Sofia Huerta
Sofia Huerta | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sofia Christine Huerta December 14, 1992 Boise, Idaho, United States |
| Occupation | Professional soccer player |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Known for | Playing for Seattle Reign FC and the United States women's national soccer team; first female to compete for both Mexico and the United States senior national teams |
Sofia Christine Huerta (born December 14, 1992) is a professional American soccer athlete who occupies the position of right back for Seattle Reign FC and represents the U.S. national team. Her collegiate career was spent with the Santa Clara Broncos, after which she was selected by the Chicago Red Stars in the 2015 draft. Huerta later transferred to the Houston Dash in 2018 and subsequently joined Seattle Reign in 2020.
Originally, Huerta played internationally for Mexico, but she executed a one-time switch to debut for the U.S. national team on September 15, 2017. On April 8, 2018, she made history as the first female athlete to have competed both alongside and against the U.S. and Mexico national squads.
Early life
Born to Mauricio Huerta, an electrical engineer from Puebla, and Jody Jensen Huerta, Sofia attended Centennial High School in Boise, Idaho. She distinguished herself in soccer, basketball, and track, twice receiving the Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year award in soccer and setting school records in hurdle events. Additionally, she was named to several All-Academic teams during her high school tenure.
Santa Clara Broncos, 2011–2014
At Santa Clara University, Huerta was a starting forward throughout her four-year collegiate career. During her freshman and sophomore years, she earned All-West Coast Conference recognition while scoring between six and eight goals each season. In 2013, she led her team by netting 16 goals and contributing eight assists, which garnered her third-team All-American honors. Her senior year featured 17 goals and three assists, securing her third-team All-American distinction once more as well as co-player of the year accolades within the West Coast Conference.
Chicago Red Stars, 2015–2018
Selected 11th overall in the 2015 NWSL College Draft by the Chicago Red Stars, Huerta quickly established herself as a key player. In May 2015, she scored her first two professional goals, propelling Chicago to lead the league standings. She received NWSL Player of the Week honors twice and was awarded Player of the Month for May. Huerta was among the finalists for the 2015 NWSL Rookie of the Year and earned spots on the NWSL Second XI as a forward in 2015 and as a midfielder in 2017. In April 2018, she again received recognition as NWSL Player of the Month.
On June 16, 2018, Huerta did not participate in Chicago’s match due to an impending trade. Two days later, she and Taylor Comeau were traded to Houston Dash as part of a three-team transaction involving Utah Royals. The trade aligned with Huerta’s preference for increased playing time at outside back—a role assigned by USWNT coach Jill Ellis consistent with her national team duties.
Loan to Adelaide United
In October 2016, Huerta joined Australian W-League club Adelaide United on loan alongside teammates Katie Naughton and Danielle Colaprico from Chicago Red Stars. Operating primarily as a midfielder, she tallied eight goals and five assists across twelve matches. Her performance earned her Professional Footballers Australia Player of the Month for January 2017 and Adelaide United’s W-League Player of the Year honors. She also secured third place in Julie Dolan Medal voting with seventeen points.
Houston Dash, 2018–2019
Huerta was acquired by Houston Dash on June 18, 2018, making an immediate impact by scoring during her debut game on June 22 despite a 3–1 defeat against Portland. While predominantly deployed as a midfielder and forward during this period, she appeared in twelve matches with five goals scored and was named to the NWSL Second XI. Although her preferred position remained outside back, Huerta made significant contributions in offensive roles for Houston.
Loan Move to Sydney FC
On September 28, 2018, Huerta signed with Sydney FC for the 2018–19 W-League campaign. She was among four American athletes recruited, including her former Red Stars colleague Danielle Colaprico. Sydney FC deployed her as an outside back to boost her chances of earning a call-up to the USWNT.
Huerta featured in every minute throughout the season, netting goals in both the semi-final versus Brisbane and the Grand Final. Her contributions helped Sydney secure a 4–2 victory over Perth, clinching the 2018–19 W-League title.
OL Reign Tenure, 2020
On February 3, 2020, OL Reign acquired Huerta along with Amber Brooks from Houston in a trade that sent Shea Groom, Megan Oyster, and a conditional draft pick to Houston.
During the 2022 season, Huerta earned a nomination for the NWSL Defender of the Year award alongside teammate Alana Cook, underscoring her defensive prowess.
Lyon
On September 12, 2024, Huerta joined French top-tier side Lyon on a loan deal extending through the conclusion of the 2024–25 season.
International career
Although Huerta was not selected for the United States squad at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, she was eligible to represent Mexico due to her paternal heritage. Despite suffering a broken elbow, she scored three out of Mexico’s seven goals during that tournament. In December 2012, she added two goals for Mexico at the City of São Paulo International Women's Football Tournament. She made a substitute appearance for Mexico against the United States in September 2013. By December 2014, Huerta declared her intention to cease representing Mexico and pursue opportunities with the U.S. national team.
In July 2017, the United States Soccer Federation filed a request with FIFA to approve Huerta’s switch of national team allegiance, which was granted in September 2017. She earned her first cap for the U.S. on September 16, 2017, in a match against New Zealand where she also provided an assist. Huerta became the first woman to have played for both senior national teams of the U.S. and Mexico.
