Sophia Smith scored twice in the first half of her opening match in the Women's World Cup, leading the United States to an easy 3-0 victory over Vietnam on Saturday in their quest for a third consecutive title. The four-time world champions entrusted a new generation this year in the finals held in Australia and New Zealand, and Smith (22 years old) seized the opportunity by finding the net twice, first in the 14th minute and then in stoppage time of the first half.
Captain Lindsey Horan completed the scoring in the 77th minute after a pass from Smith. The United States dominated the match, taking eight shots on goal, while Vietnam failed to register any shots on target throughout the 90 minutes. The American team received a warm welcome at Eden Park Stadium, with over 41,000 fans in attendance, and excitement grew when Megan Rapinoe, a former world player of the year planning to retire at the end of the year, came on in the second half. However, Rapinoe (38 years old) missed a crucial opportunity in the 70th minute.
The United States will face the Netherlands on Thursday in their second Group E match, a repeat of the 2019 final, while Vietnam will play against Portugal.
