Sophia Smith had a spectacular 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup debut at the usa womens team3-0 victory over Vietnam on Friday.
Following her performance, the 22-year-old received high praise and was quickly mentioned as a potential “breakout” star for this year’s tournament.
With the second round of the group stage underway, the “World Cup NOW” team (Jimmy Conrad, Leslie Osborne, Karina LeBlanc and Kathryn Gill) discussed their pick for best player in the first round, and it’s no surprise that Smith is topping a few lists.
Best players of the first day
Jimmy Conrad, Leslie Osborne, Kate Gill and Karina LeBlanc discuss their best players from the first round of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Osborne: “Sophia Smith… this is a player we know the ceiling is incredibly high. Two goals and one assist. She’s incredibly fast on the ball. She can do so many things. She can score in a number of ways, which she showed. I love scoring with her and Alex Morgan. She’s incredibly dangerous, and even if you know what she’s doing, she can do more, and this player will take this team far in the tournament. She’s special.”
LeBlanc: “I’m blessed to see Sophia Smith every day, and this World Cup, she’s wanted to show it to the world. The world was like, ‘Oh, is this the breakout star?’ “In the NWSL, we saw her day in and day out. She can go up against five or six players. She can score goals with one shot. She can score goals in so many different ways…she’s a rising star…this is the tournament. She wants to make her mark on the world, and I think she’s going to do exactly that. First game, variety of goals scored – I think we’ll see more of that with more space. So, I’m going to say she’s just getting in shape, so watch the world.”
Conrad: “I’m going to go with Ary Borges from Brazil. Three goals and an assist, and he was a cheeky backheel for an assist. In his World Cup debut, that’s ridiculous. He scored some great goals, and I think that kind of freaked me out, for the USA to show up in their first World Cup game and score three is pretty ridiculous. So, he’ll get my vote, even though Sophia Smith is very, very close.”
Gill: “Alexandra Popp for me. I know Germany didn’t really come out of third gear against Morocco, but I thought her runs were great; her timing in the box was great. She really led that team and was very aggressive…She also scored two goals in the game. I realize she’s been clouded by injuries, so there have been tournaments where she started, and she hasn’t been able to go all the way. So, I think if she can stay in shape during this tournament, she’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”
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– Daily News Post