Although included on the preliminary roster for the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, Huerta did not make the final squad. Following June 2018, she experienced a period without national team call-ups and focused on playing as an outside back at club level to enhance her prospects of returning to international play.
In 2022, Huerta rejoined the U.S. roster for qualifiers in the CONCACAF Women's Championship. Alongside Veronica Zepeda, she is one of only two female players to have represented both Mexico and the United States at senior international level.
In June 2023, Huerta was selected for the U.S. squad competing in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand. She made her tournament debut during a group stage match resulting in a 3–0 victory over Vietnam.
Personal life
Huerta appeared in a Netflix documentary series chronicling the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team’s journey during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which premiered in fall 2023.
She is engaged to Spencer Wadsworth; their engagement was announced in February 2024.
College
| College | Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara Broncos | 2011–12 | 22 | 8 | 2 |
| 2012–13 | 17 | 6 | 6 | |
| 2013–14 | 22 | 16 | 8 | |
| 2014–15 | 20 | 17 | 3 | |
| Total Career | 81 | 47 | 19 | |
Club
| Team | Season | League Competition | Domestic Cup[lower-alpha 1] | International Matches | Postseason[lower-alpha 2] | Overall Totals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Appearances | Goals Scored | Appearances | Goals Scored | Appearances | Goals Scored | Appearances | Goals Scored | Appearances | Goals Scored | ||
| Chicago Red Stars | 2015 | NWSL | 19 | 6 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 20 | 6 | ||
| 2016 | 20 | 7 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 21 | 7 | ||||
| 2017 | 24 | 6 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 25 | 6 | ||||
| Houston Dash | 2018 | 23 | 8 | — | — | — | 23 | 8 | ||||
| 2019 | 24 | 5 | — | — | — | 24 | 5 | |||||
| Seattle Reign | get=2020 OL Reign season | get=4 | get=1 | get=2 | get=0 | get=— | get=— | get=— | get=— | get=6 | get=1 | |
| get=2021 OL Reign season | get=23 | get=1 | get=4 | get=1 | get=— | get=— | get=1 | get=0 | get=28 | get=2 | ||
| get=2022 OL Reign season | get=19 | get=1 | get=7 | get=1 | get=— | get=— | get=1 | get=0 | get=27 | get=2 | ||
| get=2023 OL Reign season | get=17 | get=1 | get=4 | get=0 | get=— | get=— | get=3 | get=0 | get=24 | get=1 | ||
| get=2024 Seattle Reign FC season | get=19 | get=2 | get=— | get=— | get=3 | get=1 | get=— | get=— | get=22 | get=3 | ||
| max=Adelaide United (loan) | max=2016–17 W-League | max=W-League | max=12 | max=8 | max=— | max=— | max=— | max=— | max=12 | max=8 | ||
| Sydney FC (loan) | max=2018–19 W-League | max=W-League | max=12 | max=3 | max=— | max=— | max=— | max=— | max=14 | max=4 | ||
| max=2019–20 Sydney FC (W-League) season | max=W-League | max=11 | max=3 | max=— | max=— | max=— | max=— | max=13 | max=3 | |||
| Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (loan) | max=2024–25 Olympique Lyonnais Féminin season | max=Division 1 Féminine | max=9 | max=1 | max=— | max=— | max=2 | max=0 | max=11 | max=1 | ||
International Career
| Team | Year | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 2012 | 4 | 2 |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 2 | |
| United States | 2017 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 16 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 32 | 0 | |
| Career Totals | 37 | 2 | |
Achievements
Sydney FC
OL Reign
- NWSL Shield Winner: 2022
- The Women's Cup Champion: 2022
United States National Team
- CONCACAF Women's Championship Winner: 2022
- SheBelieves Cup Titles: 2018, 2022, 2023
Individual Honors
See also
- List of United States women's international soccer players
- List of Mexico women's international footballers
- List of sportspeople who competed for more than one nation
- List of foreign A-League Women players
- List of A-League Women hat-tricks
- List of Santa Clara University people
- List of people from Boise, Idaho
External links
- Profile at Seattle Reign FC
- Archived profile at Chicago Red Stars
- Archived bio at Santa Clara Broncos women's soccer
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- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
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- 1992 births
- Living people
- Women's association football forwards
- Women's association football fullbacks
- American women's soccer players
- Soccer players from Idaho
- Sportspeople from Boise, Idaho
- American sportspeople of Mexican descent
- United States women's international soccer players
- Santa Clara Broncos women's soccer players
- Chicago Red Stars draft picks
- National Women's Soccer League players
- Chicago Red Stars players
- Houston Dash players
- Adelaide United FC (women) players
- Sydney FC (women) players
- Seattle Reign FC players
- OL Lyonnes players
- American expatriate women's soccer players
- American expatriate sportspeople in Australia
- American expatriate sportspeople in France
- Expatriate women's soccer players in Australia
- Expatriate women's footballers in France
- Dual internationalists (women's football)
- Mexican women's footballers
- Mexico women's international footballers
- Mexican people of American descent
- Mexican expatriate women's footballers
- Mexican expatriate sportspeople in Australia
- Mexican expatriate sportspeople in France
- 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- 21st-century American sportswomen
- 21st-century Mexican sportswomen
- A-League Women championship–winning players
- Pages with reference errors