The last time Sophia Smith sobbed in a U.S. national team jersey, she was inconsolable, "heartbroken."
It was Aug. 6, 2023, and for months thereafter, memories of Melbourne would sicken her.
She'd skied a penalty on the grandest stage of her career, at the Women's World Cup, in a Round of 16 shootout. She collapsed into teammates' arms in the ugly, tear-stained aftermath. She still remembers all those tangled, incomprehensible emotions; the searing spotlights, the noise, the agony; ever since, she's "been trying to work my way back."
"To miss a PK in a World Cup takes a toll on you mentally," Smith said Wednesday night.