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SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTBUE Alyssa Thompson, feinted to the left and then moved right to kick this goal vs. Iceland. |
Alyssa Thompson is only 19 years old but it seems like an eternity since she burst into soccer's professional ranks as the No. 1 pick in the women's soccer draft at the age of 18.
Thursday, the 19 year old Filipino American wunderkind, scored her first goal in an international match in a game between the No. 1-ranked US Womens Women's National Team and 13th-ranked Iceland.
“Coming onto the field in the beginning, and wearing this jersey, I was like, ‘This is surreal,’ she told TNT. And being able to get my first goal, I can’t describe how I feel. I’m just so happy.”
“Once it hit the net, I froze,” Thompson said in a post-game media briefing. “That has been a dream of mine for so long, and I couldn't think of a better way to score. I've been working on that shot for a while.”
Thompson’s last appearance for the United States women’s national team was in 2023 when she came in as a sub during the World Cup. However, because of injuries and a so-so season with the Angel City FC, Thompson was left off the Olympic team that went on to win the Gold Medal in Paris.
“I have been watching her performances since the Olympics,” admitted USWNT coach Emma Hayes in the post-match presser after the 3-1 win over Iceland. “I know she’s committed to looking for the next level in her play. I think you see just how threatening and dangerous she is.”
Thompson scored the US's first goal in the 39th minute. She received the ball outside the 18-yard-box from teammate Sam Coffey. Thompson dribbled down the left flank and then, with a quick inside, outside touch, rocketed the ball to the far side of the goal,
“It’s not an easy goal," said Hayes. "Chop in from the left-hand side and roof it in the top corner.”
As a starter, Thompson was the only member of the team who wasn't part of the Olympic team. “The biggest adjustment that I had to make was learning who I was as a soccer player again,” Thompson told reporters last week. “Last season, there was so much going on, and there (were) a lot of good things, but I didn’t really have the time to think, process and continue to improve.
“This season, I’ve been really honing in on things that I need to work on that will make my game even better and get me into positions where I want to be, like making this roster.”
The USWNT's collective bargaining agreement requires all available players from the Olympic team to be recalled for victory tour matches. This first international window following the Americans' gold medal win is considered the victory tour.
For various reasons, four of the 22-member Olympic team could not take part in the victory tour. The match with Iceland was the first of the four games of the victory tour that winds up in London.
The World Cup is in 2026 and the 2028 Olympics will be held in Los Angeles. Thompson's place on the team is not a sure thing. Figure her performance Thursday and in the next three games as a tuneup and chance to impress her coaches.
“You know, her international career started at a very early stage," said coach Hayes. "but that's why I believe it does take time. Maybe she wasn't ready before, but I could see from (Thursday's) performance, she offers a lot for us going forward, and I was super pleased."
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