Tracking USWNT star, NoCo native Sophia Smith at the Women's World Cup
One of Northern Colorado's own is on the world soccer stage.
Windsor native and Fossil Ridge High School graduate Sophia Smith is one of the United States Women's National Team's stars at the Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia this summer.
Smith, a 22-year-old forward, is one of the USWNT's best scorers and a burgeoning star for the next generation of American soccer, coming up behind legends like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.
The Women's World Cup runs from July 20 through Aug. 20, with group play until Aug. 1 and knockout rounds beginning Aug. 5.
Follow along for Smith's impact throughout the tournament.
U.S. out on penalties
The harshest defeat in sports.
The United States is out of the 2023 Women's World Cup after losing to Sweden on penalties early Sunday morning.
The teams tied 0-0 after 90 minutes and then another 30 minutes of extra time, despite the Americans having the bulk of the chances.
It setup the white-knuckle penalty kicks, which Sweden won 5-4 to eliminate the back-to-back champs.
The U.S. had the early advantage in penalty kicks and Smith had a chance to score to secure the win, but missed the net. Megan Rapinoe missed the net for the U.S. on the round before.
Sweden ended up winning in the seventh round on a shot that cleared the goal line by millimeters.
THIS was the margin of Lina Hurtig’s penalty that knocked out the #USWNT 🤯 #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/AbBMBPX5DZ
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) August 6, 2023
Smith started and played all 120 minutes.
She finished the tournament with two goals and an assist. The U.S. only scored four goals in four games.
U.S. vs. Sweden in knockouts
It's a familiar foe for the United States to open knockout play. The Americans face Sweden at 3 a.m. Mountain Sunday (FOX) in the Round of 16.
Sweden won Group G, going 3-0 and scoring nine goals while conceding just one.
While the performance from the U.S. (one win and two ties) was mostly underwhelming to finish second in Group E, the Americans will be happy to not be one of the big countries already knocked out.
Perennial powerhouses Germany and Brazil, along with Canada, are all home after the group stage.
Smith, U.S. women struggle in draw vs. Portugal
Smith and the U.S. women struggled to find an attack in Tuesday's 1 a.m. MT match against Portugal, finishing in a 0-0 draw. The result advances the U.S. to the knockout stages, but not without a bevy of questions for the world's top-ranked team.
Smith looked out of sorts at times before being pulled from the match in its 61st minute, according to ESPN's Caitlin Murray.
"Looked a touch slow and lacking bite, often failing to get to 50-50 balls and not getting her passes or crosses off quickly," Murray wrote in giving Smith's performance a 3 out of 10.
The U.S. attack as a whole is struggling, with just four goals in three games and three of those coming against Vietnam (who Netherlands managed to put seven past). Smith has two goals and an assist within the four scored in the tournament by the U.S.
The Americans advance as second-place in the group and will face the Group G winner (likely Sweden) early Sunday morning at 3 a.m. MT.
Not a "must win," but a "can't lose" vs. Portugal
Smith and the USWNT have a huge match in the earliest hours Tuesday to finish group play.
Kickoff is at 1 a.m. MT (FOX) Tuesday against Portugal in the final match of Group E play.
The Americans must secure a draw or better to advance to the knockout stages, presuming the Netherlands beats Vietnam (which is highly likely).
If the U.S. and Netherlands both win, they would be equal on seven points and the team with better goal difference would win the group and earn (in theory) an easier path in the knockouts. The U.S. is currently plus-three in goals while Netherlands is plus-one, but Netherlands has the easier final game.
It would behoove the Americans to not only win Tuesday morning, but to do it in style.
If the U.S. loses to Portugal the Americans will be out of the tournament if Netherlands secures any points against Vietnam.
Smith, USWNT draw vs. Netherlands in Finals rematch
The second match of group play was Wednesday and it was a big one.
Smith and the USWNT took on the Netherlands in a rematch of the 2019 Women's World Cup Final, which the U.S. won 2-0.
The Netherlands scored first, but Colorado native Lindsey Horan scored to tie it in the second half.
Smith had a potential game-winning strike, which appeared goal-bound, late in the game but it was headed off the line by a Dutch defender.
The U.S. and Netherlands ended up tying 1-1.
The draw leaves the USWNT atop Group E (ahead of Netherlands on goal difference) with one game to play. If the U.S. beats Portugal and maintains its plus-two goal-difference edge on the Dutch the Americans would win the group.
That U.S.-Portugal game is at 1 a.m. MT early in the morning of Aug. 1.
See her play: Where to watch the USWNT, Sophia Smith in Fort Collins during the Women's World Cup
Smith dominates in first half vs. Vietnam
It didn't take long for Smith to make a huge impact in her World Cup debut.
She scored two goals off left-footed finishes in the first half, providing a 2-0 margin at the break in a match the American team ultimately won 3-0 over Vietnam.
.@Sophsssmith breaks through early and we’re on the board!!!!!
🎥 » @FOXSoccer pic.twitter.com/BXhPMBISay— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 22, 2023
The scores marked the 13th and 14th career international goals for Smith, who became the second-youngest USWNT player ever with multiple goals in a half.
More: What a debut: Sophia Smith scores 2 first-half goals in USWNT's Women's World Cup opener
2023 U.S. Women's World Cup schedule
(All times listed in Mountain)
July 21: U.S. 3, Vietnam 0
July 26: U.S. 1, Netherlands 1
Aug. 1: U.S. vs. Portugal, 1 a.m. (FOX)
Round of 16: Aug. 5-8
Quarterfinals: Aug. 10-12
Semifinals: Aug. 15-16
Final: Aug. 20
Smith's journey from NoCo to World Cup
While this is Smith's breakout event on a global stage, she's been ascending to the game's elite for nearly a decade now.
Here are some of her career highlights:
2022 NWSL MVP
2022 NWSL championship game MVP
2022 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year
No. 1 overall pick (by Portland) in 2020 NWSL draft
2019 College Cup champion (at Stanford)
The Coloradoan has also been following Smith's rise since the beginning. Read more on Smith's NoCo roots and journey to the top of the sport:
Best in Fort Collins history? Where Smith ranks in top Fort Collins athletes of all-time
World Cup bound: Smith named to United States Women's World Cup roster
The champion: Sophia Smith leads Thorns to NWSL title after winning MVP
Playing at home: When Smith scored twice in first game with U.S. in Colorado
National teamers: When Sophia Smith and Jaelin Howell made the senior national team together
National title: Smith leads Stanford to national championship
Devastating injury: How Smith bounced back from horrific injury
Big, big plans: In high school, Sophia Smith had sights set on lofty goals
Rising star: When Smith was named U.S. Soccer's 'Young Player of the Year'
NoCo phenoms: Sophia Smith and Jaelin Howell beat the odds to make U-17 team together
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: How many goals has Sophia Smith scored in the Women's World Cup
