Sophia Smith, the number one pick of this year’s NWSL College Draft, made her long awaited debut for the Portland Thorns on Sept. 20. The former Stanford attacker was unavailable for the NWSL Challenge Cup due to a persistent knee injury. She was subbed on in the 69th minute against the Utah Royals and made an immediate impact.
The Thorns’ offense struggled throughout the Challenge Cup. They scored only three times in their six matches in Utah, winning only one match. But Smith may be just what the Thorns need to get back to their scoring ways.