USWNT vs Vietnam summary: Smith, score, goals & highlights | Women’s World Cup 2023

Signing off...

That's all from us tonight.

Thank you for joining the live coverage of the Women's World Cup Group E opener - make sure you keep your eyes peeled for more!

Joe

Smith is the AS USA MVP

Hardly the hipsters' choice, given she got 2 goals and an assist, but who cares?

Smith was fantastic for the entire game, and I didn't mean anything bad when I called her an annoying cinema goer. It was a compliment. She was relentless for the full 99 minutes and did not stop pressing, running and fighting for every ball.

What a performance from the 22-year-old.

Sophia Smith post-game:

Every minute was fun, the crowd was amazing, but we have a long way to go.

I feel good, I came into the game with the mindset of 'I will do everything to help', I'm happy but I think we can give a little more.

I was a little anxious going into the tournament. We know the next game will be hard.

Full-time report:

The USWNT got off to a perfect start in Auckland as they breezed past a brave Vietnam side who defended superbly well for large portions of the game.

A first-half brace from Sophia Smith was topped up by a Lindsey Horan tap in to give Andonovski's side a comfortable 3-0 win.

Alex Morgan had a penalty saved in the first half that saw the US dominate space and possession without finding their goalscoring touch, and it fell to Sophia Smith to open the deadlock with a fine strike underneath the goalkeeper.

The second one came after a long VAR check deemed Alex Morgan onside, meaning Smith's edge-of-the-box strike doubled the lead just before the break.

The dominance in the second half continued, with Vlatko's side controlling possession: Lindsey Horan's late goal sealed the result.

This game was always seen as a winnable match for the USA, with the tougher games in the group still to come. But a win is a win and it can only be a positive tom start off with three points in the bag.

Vietnam defended well in parts and in others things were slightly calamitous. But their passion to stick it out was there for 99 minutes and they will likely make things difficult for Portugal and The Netherlands. 

Full-time!

Three points for the defending champions!

We're into the final minute of the match...

Naeher catches Thu Thao's cross after she breaks away down the left in a last-gasp attempt to claw something from the game.

Lavelle almost gets on the end of a ball floated over by Horan, but she can't rise high enough.

This is some seriously frantic defending from Vietnam, almost as ferocious as their manager, who seems to be having an angry staring contest with the stopwatch in his left hand.

Lavelle slides in Rapinoe down the left who wins a corner for her side. 

Vietnam are bailing water but there's a hole in their bucket.

Smith wriggles and squirms excellently through a gaggle of Vietnamese players before the ball is cleared.

USA pushing for number four...

The US are starting to flick passes round corners and turn on the style ever so slightly in the closing stages of the game. Horan in particular, who has come alive creatively after her goal.

Stats after 90 minutes:

Shots: USWNT 26-0 Vietnam

Shotsontarget: USWNT 8-0 Vietnam

9 added minutes.

We're into the final minute of normal time.

Hai Linh Tran has had to be substituted after that tackle. We're back underway.

O'Hara may be hilarious off the pitch, but nobody is smiling after that one! What a crunching tackle.

Kelley O'Hara has gone in hard on Hai Linh, who is now rolling on the floor.

Lavelle fired a ferocious shot from the right side of the box and there were doubts as to whether it crossed the line - but the referee's watch said 'no goal'.

The ball bounced on the line!

LAVELLE OFF THE BAR

O'Hara and Huerta ON

Dunn and Fox OFF

Ngan slides past Dunn on the right and gets a huge cheer from the crowd.

The US are working the ball well from side to side and are asking an already tired Vietnamese side to chase them...

41,107 in attendance today

Just slightly fewer than the crowd that saw New Zealand beat Norway. This is the second biggest crowd ever for a football game in NZ.

Sophia Smith is like that person in the cinema who gets up 3 times to go to the toilet and has to squeeze past you - incredibly annoying. 

The only thing is, in this context, for the USWNT, beingannoying is exactly what they want. She is running relentlessly at the Vietnamese defence, time and time again. What a shift.

Back underway...

Smith gets on the end of Ertz's long ball down the right and the youngster pulls the ball back for Horan to tap into an empty net.

HORAN

Hai Yen Pham ON

Huynh Nhu OFF

Alyssa Thompsonbecomes one of the youngest ever players to feature at a World Cup, at just 18-years-old.

Alyssa Thompson ON

Trinity Rodman OFF

Vietnam break with Thi Thao who is alone and all she can do is hit a hopeful cross towards goal, which is collected by Naeher.

A low ball from the right found Rapinoe who spooned an effort from close range over the bar.

RAPINOE COMES CLOSE

Vietnam's plan on the ball seems to be to find Julie Ertz, as they look absolutely committed to wellying a high ball into the air at every occasion.

