So often, the conversation around Olivia Moultrie focuses on her place in history. In 2021, at 15 years old, she became the youngest player to sign a contract with a National Women’s Soccer League side, when agreeing a three-year contract with the Portland Thorns. Later that same year, she became the youngest player to appear in the NWSL regular season. One year later, she became the youngest in league history to score a goal.
Moultrie has made her name breaking records, to such an extent that one can forget about the football player behind all those sensational statistics. A football player who, now age 18, may well be on the verge of her first cap for the United States women’s national team.
Being called up to the U.S. squad is the latest progression in a special season for the Portland playmaker. Now in her third year of professional soccer, she has played more minutes and taken on more responsibility. With the likes of Hina Sugita and Rocky Rodriguez away on World Cup duty for their respective national teams, Moultrie established herself as a consistent starter. Ultimately, she made the line-up for half of Portland’s 22 regular season games, scoring two goals and setting up three for teammates.
