Team USA's Sophia Smith Opens Up About Making Her First World Cup Team (Exclusive)

etonline.com:

the 2023 Women's World Cup with the U.S. Women's National Team is the culmination of a lot of hard work and ambition.Smith, 22, recently spoke with ET's Will Marfuggi ahead of the start of this year's Women's World Cup — which kicked off on July 20 — and explained how she felt getting to compete in the event for the first time.«I feel excited,» Smith shared. «I'm not super nervous.

I'm just trying to embrace it all. This is a dream come true and I'm excited.»Looking back on when she first learned she'd made the USWNT, Smith said she was overcome with «relief and excitement.»Smith admitted that she was «anxious for the first game to just start» because of how long the «lead up» to the Women's World Cup was, and she said she's «just ready to play!»To keep from getting too wrapped up in the gravity of the situation, Smith said she's keeping a level head and calm mindset, telling herself, «This is just it's another soccer tournament and I'm playing in another soccer game.»That being said, Smith didn't want to let down her guard and explained that she knew the stakes and the challenges would be significant.«I think every World Cup is a big deal.

I have not played in a World Cup, so I can't speak for the others, but I know that every World Cup is hard,» she shared. «Every team is good, and it's going to be a fight to win this World Cup.

It's not going to be easy, and it's going to take every single player 110 percent, every single game.»Reflecting on the advice she's gotten from her teammates — some of whom have competed in multiple World Cup tournaments — Smith said, «I think the biggest advice is to stay present, to embrace it all and to have fun because this really is it's a big deal.»«And to also just not put too much.