smith is in her fifth season with the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League. She was the NWSL’s Most Valuable Player and the 2022 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year.
She and Swanson have played for the same club in Colorado for a long time, and Rodman complements them both. They scored six of the team’s seven goals in Wednesday’s group match against Australia in Marseille.
In contrast, the team scored just four goals in four games at the World Cup.
“I think we’re all similar, but we’re all different in our own ways. Obviously Trin is a plank player, she spreads out, she fights one-on-one. She’s creative, she creates a lot for us,” Smith said. “I think Mal and I are a little bit more center players. We intertwine and find space on and off the ball. So I think we all fit together in different ways.”
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
