Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma and the USWNT’s young stars are poised to break out at the World Cup

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Not since the earliest years of the U.S. women’s soccer team has a squad arrived at a World Cup with this much glittering young potential.

Watch 23-year-old Naomi Girma’s composure and positioning at centerback, and you’ll scarcely believe her age. Watch 24-year-old Ashley Sanchez’s inventiveness in midfield, and you’ll see why she was a much-hyped U.S. youth team prospect.

Watch 22-year-old Sophia Smith and 21-year-old Trinity Rodman not just torch the wings, but cut centrally to fire shots at the net. And watch 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson to see if U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski and many others are proven right in their belief in the teenage phenom.

The drumbeat of anticipation for that quintet and others has been rolling quietly for a while in women’s soccer circles. Now it’s about to get louder and explode on to the world stage.

“I’m not worried about the inexperience,” Andonovski said last month when the subject came up once again. “In fact, I’m excited about the energy and the enthusiasm that the young players bring, the intensity, and the drive as well.”

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Just about every major media outlet that has picked a potential U.S. breakout star in New Zealand has picked Smith. The chorus includes this reporter, and has for a while.

The Windsor, Colo., native has never been afraid to charge into traffic, whether with the ball at her feet or awaiting a teammate’s pass. She is a ruthless finisher in wide or central forward roles. Smith’s buoyant smile quickly turns to fangs on the field.

A reporter brought up one of Smith’s recent goals for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, where she left four defenders chasing her wake. What’s on her mind in a moment like that?

“Scoring,” she replied. “Thinking about how can I get to the goal in the most efficient way possible to score a goal, or to assist.”

As if there was any other answer.

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“I think our generation has an image of being very confident,” Smith said. “I think that’s great. It’s not having an ego. I think it’s more, we believe in ourselves and aren’t afraid to show that.”

Is she ready now for the brightest spotlight yet at a World Cup?

“It still feels surreal,” Smith said Wednesday as another media throng met with her in Auckland. “I feel it, I definitely feel it. I like it. It means people believe in me — I say that all the time. But I try not to overthink it.”

Girma’s role grew when longtime captain Becky Sauerbrunn suffered a foot injury in April that ruled her out of this World Cup. But the San Jose, Calif., native isn’t walking into the starting spot Sauerbrunn’s absence opened. She already was written in ink in the next one over.

“Having that confidence from other teammates, especially older teammates, just gives me as a younger player that much more confidence to feel like I can make an impact,” said Girma, who plays for the NWSL’s San Diego Wave. “And I think throughout last year, starting at San Diego, starting with the national team, that support from teammates has been huge for me — not only given me confidence, but advice and guidance.”

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As is typical of her low-key character, Girma undersold her feats thus far. Last year, she became the first player in NWSL history to win Defender of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season.

“She reads the game so well and understands the game, and it seems like always is a step ahead of the game,” Andonovski said. “And that allows her to be successful in her actions. … It’s a combination of pure instinct, just the pure intelligence — I mean, she’s an intelligent person, knows, reads, anticipates — but also lots of training and watching videos, studying, analyzing.”

The chatter about Thompson started flying while she was still in high school in Los Angeles, and getting ready to follow Smith and Girma’s footsteps to Stanford.

Was it possible that she might turn pro instead? Might Andonovski have put a bug in her ear when he brought Thompson to Europe with the senior U.S. team last fall, then debuted her at England’s famed Wembley Stadium before more than 80,000 fans — subbing her in for Megan Rapinoe in a moment loaded with symbolism?

When Thompson’s hometown Angel City FC traded up to the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, the secret was out. And when she scored a dazzling goal five minutes into her first preseason game, it was no secret anymore.

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That didn’t mean Thompson was going to the World Cup, especially when FIFA held rosters to 23 players instead of expanding them to 26 like last fall’s men’s World Cup had. But when Mallory Swanson tore a patellar tendon in April, a door opened. Andonovski summoned Thompson immediately, and a few months later brought her to the World Cup. She flew to New Zealand with three goals and one assist­ in 1,003 minutes over 15 games for Angel City so far.

“I feel like Alyssa is a very different player,” said former U.S. Under-17 head coach Natalia Astrain, who coached Thompson at that level and will be an analyst on Telemundo. “And I feel like she’s showing now in the NWSL, she’s an electric player. She’s so intense. And she can provide goals to the team.”

Thompson confessed to being starstruck when she arrived.

“When I came in, every single player, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s her in real life,’” she said. “I hadn’t really seen them up close and in person, so it was crazy to see that. And I wasn’t pro yet.”

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But those veterans welcomed her in, not least because they knew what she brought to the table. Thompson named a few who’ve helped her, especially the 38-year-old Rapinoe.

“She’s so funny, and makes me feel comfortable even though I’m so young and she’s much older than me,” Thompson said. “I feel like she just makes me feel like I’m supposed to be here, too. And her not treating me differently and just keeping that high energy makes me feel really comfortable and happy.”

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Now there’s one big question left: Can the new generation solve the World Cup’s eternal challenge, breaking down packed-in opposing defenses on the sport’s highest-pressure stage?

“There’s always pressure in this team — we live in pressure,” U.S. midfielder and captain Lindsey Horan said, echoing one of the American team’s longtime mantras. “And I think we make that very known to any new, younger player coming into this environment, that you’re going to live in that for the rest of your career on this national team.”

She believes they can meet the moment.

“For the young ones, you know, it’s nothing new,” Horan said. “They do this week in, week out with the NWSL. You see the way Trinity is playing, and Alyssa, Soph. All these players, they’ve been incredible. … [I] tell them, just do the same thing that they do every single week, and obviously just take in the moment and enjoy.”

If they do that, the rest of the world is likely to spend a lot of time enjoying watching them.

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