USWNT defeats Vietnam to open the 2023 Girls’s International Cup : NPR

The U.S. Girls’s Nationwide Football Group started its quest for an remarkable three-peat on the Girls’s International Cup with a gradual 3-0 win over Vietnam. There was once little wonder concerning the consequence at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand – the one query was once through how a lot the U.S. would win.

That is Vietnam’s first look on the prestigious girls’s football event. And the rookies proved no fit for the veteran U.S. squad which is ranked primary on the planet.

The U.S. ruled ownership, weathered a slew of Vietnamese fouls and regulated the pace lots of the sport. Within the 14th minute, The U.S. opened the scoring when Alex Morgan flicked the ball to WWC newcomer Sophia Smith who knocked it through Vietnamese goaltender Tran Thi Kim Thanh.

Within the forty fourth minute, the U.S. won a penalty kick after Trinity Rodman was once knocked down within the penalty house. Morgan took the kick and booted the ball low and to the left, precisely the place the Vietnamese keeper lunged, saving the shot. However in stoppage time the U.S. did get at the board once more when Smith scooted the ball during the goalkeeper’s legs to web her 2d function of the part.

Vietnam, ranked #32 on the planet, didn’t try a unmarried shot in opposition to the U.S. within the first part (the American citizens had 16 probabilities). The U.S. finished two times as many passes and saved the ball most commonly within the Vietnam aspect all of the part – however unusually may just now not be able to attain greater than two objectives.

Expectancies are prime. The U.S. had by no means misplaced a gap fit within the any of the 9 Girls’s International Cups (seven wins and two attracts) and with this victory, the American citizens have gained the closing 13 WWC fits – a event document. In truth, the U.S. has conceded only a unmarried function in its 9 video games performed this yr.

The U.S. is essentially the most a success group within the historical past of the event which started in 1991 – having gained the identify 4 earlier occasions. However American citizens have not appeared as dominant within the lead-up to this festival and are going through off in opposition to different international locations that experience narrowed the aggressive hole lately.

The U.S. started the second one part in opposition to Vietnam a lot the way it began the sport. Controlling ownership and developing scoring alternatives however suffering to get the ball into the web. Within the 62nd minute, the U.S. were given a spark when veterans Megan Rapinoe (making her two hundredth look for the nationwide group) and Rose Lavelle got here off the bench — each were nursing accidents and enjoying restricted mins.

Co-captain Lindsey Horan added to the U.S. lead with a robust strike within the 77th minute after a candy cross from Smith (giving her two objectives and an help for the fit – an excellent WWC debut). That might be the entire scoring – and Vietnam ended the sport with out taking a unmarried shot or successful a nook kick.

The 2023 Girls’s International Cup is being co-hosted in Australia and New Zealand (a primary for any WWC). The U.S. is enjoying its 3 fits in team play — in opposition to Vietnam, the Netherlands and Portugal — all in New Zealand.

However to advancet to the later rounds, the US cannot disregard any of its combatants and must finetune its lineup. It entered this event with 14 WWC rookies at the 23-person squad. Towards Vietnam, the 11 U.S. starters had by no means performed in combination competitively (six of them made their WWC debut). Acquainted stars — together with Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Crystal Dunn, Rose Lavelle and Julie Ertz — have needed to mesh and percentage bench-time with soon-to-be standouts similar to Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Sofia Huerta.

The event begins with 8 teams of 4 international locations. Every squad will play a minimum of 3 video games (one in opposition to every group within the team). The highest two international locations from every team advance to the knockout level.

The following sport for the U.S. is a rematch of the 2019 WWC ultimate in opposition to the ninth-ranked Netherlands on Wednesday, July 26 at 9 p.m. ET.