The United States know they have a permanent target painted on their backs in women’s football, the expectation from almost all corners being that, by merely stepping onto the pitch, victory will follow.
Chasing a third successive title in Australia and New Zealand, the pressure on the USWNT is as high as it has ever been – even though 14 members of the squad are playing at their first World Cup.
Just five of the starting XI against Vietnam on Saturday were part of the squad which lifted the trophy in France four years ago. At just 27.8 years of age on average, this was the youngest American team to start a World Cup match since 2007.
But any doubts as to whether this new generation can cope with the pressure appeared to be banished by Sophia Smith who, after scoring twice in a 3-0 win in Auckland, showed exactly why she is being viewed as the next big star in the women’s game.
“I know that the spotlight is on me, but I like it,” she said, after opening the scoring in the 14th minute and doubling the lead just before half-time.
“It means people believe in me. I definitely felt a lot of relief when my first goal went in. I was quite anxious coming into the tournament, so it was great to get it out of the way and then just be able to be myself.”
Sophia Smith: Portland’s MVP
The 22-year-old forward has lit up the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) over the past two seasons. Having been the No.1 draft pick in 2022, Smith scored 14 goals and led her Portland Thorns side to the championship title last season, being named the most valuable player (MVP) in the process.
Smith’s prolific form in the first half of Portland’s league season this year, netting 10 times in just 15 matches, saw her come into the World Cup being touted as the “next Megan Rapinoe.”
“Being on this team comes with a lot of pressure,” Smith explained. “It is nothing new, even as the young players having never played in a World Cup, we know that. The veterans make sure that we as younger players know what’s expected. It’s exciting. I love it.”
With the veterans supporting the younger squad members off the pitch, the latter are returning the favor on it. After co-captain Alex Morgan had seen her weak penalty saved by Vietnamese goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh at the end of the first half, Smith was on hand to make amends just a few minutes later.
For defender Naomi Girma, who also earned her first World Cup cap, Smith’s composure and impact on the match even while playing alongside more experienced heads in Morgan and Rapinoe came as no surprise.
“She is an incredible player,” Girma told DW. “It’s no surprise to see her scoring two goals at a World Cup.
“She is the type of finisher who is always going to have shots on goal and I think her game is going to continuously grow throughout the tournament. But what makes her so dangerous is not only that she is so young and fresh but she also has so much more to give.
“She lives in the moment and she’s always willing to learn and that’s the best trait you can have as a player, always wanting to get better.”
USWNT: changing of the guard
After the USWNT had put 13 past Thailand in France four years ago, many observers had been expecting minnows Vietnam to find themselves on the end of a similar drubbing – but that wasn’t the case.
Not only has progress clearly been made in football in South-East Asia – Vietnam’s pre-tournament win over Germany demonstrated as much – but this was also the first time that US head coach Vlatko Andonovski had selected this XI to play together, and the Americans only managed to get seven of their 28 attempts on target.
But the direction of travel is clear to see and is exemplified by Smith, whose tenaciousness to keep fighting, even late on in the match, saw her pick up an assist as well, having chased down a ball to the byline before cutting back for Lindsay Horan to score.
“She is amazing and it is absolutely not a shock to me how she played,” Horen told DW.
“For such a young player in her first World Cup it’s so special, I’m really proud of her. She always kept going, you saw certain times she missed opportunities or she missed a dribble but she wants the ball again and again. That hard work comes off, she got an assist from doing that and it was really good to see.”
The USWNT is experiencing a changing of the guard at this World Cup, and there will be tougher battles ahead if they are to retain their trophy. But Sophia Smith, for one, is clearly revelling in having that target painted on her back.
Edited by Matt Ford
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