A few long balls have reminded the US defence that there are two teams on the pitch, but Vietnam have failed to cause their opponents a single problem in this half.

Etrz hacks away an awkward high ball into the box from Vietnam, who are keen to relieve some of the pressure that the USWNT have had them under.

The ball was whipped in from the right to Rapinoe on the left, who played a pass across goal to Fox, but her shot was a fumbled effort and flew over the bar from close range!

A HUGE CHANCE FOR EMILY FOX!

The pace of the game has dropped significantly over the last 10-15 minutes, with the various stoppages for injuries and substitutes taking the spark out of the relentless US attacks...

This is Megan Rapinoe's 200th appearance in the USWNT shirt.

Rapinoe and Lavelle ON

Morgan and DeMelo OFF

Chuong and Nguyen ON

Thu Thuong and Bich Thuy OFF

Horan's looping header is caught by Kim Thanh. The USA continue to press Vietnam back into their defensive third.

Vietnam don't take advantage of the free-kick and the US clear easily.

Horan gets the first bookingof the game after a late challenge on Bich Thuy, who is in a lot of pain.

Kim Thanh punches away a cross from DeMelo that was heading straight for the forehead of Alex Morgan. A fantastic intervention.

Back underway and the USWNT win a corner after nice work from DeMelo on the left side.

Vietnam clear.

We have a small stoppage in play as DiemMy has gone down with an injury. She looks OK to continue.

A fantastic move: Rodman plays the ball in from the right byline and Lindsey Horan hits a sweet, side-footed shot on the volley that flies just wide!

HORAN JUST WIDE

Vietnam get down the left and play a cross into the box that is cut out by Sullivan.

AND ERTZ HEADS WIDE

Some nice link-up play down the left between Smith, Horan and DeMelo ends with Thu Thuong giving away a handball close to the left corner flag.

The long ball was not dealt with by the Asian side, who allowed Smith into the box. Her shot, however, was sliced and she put the ball just wide of the goal.

SOPHIA SMITH NEARLY GETS HER THIRD GOAL WITHIN TEN SECONDS

Second half underway

And we're off again!

Here come the two teams!

We're almost ready to go for the second 45.

Love is in the air for the USWNT!

The huge cheers from the crowd make me think that the fans are confident of going all the way this year, once again.

The USA continue their winning run

If things stay the same, the USWNT will continue their scarily good run of not losing in the opening game of a World Cup.

Their current run has them on 6 wins out of 8 opening games, and today looks like it could be number 9.

Here I break down that record and also give my thoughts on how they look heading into the 2023 World Cup.

Half-time thoughts:

Sophia Smith's double is the difference at half-time after a hugely entertaining affair that has seen more VAR checks than I've had hot dinners. 

We've also had a missed penalty from Alex Morgan and a plethora of missed opportunities for the defending champions, who have made light work of their opponents so far.

The movement from the midfielders into the attacking line has caused Vietnam problems and the USWNT's quality to deliver long, looping balls has been a source of pain for them for 45 minutes.

Having said that, they have defended passionately and have been reasonably well organised, meaning that we are not seeing the large scoreline that people were expecting pre-KO.

And that's all for now!

Half time!

Back underway...

Well, the machine will know better than I, but apparently the defender's left boot was just behind Alex Morgan's shoulder, which means Sophia Smith's goal stands!

Smith is, with 2, the top scorer at the World Cup.

We've got a pause for a VAR check on that decision...

The ball was lobbed into the box and cleared away towards Smith, who hit the rebound into the goal from the edge of the box.

However, the referee's assistant raised her flag and the replay shows Alex Morgan was a toenail behind the Vietnamese defensive line.

A great decision.

NO! 

OFFSIDE!

Horan is almost played in with a nice through ball from DeMelo, but Diem My does well to cover and clear the ball.

Smith's cross is deflected behind by Thu Thuone and Kim Thanh in goal is sent jumping like a salmon to cover the potential mishap.

The corner is sent in and Vietnam defend well, despite a slight scare from another deflection inside the box.

Girma, Ertz and Naeher almost get into a bit of a mixup at the back as the ball isn't picked up by any of the three players, almost allowing Vietnam in for a chance. Ertz clears.

8 added minutes.

Morgan is currently down and is receiving treatment.

It looked like she was fouled just after the penalty was taken.

The San Diego Wave player's effort was poor and very central, and it was a very easy save for Kim Thanh.

Morgan can't believe it!

SAVED BY THE GOALKEEPER!!!!

Morgan to take...

PENALTY TO THE USA!

And the decision is...

Will we see penalty six in game six of the Women's World Cup?

The referee is going to the screen.

Thi Loan did make contact with Rodman as she drove towards the byline...

VAR time?

