Double defending champions, the Americans logically dominated Vietnam for their entry into the World Cup on Saturday in Auckland (3-0), with a double from striker Sophia Smith. The United States, which is aiming for a third World Cup title in a row, takes the lead in group E while awaiting the duel between the Netherlands and Portugal, scheduled for Sunday (9:30 a.m.) in Dunedin (New Zealand).
For their first participation in a World Cup, the Vietnamese resisted the American armada well, but the gap was too great. Sacred “MVP” (player of the year) of the prestigious North American championship in 2022 with Portland, Smith (22) has already shown excellent dispositions with a double (14th, 45th 7) which allows her to take the lead in the ranking of scorers in the tournament. In the absence of Mallory Swanson, another major offensive weapon with a serious knee injury, Smith is already positioning herself as one of the attractions of the competition in Oceania.
Encouraged just before their meeting by US President Joe Biden, the Americans did not tremble, even if their star Alex Morgan missed a penalty, well saved by goalkeeper Kim Tranh Tran Thi (43rd). A sign of the immense popularity of the American team in the United States, an imposing statue of Morgan has been erected in the middle of New York in recent days. But the striker did not take the best penalty of her career, far from it… It was the sixth penalty in six matches since the start of the World Cup, and only two of them were scored!
For her last season and her last World Cup, the emblematic star of the American selection Megan Rapinoe celebrated her 200th selection by coming into play after 62 minutes, a quarter of an hour before the last goal signed Lindsey Horan (77th), captain at kickoff. The meeting was played in front of a well-stocked stadium in Auckland, in the wake of a very encouraging start to the World Cup in terms of attendance. The programming of the meeting at 1:00 p.m. local time also allowed many Americans to meet all over the country, because the meeting took place in the early evening on the west coast.
For the USA, the big moment of the group stage is still to come, with a clash against the Netherlands on Thursday (03:00) in Wellington. A remake of the last world final in France in 2019 won by the Americans (2-0). This poster will reveal much more about the capabilities of the United States to win a third World Cup in a row. An unprecedented feat in history.
