USWNT star Sophia Smith matches Megan Rapinoe & makes NWSL history after playing starring role in W Gold Cup triumph

The highly-rated 23-year-old forward played a leading role for her country as the United States swept to W Gold Cup glory, with her value to that cause clear for all to see. She is also a talismanic presence at club level for the Portland Thorns.

Smith got the new campaign off to the perfect start on a personal level when lining up against KC Current. She bagged a brace in that contest, allowing the history books to be re-written as she maintained a remarkable record of bursting out of the blocks.

Smith has become just the third player – after Rapinoe and Christine Sinclair – to score in her team’s season opener in four different NWSL seasons. She is also the first to achieve that feat in four successive campaigns, with a sequence started in 2021 and extended through to 2024.

While Smith had cause for celebration against KC, she did end up on the wrong end of a thrilling 5-4 scoreline. She will be hoping that the coming weeks provide slightly less drama, while also counting down the days to a possible gold medal bid at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.