Rodman, now back on the right, burns past her marker and fires in a cross that is met by Morgan, who takes a few close touches before giving the ball back to Rodman, who is taken down.

VAR is having a look...

For all the dominance, the USWNT have only managed a handful of shots and even less on goal. The Asian side will be relatively happy with this performance so far.

We're underway again and the crowd are on their feet after some silky moves from Nhu in the middle to slip past Horan. 

We've got a slight break while Ertz receives treatment.

The centre-back got her head on a corner but she completely mistimed the effort and seemed to do some damage...

Ertz with a chance!

Smith fires over from close range! A great chance to double the lead.

The ball fell to the forward inside the box and her touch was decent but she leaned back as she swung her leg for the shot, and the ball ended up in Australia.

Having said that, a lot of their defending is last-gasp.

Horan comes close now for the USWNT after getting in behind and being found by a simple ball over the top that is eventually sent wide.

We're half an hour in and Vietnam are yet to have a real attack, as you might have expected. However, they have stood their ground reasonably well so far as things stand.

Morgan gets in behind again (this time on the right) but it's called for offside.

Panic stations for Vietnam.

Some lovely, direct play from the USA ended with a Morgan effort from the left that she dragged across goal. It was a tight angle, however, and and Morgan did well to get the shot so close.

MORGAN FIRES WIDE

Rodman has switched over to the left now, and is having a great go at terrorising the right-back instead.

Alex Morgan gets told off by the referee for pushing and shoving inside the box before the corner is taken by DeMelo...

Vietnam clear the corner.

Smith smacks an ambitious shot towards goal from a tight angle that is blocked out for a corner.

Vietnam have 11 players back as the US step their block up 10 yards and squeeze the opposition like a citrus fruit.

In terms of the floodgates opening, this game has an early feeling of 'when' not 'if'.

Rodman did well to keep a loose ball in play and she pulled the ball back towards the penalty spot where DeMelo was waiting, but her shot was blocked from close range.

ANOTHER CHANCE FOR DEMELO!

Another good save from Kim Thanh; Rodman again burst past her marker on the right before DeMelo latched onto the low cross and hit a weak shot that was easily dealt with.

Demelo, on her first start for the side, got the assist for the goal.

The crowd roar as Vietnam break down the right side, but Dunn covers well and halts the charge.

Back underway.

Rodman bursts down the right and fires in a dangerous cross that is caught.

Smith latches onto a through ball between the right-back and centre-back and slides a wonderful shot underneath the falling body of goalkeeper, Kim Thanh.

Bang. Just like that.

SMITH WITH THE GOAL

THE USA GET THEIR WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY

Thi Loan skips delightfully past Rodman and gets an almighty wooo from the crowd, who enjoyed that greatly.

The fast start has slowed down as Vietnam look to stifle every US move that creeps close to the danger area.

The possession is still with the defending champions, but their opponents seem to have plugged those early spaces.

The game is settling somewhat, with the USWNT controlling the possession on the edge of the Vietnamese box. 

Every time Vietnam get the ball there is a huge cheer from the crowd, who have travelled well for the game.

Horan takes down a ball over the top and skips past the defender before trying to clip a shot over the rushing goalkeeper, who saved well from close range.

HUGE CHANCE! 

WHAT A SAVE FROM TRAN THI KIM THANH!

There have been a few early no-nonsense tackles from Vietnam which are giving the USA easy chances to get the ball in the box.

The US have another free-kick on halfway and this time it's Ertz who manages to get her head to it but the effort is put just wide of Tran's goal.

CHANCE USA

The free kick is launched over the top and Morgan takes down the ball before hitting a powerful shot that is well blocked.

CHANCE! USA!

Rodman is hurt after clashing with Luong as she tried to drive into the Vietnam box down the right.

So it's Ertz at the back with Girma, as Rodman starts an early attack for the US.

And we're off!

The USWNT's World Cup challenge has begun!

National anthems first...

And now for the good stuff. Time for the football!

The players are in the tunnel!

We're ready to go!

The teams are in the dressing rooms!

Kick off is less than 10 minutes away and we're waiting for the teams to emerge from the tunnel any minute!

Kick-off is getting closer...

Just as any good radio presenter would say, it's fast-approaching kick-off time at Eden Park, and the USWNT are out on the pitch preparing before the whistle. 

The Vietnam XI vs the USA:

Here's how Vietnam line up.

Huynh Nhu, the country's most dangerous player, makes the XI, as do Tuyet Dung and Thanh Nha.

Alex Morgan set to shine once again

Alex Morgan has played over 100 games for the USWNT and during her rise to the top, she has become the face of one of the most successful generations in sporting history. 

The current San Diego Wave player may now be 34-years-old, but her impact on the field is yet to drop, with her role as one of the captains of the USWNT for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand an obvious choice for the head coach.

