United States girls’s nationwide workforce and Portland Thorns FC ahead Sophia Smith’s knee damage is a mild medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain in her right knee and her standing is week-to-week, her membership introduced on Wednesday. She picked up the damage in opposition to the Washington Spirit on Sunday.
Smith exited the sector below her personal energy simply earlier than halftime however was later seen together with her knee wrapped in ice and on crutches all through the rest of the match. Ahead Hannah Belfort subbed on for the injured Smith and Portland walked away with a 1-1 draw in opposition to the Spirit. They’re nonetheless in first place on the league desk because the playoff hunt is in full swing.
The 2022 NWSL MVP tried a problem on the ball and her knee linked with the grass on heavy affect. The week 17 fixture was her first begin again from the 2023 FIFA Girls’s World Cup. She scored the game-winner instead in opposition to North Carolina Braveness on Aug. 20 and the workforce lept again into first place with the victory.
The aim was Smith’s eleventh of the 2023 season and has her firmly within the lead of the Golden Boot race. Spirit striker Ashley Hatch is in second with 9 objectives and North Carolina Braveness ahead Kerolin is in third with eight objectives.
How this impacts Portland
Portland has the deepest bench within the league and is constructed to maintain unpredictable accidents. Smith’s attacking companion Morgan Weaver scored the lone aim in opposition to the Spirit, and Belfort has emerged as one other scoring choice after being with the membership since 2021. Neither of them are Smith in fact, her 0.56 anticipated objectives per 90 minutes is second solely to the Spirit’s Ashley Hatch within the NWSL this season (amongst gamers with over 500 minutes). Sill Weaver is within the high 10 at 0.35, ninth total, and Belfort can be at 0.35, albeit in solely 182 minutes performed.
There are simply 5 weeks remaining within the common season and the 2023 NWSL Defend and playoff positioning remains to be on the road. The workforce is in an excellent place to safe the highest spot however any prolonged lack of the reigning MVP and high aim scorer within the league is a large blow regardless of how deep the bench.
