The 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris was nothing short of a whirlwind for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT), who look to be fully back to form after winning the USA a gold medal.
In the women’s tournament, veteran forward Sophia Smith scored three goals for her country, including a critical strike in added extra time during the 1-0 semifinal win over Germany, the 2016 gold medalists.
Smith, the 24-year-old Portland Thorns FC striker, said that she and her teammates had the time of their lives, but she’s happy to be back in the US and back in the thick of NWSL competition.
“Yeah, it was amazing,” Smith said during Tuesday's virtual interview. “But I’m just happy to be back in Portland.”
One primary goal on the horizon, once and again, is the next FIFA Women’s World Cup. Smith said that the next World Cup is always on the minds of the USWNT, but that snagging the Olympic gold is not only “a dream come true” but a move that offers the USA women a fresh reset.
“I've played in one World Cup before,” Smith said of 2023, “and it was not the best experience—because it’s hard when you're not getting the results you want.”
But the Olympics this summer was, as Smith called it, “an experience that I didn't want to end. I was having a lot of fun on and off the field.”
After crashing out just after the World Cup’s Group Stage last summer, the USWNT started off strong by winning all three contests in the Paris Olympic tournament’s group stage. The USA led Group B, defeating all three competitors: Germany, Australia, and Zambia. Smith scored two goals in the USA’s second match versus Germany, helping seal a big 4-1 win.
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Next, the USA would log two 1-0 extra-time wins in the quarterfinals (versus Japan) and also in the semis (versus Germany again) before beating Brazil in the August 10 Olympic final with another 1-0 score, thanks to a second-half goal by Mallory Swanson.
Now that Smith is back in the continental U.S., helping her sixth-place Portland Thorns close out the current season strong, sponsors have continued to demand the NWSL’s 2022 MVP.
Smith’s took the stage last season and also during this summer’s Olympic games, with multiple endorsem*nt partnerships from major brands such as Ally Financial, Chipotle, Hyperice, and Nike, among others.
She’s also been tapped by nutrition company Clif Bar, a brand with a history of supporting the USNWT and its players with individual endorsem*nts. In conjunction with the nonprofit group Outdoor Afro, Clif Bar is working to support outdoor activities in nature and inspire young people to do good and experience nature through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation activities.
Smith said that ever since she started kicking the ball around, nutrition, fitness, and engagement in the world around her have been vital.
“Clif Bars were something I grew up eating all the time when I was younger, something that my dad always bought for me and my sisters between games on the weekends,” Smith said. “So when this opportunity came around, it was kind of a no-brainer for me.”
As a part of its efforts to boost participation in sports, Clif Bar launched in June its 2024 CLIF CORPS Athlete Coalition, featuring a variety of athlete-led projects in communities across the country to help advance equitable access to sports and the outdoors.
Along with Smith, the brand has enlisted other top athletes such as WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, top-ranked American tennis pro Frances Tiafoe, and Paralympian and Marathon Champion Daniel Romanchuk, as ambassadors.
“I love Clif Bar, and I love the products, but I also love what they stand for and how involved they are with the community,” Smith added. “Especially how they give back in different and unique ways that resonate with me. I'm grateful for it to be part of it.”
USA’s next-generation strike force
Smith and her fellow USA forwards Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson combined their efforts for a total of 10 goals during the 2024 Olympci Summer Games.
In bagging the Olympic gold medal this year, the USWNT not only won their first gold medal in soccer since London 2012 and fifth overall, it provided the opportunity to silence critics.
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“This team has had a history of winning world tournaments and being the best in the world. It's something that we pride ourselves on,” Smith said, “and it's something that the younger generation coming in knows (is) the standard—to be the best in the world.”
Smith also said that she thinks the USWNT’s successful Olympics are “quieting some people,” particularly those who “didn't believe in us or who thought our time was over.”
Smith said two major things, besides simply laying excellent world football, made everything click this time around.
First, the English head coach, Emma Hayes, was hired by US Soccer. Hayes, who began her leadership tenure in the United States over two decades ago, first coaching the second-tier Long Island Rough Riders and then the college team at Iona University, went on to take over Chelsea FC’s women’s team. Hayes won seven domestic league titles and five FA Cup tournaments at Chelsea.
Despite the towering resume, Smith said that Hayes, as USWNT head coach, keeps everything as simple as possible.
“I always heard about Coach Hayes, and knowing her now (as USA head coach), I can see why she's won all the things that she's won,” Smith said.
“And it's so interesting with her because (soccer) is not like it's rocket science. She didn't come in and solve a world problem. She came in and put the pieces together, and that's all we needed. But she does it in a way that allows us to be ourselves.”
Smith described Hayes as driven but trusting of the players to dial in and stay focused on the most significant goals.
“It comes with a lot of pressure and stress, but she's allowed us to fall back in love with playing for the national team, and I feel like with that comes less stress.”
Smith also described her relationship and play with fellow forwards Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman as perhaps the lynchpin in winning big again. Smith hints that their differing personalities and experiences in life blend well on the pitch.
“ I think we just click like we are all very different in many ways. But at the same time, we're similar in a lot of ways.” Smith adds that what she, Swanson, and Rodman share is a positive outlook and a strong desire to win for the team.
“We're similar in how hungry we are to score goals, how we want to turn and go forward as efficiently as possible, to connect and be fluid.”
Smith notes that the 2024 Olympics was the first time that she, Rodman, and Swanson all played together in any competition. Last year, during the 2023 World Cup, Swanson was sidelined by injury and thus did not make the trip to Japan.
In the leadup to the World Cup last April, the Swanson tore her left patellar tendon during a friendly against Ireland. But Swanson returned to complete form, scoring four goals during all matches at Paris 2024.
“Honestly, it’s just fun playing with them,” Smith said of her strike partners. “Playing soccer in the Olympics, you only six games playing together. But we already connect so much, and I think we all make each other better.
Read Frye’s recent interviews with Megan Rapinoe and Ilona Maher.
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