 If the USWNT are to defend their crown once again, Morgan will need to be a key part of proceedings, as she always has been for her team and her country.

Check out Calum's guide to Morgan's records with the USWNT as well as her story through the ranks of the national side. 

Who to watch: USA

TrinityRodman is the obvious pick for ‘who to watch’, but I’m going with it.

She is a devastating forward player who has no issue drifting wide or staying centrally, and it was her introduction into the game that changed how things were going for her side. 

The pace and direct running of the forward crushed a tiring Wales defence who ultimately lost 2-0 thanks to her quick-fire goals.

Expect Rodman, if she doesn’t start, to have a huge impact in the latter stages of the USWNT’s games.

The USWNT to wear their home kit

Vietnam will presumably be in red today, while the US are in their 'paint-splattered' white shirts, which are said to "celebrate the individuals who, together, create order among the chaos of the game." 

Who to watch: Vietnam

Tuyet Dung and Thanh Nha are two super-quick wide players who will look to cause the USWNT full-backs problems on the counter attack.

Their fantastic speed and dribbling ability gave Germany a scare ahead of the World Cup and they even managed to score a goal in that game, something not many people expected given the fact that the European side are among the favourites to win the tournament outright. 

USWNT Starting XI

Here's how the US line up to kick off their Women's World Cup defence.

- Horan captains the side 

- DeMelo makes her first ever start

- Rodman comes into the XI

USWNT looking for a three-peat

Three-peat, a word I loathe with a passion, but I am making an exception here as it’s such an astounding record. Yes, the USWNT are on the hunt for what would be their third World Cup in a row. They were victorious in 2015 and 2019, beating the world’s best to become the best, and now the challenge is on for them to do something truly groundbreaking in sport. 

The squad, or rather the players that have given them past successes, are indeed ageing, but this tournament could be one last hurrah for the players that have given so much to women’s football over the years. 

The final game ahead of the World Cup, against Wales, was not the most fluid display of attacking football against a low block, and the USWNT huffed and puffed for most of it, but they got the job done and showed that the squad has the depth to be impactful when called upon.

Alex Morgan pre-tournament quotes:

How Group E looks ahead of the game:

Vietnam and the USWNT are both in Group E, which also contains The Netherlands and Portugal.

On the face of it, the US should have little to no trouble getting out of the group, with The Netherlands - their 2019 final opponents - being the only potential bananaskin.

However, nothing can be take for granted at this tournament and heads will need to be fully screwed on from minute one of the first game.

As for Vietnam, manager Mai Duc Chung told FIFA: “We don’t set high ambitions but during this tournament we can learn a lot. It’s a chance for us to compete with very good opponents, and we can learn from their experience, skills and techniques. We also have to be mentally strong. We will respect all the competitors, but we are not scared.”

WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023

United States vs Vietnam: times, how to watch on TV and stream online | Women’s World Cup

The No. 1 favourites to win the World Cup will take on Vietnam in their Group E opening game at Eden Park, Auckland.

Fancy tuning in to watch the game as well as following the coverage of every kick, header and tackle?

Well, you’re in luck.

Here’s how you can follow the game online or on TV as well with us on AS USA.

The venue for the game...

If you watched New Zealand’s win over Norway, you may recognise this ground.

Eden Park was the setting for the tournament opener where Hannah Wilkinson’s 48th minute goal gave the Kiwis a win that will remain in the history books forever. 

The stadium was opened way back in 1900 and is the country’s national ground, holding 50,000 people.

Check out the Vietnam squad:

Only one player, Huynh Nhu, is playing her club football outside of Vietnam, so some of the names on the team sheet today might not be too familiar with the viewing public.

Nhu plays for Länk FC Vilaverdense in Portugal, and moved there following her time playing for Ho Chi Minh City City I, where she scored 105 goals in 152 games.

"Vietnam’s women’s side stand out as there are no naturalised or overseas players in the team. All of the squad has trained domestically and most of the players play for Vietnamese clubs. Huynh Nhu is the only one currently playing football abroad."  - see more from our Vietnam in-depth team guide

Check out the USWNT squad:

Manager Vlatko Andonovski has taken a frankly scary array of talent with him to Australia and New Zealand for the tournament.

Players that we all know: Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Lindsey Horan are all present, but the young stars such as Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma are also ready to leave their name etched into the mind of the onlooking world.

14 of the 23 players have never featured at a World Cup before and one player - Savannah DeMelo - only earned her first cap against Wales in the send-off game!

Welcome!

Hello and a warm welcome to AS USA’s live coverage of the Women’s World Cup!

It’s Joe here today to guide you through the fantastic tie that we’ve got coming up: USWNT vs Vietnam!

The game kicks off at 9pm ET & 6pm PT.