Smith, Moultrie among nominees for U.S. Soccer honors
Thorns FC's Sophia Smith and Olivia Moultrie are among the nominees for the U.S. Soccer end of year awards announced today and fans have a chance to vote for them.
- VOTE NOW:Â 2023 U.S. Soccer End of Year Awards Fan Vote
Smith is a finalist for the Female Player of the Year Award while Moultrie is nominated for the Chipotle Young Female Player of the Year Award.Â
The fan vote will account for 15 percent of the overall vote tally, with the rest coming from U.S. National Team players, coaches, media, and other constituents.
Voting runs through Monday, Dec. 18 at 9am PT. The winners will be announced in January 2024.
After winning the 2022 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year Award, the 23-year-old forward put together a stellar 2023. She earned her second-straight NWSL Golden Boot with 11 goals in 16 matches while also adding five assists. Along with earning NWSL Best XI honors, the Thorns striker became just the third player in league history to net two hat tricks in one season. On the international level, Smith scored two goals versus Vietnam in the USA’s 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup opener, becoming the youngest player to net a brace in her World Cup debut.
Moultrie, 18, had a breakout NWSL season in 2023 scoring two goals and adding three assists in 22 matches (12 starts). While Moultrie is still age-eligible for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, she earned her first senior team call-up this year in October before getting her first two national team caps in two appearances in December, both against China. This is Moultrie's second consecutive nomination for Young Female Player of the Year.
