Tag: Sophia Smith

USWNT stars Rodman, Smith on Marta: ‘Love her, but we want to win’

Rodman and Smith agree that the six-time World Player of the Year “would want us to give her our best game”

The U.S. women’s national team’s attacking stars are among the many admirers Brazilian legend Marta has accumulated over the years.

Just don’t expect Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith to hold back in Saturday’s gold medal match.

The USWNT and Brazil will face off in the final of the 2024 Olympics women’s soccer competition. By itself, that would be an event of massive significance, but the game will be spiced up further by the fact that Marta has said she will retire from international play following the Paris Games.

That effectively leaves a USWNT side full of Marta fans having to choose between going all out to win, or letting the six-time FIFA World Player of the Year end her national team career with Brazil’s first-ever win at a World Cup or Olympics.

Per Rodman, the ‘conundrum’ has a clear answer.

“We want that gold, so I’m not gonna say too much on that,” said the Washington Spirit forward with a laugh. “Love her, but we want to win.”

“I know she would want us to give her our best game,” added Smith, whose goal sent the USWNT past Germany in a tense semifinal. “That’s the highest level of respect you can give someone.”

It is something of a surprise that the USWNT will be the final opponent in Marta’s incredible career with Brazil. A first-half red card for a dangerously high kick in a 2-0 group-stage loss to Spain resulted in a red card for Marta, who was suspended for As Canarinhas‘ quarterfinal and semifinal matches.

Brazil’s younger generation extended the legend’s national team career for one more game, seeing off France 1-0 in the last-eight before shocking World Cup champions Spain in a wild 4-2 semifinal.

After removing the mystery over whether the USWNT would drop its ruthless streak just this once, both players made their admiration for the Orlando Pride icon clear.

“Marta’s for sure like, the player I looked up to growing up. Whenever I would watch highlights of players with my dad, it was always Marta,” explained Smith.

“We get to play against her in the NWSL, which we’re really lucky for that, and to play against her in this magnitude of the game, I think is so special.”

USWNT stars: Marta ‘changed the game’

Rodman declared the 38-year-old Brazil captain “a legacy forever,” before adding that women’s soccer worldwide can be seen from a pre-Marta and post-Marta lens.

“It goes without saying: Marta has changed the game of soccer around the world,” stated Rodman. “She’s such a talented soccer player, but also a great human, which speaks volumes. I’ve always looked up to her, I think we all kind of do.”

Smith agreed, saying that players like she and Rodman “wouldn’t be here probably without a Marta, who did change the game forever, and is continuing to change the game.

“I don’t think words can really describe how grateful we are for a player like Marta to just advocate for young players like us.”

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What is the USWNT ‘Triple Espresso’? The Rodman, Smith, Swanson nickname, explained

If you hear the phrase “Triple Espresso”, here’s what it means.

Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson officially have a nickname to explain their dominance.

The USWNT has been recently crushing it during this year’s 2024 Paris Olympic Games. They’ve survived several tough tests, including an overtime thriller against Japan that probably added gray hairs to fans’ heads.

Truthfully, the team doesn’t get as far on the Olympic stage, with a chance to play for a gold medal, without Trinity, Mallory and Sophia. The trio has contributed to 10 — YES, TEN! — of the 11 goals U.S. women’s soccer has scored. The ladies have been so good — almost quite literally waking up games — that they officially have a nickname for themselves: Triple Espresso.

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USWNT star Smith warns opponents: This is only 70 percent of what we can do

The USWNT has seven goals in two games, and there is still room for improvement

The U.S. women’s national team has started the Olympics in devastating form, and forward Sophia Smith offered a warning to any future opponents after a 4-1 rout of Germany.

This team hasn’t yet hit its peak.

Smith and her front-line partners Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson have been impossible to stop at the Olympics so far, as the U.S. cruised past Zambia 3-0 before putting global power Germany to the sword on Sunday.

The trio has combined for six goals and three assists at the Olympics, with the USWNT already clinching a spot in the quarterfinal ahead of Wednesday’s group-stage finale against Australia.

Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s game against Germany, Smith insisted that her side still had another level to reach.

“This is probably only game six or seven of us playing up front together,” Smith said in quotes on The Athletic.

“We’re clicking really well, really fast. I think this is only like 70 percent of what we can do.”

The USWNT’s front three had only started one time together before pre-Olympics friendlies this month, but have already formed a partnership that is borderline unstoppable.

With Smith as a nominal No. 9 and Swanson and Rodman to either side, the trio interchange liberally and cause fits for defenders who have to account for their constant movement and overloads.

The team’s attack stands in sharp contrast to last summer’s World Cup, when the U.S. beat Vietnam 3-0 to kick off the tournament and then proceeded to score just one more goal in its final three games en route to a last-16 exit.

This time around, the U.S. has already netted seven times in two games — and there appears to be much more to come.

