Sophia Smith scored the first hattrick of the 2023 NWSL in Portland Thorns FC 4-1 win over Kansas City Current on Saturday.
She becomes the third youngest player to bag three goals at the age of 22 years 234 days.
Crystal Dunn broke through in the third minute and Smith found her first in the 18th minute. Kansas City attacker CeCe Kizer pulled one back before the hour mark to set up a feisty final 30 minutes to an action-packed second-half.
Sophia Smith toyed with the KC Current backline to restore the two-goal cushion in the 83rd minute before killing the game as a contest four minutes later with a right-footed shot from outside the box.
Speaking after the match, Smith said, “I will do whatever the game needs from me…., whatever my team needs from me.”
She continued, “I try to stay grounded, to stay present. It’s an exciting team, this group is really special, even more than last year”.
The win sees Thorns FC maintain a perfect start to the season, scoring 8-1 in their first two games so far.
