Sophia Smith said that her shrug celebration after scoring in the NWSL championship game was aimed towards those who didn’t think she deserved to win the league’s MVP award.
Smith opened the scoring against the Kansas City Current in just the fourth minute, taking advantage of a slip-up in the back line and rounding goalkeeper AD Franch before giving the Portland Thorns the lead.
The goal would end up as the game-winner, with the Thorns putting in a complete performance at Audi Field to defeat the Current 2-0, lifting the franchise’s third NWSL title.
After the game, Smith was asked about the celebration and said it was something of a message.
“I kind of just did it,” Smith said of the celebration. “There’s been a lot of people who don’t think that I deserved to win MVP. So that was a little bit of, you know, that’s that.”
Cool, calm, collected. 😮 @sophsssmith
The NWSL MVP puts @ThornsFC ahead in under four minutes. 😤 pic.twitter.com/DQ68NPAQgm
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) October 30, 2022
At 22, Smith became the youngest MVP in NWSL history on Thursday, and followed that up by becoming the youngest scorer in an NWSL final and youngest NWSL final MVP.
The forward is off to an incredible start in her young career and looks set to be a cornerstone for the U.S. women’s national team for years to come.
Thorns coach Rhian Wilkinson said after Saturday’s game: “My job is to keep pushing her and to make sure she’s the best player this country’s ever produced, because she has that in her right now.”
Asked about Wilkinson’s comment, Smith said she shares a similar objective.
“That’s always been one of my goals,” Smith said. “And every coach that I play for understands that. I make that very clear to them that I feel like I can be [the best American player ever]. I need to be pushed and I need to be held to high standards every single day.”
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