A ‘Thorn’ in their side
Portland takes on North Carolina in an NWSL matchup
Things are getting heated in the National Women’s Soccer League as the sixthplace North Carolina Courage make the trip to Providence Park in Portland, Ore., to play the fourth-place Portland Thorns. Be sure to catch all the action Saturday, June 8, when the game airs live on TSN.
With five straight wins under their belt (at press time), Thorns forward Sophia Smith looks to keep up the momentum and continue pushing her team up the NWSL standings. Smith has been with the Thorns for the entirety of her career, being drafted first overall by the team in the 2020 NWSL College Draft. The 23-yearold has proven to be a major player for the team, picking up both league and championship MVP honours on the way to the Thorns’ 2022 NWSL championship victory. This season, Smith leads the NWSL with 28 shots on target in eight games.
On the other side of the pitch, the Courage have lost four out of their last five games as of the time of writing. Hoping to turn their fortunes around, team captain Denise O’Sullivan leads the Courage into enemy territory Saturday, June 8, when they face the Thorns. Tune in to TSN for all the action, airing live.
FACTS
Full name: Sophia Olivia Smith Birthdate: Aug. 10, 2000 (23)
Birthplace: Windsor, Colo. Height/weight: 5-6/127 pounds
Team(s): Portland Thorns FC (2020 - present), Stanford University Cardinals (2018-2019)
Honours and achievements: SheBelievesCup winner (2024, 2022, 2021), CONCACAF Gold Cup winner (2024), NWSL Challenge Cup winner (2021), First International Goal (vs. Paraguay, 2021)