'She's a goal threat' - Still just 20 after turning professional at 13, Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie adds danger to Emma Hayes' USWNT attack

In front of the USWNT’s second-largest crowd at the home of the UConn Huskies, Moultrie rotated into a notably young starting XI - with an average age of 20.7 and three teenagers on the field. And it took just 44 seconds for Moultrie to score the first of her two goals.

The early goal was reminiscent of Thursday’s loss, when Rose Lavelle scored just 33 seconds into a match that ended 2-1 in Portugal’s favor. The parallels pulsed for a moment, as Jessica Silva drew level for Portugal in the fifth minute on Sunday.

But Moultrie struck again just five minutes later, capping her brace within 10 minutes of her 10th cap for the USWNT. 

“Starting fast, I think, is the thing the U.S. women's national team is kind of known for, right?” Moultrie said. “And we want to keep that going. But then… how do we maintain our momentum after that? Obviously, conceding is not what we want, but I think where we kind of improved from the last game was then we came back again and we got another one.

“And then we put ourselves in the driver's seat for the rest of the game, and found our control.”

It was Moultrie's second international brace. The then 18-year-old scored two of the USWNT's five goals in a 5-0 win over the Dominican Republic on Feb. 20, 2024. Just three weeks ago, Moultrie scored her first NWSL brace, securing a 2-1 win for the Portland Thorns over Bay FC.

Moultrie is a midfielder for the Thorns, where she’s having a tremendous season, leading the three-time NWSL champions with eight goals and one assist, as is tied for the sixth-most goals in the league. Scoring or not, she’s consistently dangerous in attack, something she’s translated well this window for the national team.

In NWSL, Moultrie claims the highest shot creating actions (125) in the league and clocks the highest shot creating actions per 90 (5.43). Sunday, Hayes started her on the right but gave her freedom to float in.

“I think she's having an outstanding season,” Hayes said. “I think she's a goal threat. I played her off of the right but coming inside. I knew there would be second spaces inside the box. I think she exploited them well.”

Moultrie is a familiar name for U.S. soccer fans.. She turned professional at 13, filing an antitrust lawsuit against NWSL in order to lift its age limit. She debuted for Portland at 15 and made her first appearance for the USWNT at 18 - and clocked her 10th cap on Sunday.

Her national team journey is still in its early embers. But her commitment to growth and ability to translate club form to national team duty is evident. And her composure in the elite ranks is notable as, something she credits to kick-starting her career so early.

“I've been experiencing it for a while - joining the Thorns when I was 13, and trying to put myself in those situations,” she said. “And honestly, I just think my journey to be here has set me up for situations like this. And I'm just extremely grateful for the people who believed in me and who put me in those situations. 

“But there's a lot of work left still to do. I still want to grow and get better. And like I said, all eyes on '27, and what it looks like once we get there.”

Moultrie has the maturity and focus of a gifted young footballer who has played professionally for more than five years, even though she just recently turned 20.

“I remember when I got the job,” Hayes recalled, “she sent me an email, literally immediately, saying, ‘Coach, is there a chance I could connect and catch up and just get your thoughts on what you're looking for?’ And I thought, this is someone who is going somewhere, and wants to go somewhere.” 

Known as a manager who develops players, Hayes emphasized that Moultrie’s game is still a work in progress, stressing that patience is key.

“Sometimes she wants it yesterday,” Hayes said. “But the things I've asked her to work on, she's working on them. I don't think she's the finished article, but I think she's much better than she was 12 months ago. 

“Firstly, because she's fit and healthy. Second of all, because she's getting more disciplined in the position. And then finally, I think she's able to be a bigger goal threat as a result of those two things, great development resilience-wise.” 

There’s one more game left in this window. After that, Moultrie heads back to Portland where she’ll prepare for a playoff push with the sixth-place Thorns. In a few weeks, Hayes will call in her final roster of 2025, marking the final window of a year that in many ways has been the last, expansive tryout for the 2027 World Cup squad.

Moultrie can head toward that final window knowing she’s made it clear that she is, as Hayes put it, “going somewhere.” And she’ll be hoping that the destination is Brazil for the World Cup.