2 years ago
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Vietnam keeper Kim Thanh was mobbed by her jubilant team-mates after saving Alex Morgan's penaltyUnited States launched their bid for an unprecedented third consecutive world crown with a comfortable win against Women's World Cup debutants Vietnam in Auckland.
Sophia Smith struck twice before half-time for the the four-time world champions in front of thousands of their travelling fans in a crowd of 41,107.
Smith, one of 14 players in the USA squad appearing at their first World Cup, fired the number one ranked team in the world ahead with a low drilled finish from an angle.
Her second was awarded following a lengthy check by the Video Assistant Referee for an offside before captain Lindsey Horan swept home the third in the 78th minute.
There was a memorable moment for keeper Kim Thanh when she was mobbed by her jubilant team-mates after keeping out Alex Morgan's penalty which was awarded for a foul on Trinity Rodman.
Vietnam rarely managed to get out of their own half but they worked hard and produced a gritty defensive performance to keep the scoreline respectable.
- Reaction as the United States defeat Vietnam at the Women's World Cup
- Are history-seeking USA still the team to beat?
Bigger tests to come
While this was not the hammering some had predicted in the build-up, the United States did enough to get their campaign off to a winning start.
Four years ago in France they record the biggest ever Women's World Cup win, a 13-0 thrashing of Thailand, in their opening game on the way to winning the tournament.
They carved out enough chances against Vietnam to record another double-digit win and there will be a tinge of disappointment from boss Vlatko Andonovski that his side did not make the most of their 28 attempts.
The USA arrived in New Zealand as favourites but tougher tests lie ahead and only after Thursday's match in Wellington against the Netherlands - a repeat of the 2019 final - will their fans learn more about whether they can make it three World Cups successes in a row.
This was so comfortable that Andonovski sent on 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson for her first taste of the World Cup, while fellow substitute and icon Megan Rapinoe also made her 200th appearance for the Stars and Stripes - 17 years to the weekend she made her debut.
Rapinoe had a chance to mark the milestone with a goal but failed to take her chance, while Rose Lavelle struck the bar in the closing stages.
More to follow.
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USA
Squad number1Player nameNaeher
Squad number23Player nameFox
Squad number8Player nameErtz
Squad number4Player nameGirma
Squad number19Player nameDunn
Squad number9Player nameDeMelo
Squad number17Player nameSullivan
Squad number10Player nameHoran
Squad number20Player nameRodman
Squad number13Player nameMorgan
Squad number11Player nameSmith
Squad number3Player nameHuerta
Squad number5Player nameO'Hara
Squad number7Player nameThompson
Squad number15Player nameRapinoe
Squad number16Player nameLavelle
Vietnam
Squad number14Player nameTran Thi Kim Thanh
Squad number17Player nameTran Thi Thu Thao
Squad number2Player nameLuong Thi Thu Thuong
Squad number13Player nameLê Thi Diem My
Squad number4Player nameTran Thi Thu
Squad number5Player nameHoàng Thi Loan
Squad number23Player nameNguyen Thi Bích Thùy
Squad number10Player nameTran Thi Hai Linh
Squad number11Player nameThái Thi Thao
Squad number7Player nameNguyen Thi Tuyet Dung
Squad number9Player nameHuynh Nhu
Squad number3Player nameChuong Thi Kieu
Squad number12Player namePham Hai Yen
Squad number16Player nameDuong Thi Vân
Squad number21Player nameNgân Thi Van Su
Squad number22Player nameNguyen Thi My Anh
Line-ups
USA
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Naeher
- 23FoxSubstituted forHuertaat 84'minutes
- 8Ertz
- 4Girma
- 19DunnSubstituted forO'Haraat 84'minutes
- 9DeMeloSubstituted forLavelleat 63'minutes
- 17Sullivan
- 10HoranBooked at 56mins
- 20RodmanSubstituted forThompsonat 75'minutes
- 13MorganSubstituted forRapinoeat 63'minutes
- 11Smith
Substitutes
- 2Sanchez
- 3Huerta
- 5O'Hara
- 6Williams
- 7Thompson
- 12Cook
- 14Sonnett
- 15Rapinoe
- 16Lavelle
- 18Murphy
- 21Kingsbury
- 22Mewis
Vietnam
Formation 5-4-1
- 14Tran
- 17Tran
- 2LuongSubstituted forChuongat 61'minutes
- 13Lê
- 4Tran
- 5Hoàng
- 23NguyenSubstituted forNguyenat 61'minutes
- 10TranSubstituted forDuongat 89'minutes
- 11Thái
- 7NguyenSubstituted forNgânat 45'minutes
- 9HuynhBooked at 75minsSubstituted forPhamat 76'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Dào
- 3Chuong
- 6Tran
- 8Tran
- 12Pham
- 15Nguyen
- 16Duong
- 18Vu
- 19Nguyen
- 20Khong
- 21Ngân
- 22Nguyen
Referee:Bouchra Karboubi
Attendance:41,107
Live Text
Match ends, USA 3, Vietnam Women 0.
Second Half ends, USA 3, Vietnam Women 0.
Corner, USA. Conceded by Chuong Thi Kieu.
Attempt missed. Lindsey Horan (USA) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Offside, USA. Lindsey Horan tries a through ball, but Rose Lavelle is caught offside.
Corner, USA. Conceded by Chuong Thi Kieu.
Substitution, Vietnam Women. Duong Thi Vân replaces Tran Thi Hai Linh because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Tran Thi Hai Linh (Vietnam Women).
Foul by Sophia Smith (USA).
Hoàng Thi Loan (Vietnam Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Hand ball by Alyssa Thompson (USA).
Attempt saved. Rose Lavelle (USA) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Sophia Smith.
Substitution, USA. Sofia Huerta replaces Emily Fox.
Substitution, USA. Kelley O'Hara replaces Crystal Dunn.
Offside, USA. Rose Lavelle tries a through ball, but Emily Fox is caught offside.
Corner, USA. Conceded by Tran Thi Thu Thao.
Attempt blocked. Julie Ertz (USA) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Megan Rapinoe with a cross.
Corner, USA. Conceded by Lê Thi Diem My.
Attempt missed. Megan Rapinoe (USA) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left from a direct free kick.
English (US) ·