 Is 13-year-old Olivia Moultrie the grand experiment that American women’s soccer needs right now?

Is 13-year-old Olivia Moultrie the grand experiment that American women’s soccer needs right now

[{"selector":"#anim-a87e679f-5626-462b-a5d5-6db0a112f989","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ccd2cf34-65c3-4acd-ab93-2580d5b8f4bc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 206.96305%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f3b9177a-bcd1-4777-b98a-8e24966baa1f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] March 27's nighttime drizzle in Portland was persistent. By six, traffic was backed up.

It was a dull night for a preseason soccer friendly, but 2,000 fans saw the local pro women's club play the U.S. U-23.

[{"selector":"#anim-3cdfac8f-bebf-476a-a6b3-d5eeefe50507","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ad47d79f-3dab-434d-9762-751b970a5c94","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 176.40211%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-165cb061-9da1-4598-a52a-71f6f3edcb41 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(5.076476806116382%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-3c677465-3c35-443a-a195-77e99073ef5e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-426f1117-5925-4dcb-9b23-74fa708cc98d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 187.60234%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2c34af55-856f-4325-8f02-79578a5c229f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(21.874999829338595%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] The first half was dull. Senior national team stars Tobin Heath and Lindsey Horan were absent from Portland Thorns.

Thorns added a player in the second half. Number 42,,,

[{"selector":"#anim-f0fac39a-21e7-4b60-850b-1ae8b2ff3169","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fc9b8b27-b11a-403b-a7c0-9ca124343b07","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 264.78334%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6cde4a99-cdbf-47fb-9824-42c3c3547e05 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-42.08984362200394%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-11c89a8f-8e48-4c2d-970f-6c12c8ab8e94","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-832ba56b-afc2-4ca3-b9dd-cfa893970239","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 210.96299%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-575f30a9-8f28-41cf-a773-e9967e4345f3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(28.90624987200394%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] unlisted in the program and smaller than most, sported red cleats and a high bun.

[{"selector":"#anim-b3177d32-7530-4a89-970e-045edce22567","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dc239d9a-bb3e-4883-a634-e38923c12061","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 175.19157%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bed8dd71-9824-448a-8b45-68ca371d2490 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] She looked nervous, lost the ball several times, got it back, and walked off early to huddle with trainers, exhausted. Which made sense. She was only 13.

[{"selector":"#anim-0b23ab9a-22c4-446c-b430-6ceaaffae59e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3a6c1256-716e-4ed2-ae55-0f1bdc297f5f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 221.34516%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a04da0e8-ed28-4003-bf0e-729f47b6f001 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Most girls finish seventh grade at 13. Puberty brings acne and social anxiety.

[{"selector":"#anim-038a8d93-2a77-4dc7-b77a-c361bfba93bc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eda502b0-45d0-4297-90f6-d627143a2a0d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 187.71369%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fffd3203-7795-4a16-8204-902f99aae608 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-38.86718737200394%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Olivia Moultrie, the youngest pro women's soccer player ever, got a six-figure deal with Nike and moved to Portland with her family to train with the Thorns, the NWSL's top team.

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