“We have a lot of really special players and we’re finally starting to connect,” midfielder Rose Lavelle said. “But we know we still have another level in us.”

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Smith fit for USWNT match vs. Germany, Shaw still sidelined

It’s a case of good news, bad news on the injury front for the U.S.

For the U.S. women’s national team, it’s a case of good news, bad news on the injury front.

Sophia Smith will be fit for the team’s Olympic match against Germany on Sunday, while Jaedyn Shaw will remain sidelined.

Per The Athletic, head coach Emma Hayes said that Smith was “fine” and would be involved in training on Saturday. Shaw, meanwhile, trained individually and will miss a second straight game.

The USWNT kicked off Olympics play on Thursday with a 3-0 win against Zambia, emerging from the match with a pair of injury concerns.

Just before halftime, Sophia Smith left the match with a suspected ankle issue. The extent of the injury wasn’t clear, but it appeared her removal may have been precautionary due to the USWNT being up three goals and a player already by that time.

Meanwhile, Shaw will remain sidelined with a leg injury that she suffered in training the day before the Zambia match. Just 90 minutes before Thursday’s game kicked off, U.S. Soccer announced that the San Diego Wave attacker would miss the match.

Croix Bethune was moved from an alternate to the active roster as a replacement for Shaw, and the Washington Spirit rookie appears set to be part of the matchday squad against Germany as well.

Like the USWNT, Germany also began the Olympics with a 3-0 win, defeating Australia easily in its opener.

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USWNT star Smith goes off with injury vs. Zambia

The forward limped off just before the break against the Copper Queens

The U.S. women’s national team suffered an injury blow in its Olympics opener, as star forward Sophia Smith was taken off in the first half against Zambia.

With the USWNT up 3-0 near the end of the first half, Smith went down near the bench and needed to receive treatment on the field.

The Portland Thorns star was unable to continue and had to be replaced by Lynn Williams in the 43rd minute.

The extent of Smith’s injury was not immediately clear, but U.S. fans will hope that head coach Emma Hayes removed the forward as a precaution due to the game essentially being settled.

The U.S. scored three first-half goals, and also went up a player after Zambia’s Pauline Zulu was shown a 34th-minute red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

The USWNT would go on to win the match 3-0 on the strength of a goal from Trinity Rodman and a brace from Mallory Swanson.

Smith’s injury was extra painful for the USWNT, who also lost Jaedyn Shaw to an injury before the game even started.

After the game, Hayes did not have any real updates to share on either Smith or Shaw.

Should either injury prove serious, it would leave the U.S. looking very thin in attack after Catarina Macario also had to withdraw from the Olympic roster due to a knee injury.

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NWSL punishes Portland Thorns for ‘frivolous’ appeal of Smith red card

The Thorns are in hot water, but Smith isn’t after a convoluted series of appeals and punishment

Sophia Smith probably didn’t bargain for a playful moment on the touchline turning into such a kerfuffle.

The U.S. women’s national team star, after two appeals from different organizations, will be allowed to return for the Portland Thorns in Sunday’s NWSL match against the Kansas City Current.

However, the entire incident has ended with the Thorns losing a $10,000 bond and the right to appeal any further suspensions in the 2024 or 2025 seasons.

The convoluted issue began simply enough. In June 8’s 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage, Smith — sitting on the bench minutes after being substituted — found herself near the ball as it rolled out of bounds for a Thorns throw-in.

Seemingly as a joke, Smith crawled over to the ball and slowly dragged it under her seat on Portland’s bench.

However, referee Danielle Chesky, who had booked Smith for a different moment of time-wasting in the 89th minute, was not in a mood for such goofery. Chesky presented Smith with a second yellow card, sending her off and triggering an automatic one-game ban.

Smith served her suspension in a scoreless draw with the Seattle Reign on Sunday, but in the meantime the drama was going on behind the scenes.

On Tuesday, the NWSL announced that Portland had appealed the suspension, which per league policy allowed the Thorns to make their case to an independent review panel.

The panel, per the league, “unanimously (i) denied the appeal, and (ii) determined the appeal was frivolous.”

This may sound like simple public shaming from the league, but the word “frivolous” is specifically in the league’s operations manual, and appeals that cross that line come with a significant punishment.

Portland will lose a $10,000 bond (something the league requires all clubs to post as a deterrent for appealing suspensions without cause), as well as the right to appeal any further suspensions for the remainder of the 2024 season as well as the entire 2025 season, all the way through the playoffs.

Additionally, the league rules require that frivolous appeals are met with a doubling of the discipline involved, meaning that the NWSL initially extended Smith’s suspension and increased her fine.

However, the NWSL Players Association has the right to appeal discipline on a player’s behalf, and in this case it intervened on Smith’s behalf.

