On her 23rd birthday, Sophia Smith punched Team USA's ticket to the gold medal match in women's soccer.
After a scoreless 90 minutes Tuesday at the Parc des Princes, the Americans went into extra time against Germany searching for the first goal of the game. They found it just about five minutes into the extra period.
USWNT forward Mallory Swanson sent a pass ahead to Smith, who was in a footrace to get to the ball before Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger and defender Felicitas Rauch. Just inside the box, Smith slid as she kicked the ball between Berger and Rauch and into the net.
1–0, United States.
SOPHIA SMITH STRIKES IN EXTRA TIME FOR THE USA. 💥🇺🇸#ParisOlympics | 📺 USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/XyzQZQTEEG
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2024
Smith's teammates dogpiled on her to celebrate the goal that eventually sent the United States to the gold medal match on Saturday. Smith has either scored or assisted on a goal in four of the USWNT's five Olympic games in Paris.
"Honestly, I don't remember anything that happened," Smith told NBC's Mike Tirico after the game. "I just know Mal [Swanson] placed me a perfect ball through, and I just saw an open net in front of me and I knew I had to step up in a big moment. I feel like I had to do that for this team. We've been working so hard."
Smith was on the U.S. women's national team that was surprisingly eliminated by Sweden in the Round of 16 of the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia. The Americans now have a chance to win their first gold medal in women's soccer since winning three straight Olympic tournaments from 2004 to '12.
"It means absolutely everything. We had a hard year last year," Smith said. "Things didn't go how we wanted them to at all [in the World Cup]. We know we are better than that—we have so much potential in this group. We're a young group, but we can be so good. ... This is proof of that."
Team USA will play the winner of the Brazil-Spain semifinal match for gold on Saturday at the Parc des Princes.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sophia Smith Punches USWNT’s Ticket to Gold Medal Match With Epic Extra-Time Goal.
