The U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) will face Vietnam in its opening match of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The match will be played on Saturday, July 22, at 1 p.m. NZST/ 9 p.m. ET (i.e. July 21 for USA viewers) at Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau, New Zealand. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
The United States Women’s National Team is the defending champion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and they are looking to win their fifth title in 2023. However, their path to glory will start with a match against Vietnam, a team that is making its World Cup debut.
Preview Of the Match
The USWNT are the number one ranking team in the world. On the other hand, Vietnam is ranked 32nd in the world as per the latest rankings, and they are a clear underdog in this match. However, the Vietnamese team has been on the rise in recent years, and they will not be intimidated by the United States. In fact, they may be inspired by the fact that they are the first team from Southeast Asia to qualify for the World Cup.
The USWNT heads into the World Cup after most recently earning a 2-0 win against Wales in the team’s Send-Off match on July 9 in San Jose, California. Vietnam lost to South Korea 2-1 in a friendly match.
The USWNT are unbeaten in their last 22 matches against teams from the AFC region, They’ve also never lost a FIFA Women’s World Cup game against Asian teams in 15 meetings.
At long last… IT’S MATCHDAY!!!!
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 21, 2023
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗔 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽
𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗘
🇺🇸 USA vs Vietnam 🇻🇳
9 PM ET
📍 Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau
📺 FOX / Universo, Telemundo, Peacock
Match Preview » https://t.co/t9YFT9C6lA#USWNT x @Visa pic.twitter.com/05vauDKTyj
Midfielder Lindsey Horan and forward Alex Morgan were selected as captains after long-time captain Becky Sauerbrunn was ruled out of the tournament due to injury.
Horan, 29, has been a member of the U.S. national team since 2013 and has won two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals. She is a two-time FIFA World Player of the Year finalist and was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2019.
Morgan, 34, has been a member of the U.S. national team since 2010 and has won one World Cup and two Olympic gold medals. She is the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. women’s national team with 121 goals.
Andonovski said that he chose Horan and Morgan as captains because of their experience, leadership, and character.
The United States will also have Megan Rapinoe, who is one of the best players in the world. Rapinoe is a two-time World Cup champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Her presence on the team will be a major boost for the Americans.
On the other hand, Vietnam will be led by Huynh Nhu, who is a talented forward she is the player with the most goals as she scored 67 goals for the Vietnamese women’s national football team. However, Nhu will need to be at her best to lead Vietnam to a victory against the United States.
However, the United States will not be able to take Vietnam lightly. The Vietnamese team is young and hungry, and they will be playing with nothing to lose. If the United States is not careful, they could be in for a shock.
The United States will likely dominate possession and create the majority of the chances in this match. However, Vietnam will not be afraid to attack, and they will look to create chances on the counter-attack.
Head-to-Head
The United States and Vietnam have never met before in a FIFA Women’s World Cup match.
Recent Form
The USWNT heads into the World Cup after most recently earning a 2-0 win against Wales in the team’s Send-Off match on July 9 in San Jose, California. Vietnam lost to South Korea 2-1 in a friendly match.
Prediction
The United States is the clear favorite to win this match. The Americans have a much more experienced team and they are the top-ranked team in the world. However, Vietnam should not be underestimated. The team has been on the rise in recent years and it has a number of talented players. I predict that the United States will win the match by a score of 3-1.
USWNT Roster
Alyssa Naeher, Ashley Sanchez, Sofia Huerta, Naomi Girma, Kelley O’Hara, Lynn Williams, Alyssa Thompson, Julie Ertz, Savannah DeMelo, Lindsey Horan, Sophia Smith, Alana Cook, Alex Morgan, Emily Sonnett, Megan Rapinoe, Rose Lavelle, Andi Sullivan, Casey Murphy, Crystal Dunn, Trinity Rodman, Aubrey Kingsbury, Kristie Mewis, Emily Fox.
VIETNAM Roster
Đào Thị Kiều Oanh, Lương Thị Thu Thương, Chương Thị Kiều, Trần Thị Thu, Hoàng Thị Loan, Trần Thị Thúy Nga, Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Dung, Trần Thị Thùy Trang, Huỳnh Như, Trần Thị Hải Linh, Thái Thị Thảo, Phạm Hải Yến, Lê Thị Diễm My, Trần Thị Kim Thanh, Nguyễn Thị Thúy Hằng, Dương Thị Vân, Trần Thị Thu Thảo, Vũ Thị Hoa, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhã, Khổng Thị Hằng, Ngân Thị Vạn Sự, Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Anh, Nguyễn Thị Bích Thùy.
Where to Watch Women’s World Cup 2023 IN USA?
It will be broadcast on FOX, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock in the United States.