Per the NWSL, a review committee unanimously agreed with the NWSLPA’s position, making Smith eligible to play this weekend and helping her keep a little more cash in her pocket.

However, that has nothing to do with the punishment doled out for the Thorns, whose lost bond and inability to appeal further disciplinary action remain in place.

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Michael Wilson’s big thing was getting engaged to girlfriend Sophia Smith

Wilson hinted at something like this a few days ago.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson, who spent almost all offseason working with quarterback Kyler Murray, told reporters before the offseason program ended, that he had something big coming soon that we would find out about.

That big thing has happened.

He and his girlfriend, Sophia Smith, who plays professional soccer for the Portland Thorns FC, have gotten engaged.

Smith announced in on her social media platforms.

Congrats to both of them. Considering he passed on a few weekends up in Oregon with her during the offseason to work with Murray, this probably more than makes up for it!

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

USWNT star Sophia Smith announces engagement to NFL receiver Michael Wilson

The pair met while they were both starring at Stanford University

Sophia Smith is officially off the market.

The U.S. women’s national team star has announced her engagement to her longtime partner, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson.

Smith and Wilson made the announcement on social media on Saturday, posting a series of photos with the caption: “Forever always meant with you.”

The couple met at Stanford, where Smith starred for two seasons before leaving school early and becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NWSL draft.

Wilson was also a standout athlete at Stanford, playing five seasons for the Cardinal football team.

Since then, Smith has gone on to become one of the biggest stars in American soccer, becoming an MVP and NWSL champion with the Portland Thorns while also starring for the U.S. women’s national team.

Wilson just completed his rookie season with the Cardinals after he was picked in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The 24-year-old had a productive debut season, catching 38 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns.

Earlier this year, Smith talked about being in a long-distance relationship on the “The Women’s Game” podcast with former USWNT teammate Sam Mewis.

“It’s definitely hard and not ideal, because obviously when you’re with someone you want to see them all the time and be with them 24/7,” Smith said. “But that’s just not realistic for us because we’re both young in our careers and just kind of have to be where we play.

“But it’s been so cool to see him just kind of live his dream because he’s always wanted to do this, and I have seen him go through a lot of hard times in college. So just getting to see everything kind of work out for him and being able to live a little bit of a different life and be the girlfriend [while attending NFL games] is definitely super fun.”

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Sophia Smith’s first career red card was comedy gold

The USWNT star attempted soccer’s version of the hidden ball trick

Sophia Smith was shown a red card in gloriously weird fashion on Saturday night, as the Portland Thorns beat the North Carolina Courage 1-0.

Smith’s first career red card involved not one, but two yellow cards for time wasting — the second of which came in a moment of pure slapstick.

The U.S. women’s national team star had given her side the lead at Providence Park with a 79th-minute penalty kick. With Portland holding onto a late 1-0 advantage, Smith was shown a yellow card in the 89th minute for kicking the ball away when play had been stopped.

Deep into stoppage time, Thorns head coach Rob Gale removed Smith from the match. From there, the weirdness truly began.

A ball went out of play on the sideline, which Smith quickly grabbed and attempted to hide under the bench. The forward clearly knew what she was doing, as she had a mischievous grin on her face as she attempted the soccer version of the hidden ball trick.

Referee Danielle Chesky was not amused by Smith’s antics, brandishing a second yellow card.

Portland went on to win 1-0, but Smith will now be suspended for next week’s derby match against the Seattle Reign.

Not only will the Thorns be without Smith (pending appeal), but they may also be missing midfielder Sam Coffey, who was removed from Saturday’s game early with an injury.

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USWNT star Sophia Smith misses Portland Thorns match with injury

It sounds like Smith is a question mark for the USWNT in its upcoming friendlies

The U.S. women’s national team has one more injury worry to keep track of.

Sophia Smith played no part as the Portland Thorns fell 2-1 to the Orlando Pride on Friday night in what was a clash between two teams on lengthy winning streaks.

Smith was listed as questionable for the match with a “lower leg” injury, and ended up being left off of head coach Rob Gale’s team sheet.

“No,” Gale told reporters in a press conference when asked about whether he was concerned about Smith having a longer-term issue. “It was just a day or two — probably two — early, with the lower-leg injury.

“We expect her to be up [and playing soon], hopefully the U.S. will manage her properly in that environment, knowing that she wasn’t available for today. I think they’ll have to manage her, and build her up possibly for the second game.”

Smith was still included on Emma Hayes’ first USWNT roster for matches against South Korea on June 1 and June 4. The timeline for when she picked up her injury and when the U.S. assembled its roster is at this point unknown, though Gale noted that it was an issue Portland knew about coming into the weekend.

The USWNT attack includes multiple players navigating various knocks. Alex Morgan returned Thursday night for the San Diego Wave after a month on the sidelines, while Jaedyn Shaw came back recently as well.

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