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AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The quest for another World Cup trophy started Saturday
with a match that was never much in question but did not come with the usual
grace and sparkle that has defined the U.S. women’s national soccer team for
much of its decorated existence.

It began with 22-year-old sensation Sophia Smith scoring twice before halftime
and assisting in the second half. It featured a fabled figure (Megan Rapinoe)
reaching an international milestone and a teammate less than half her age
(Alyssa Thompson) making her World Cup debut.



It included a goal by captain Lindsey Horan and ultimately a 3-0 victory over
Vietnam before 41,107 at Eden Park.

“It was good to just get a game under my belt,” said Smith, who was among six
starters, and eight players overall, to make their first World Cup appearance.
“I was feeling all the emotions going into it, not really knowing what to
expect. So to start off on a good note feels good, and it makes me just more
excited for the next game.”

However, if the top-ranked Americans are to win a third consecutive title —
something no men’s or women’s team has accomplished — they will have to do
better than they did against No. 32 Vietnam, which was making its World Cup
debut.

There was a bundle of missed opportunities, including Alex Morgan’s first-half
penalty kick, and an absence of attacking rhythm at times. The inability to
score more against the weakest team in Group E could prove costly if first place
comes down to the goal-differential tiebreaker.




“We can always put more away,” Morgan said. “But the way the first World Cup
game goes is not the way the last one is going to go. Having so many players who
had their first World Cup experience, I think it was a good start for us.”



The Americans will face a much greater test Thursday in Wellington against the
Netherlands, which lost to the United States in the 2019 final. The U.S. group
finale is Aug. 1 against Portugal in Auckland. Two teams will advance to the
round of 16.

World Cup highlights: USWNT rolls past Vietnam

Saturday’s outcome was a far cry from the 13-0 demolition of first-timer
Thailand in the 2019 opener, providing another example of the growth in the
women’s game.

The United States is now 41-4-8 in World Cup history, the only defeats
(excluding shootouts) coming to Norway in the 1995 semifinals, Germany in the
2003 semis, Brazil in the 2007 semis and Sweden in the 2011 group stage.

The victory extended its World Cup-record winning streak to 13 matches and its
tournament unbeaten streak to 18 (excluding penalty shootouts).

In the days and weeks ahead of the opener, there did not appear to be much
intrigue surrounding the U.S. lineup. Injury recovery would prevent Rose Lavelle
from filling her usual place in midfield. Aside from left wing, a position up
for grabs after Mallory Swanson severely injured her knee in the spring, all
other slots seemed set.

The wing role went to 21-year-old Trinity Rodman, who scored twice as a reserve
in the send-off match July 9 against Wales. She won the job over Lynn Williams,
Thompson and Rapinoe, the 2019 World Cup hero who is not quite at peak readiness
after recovering from a calf ailment.

Andonovski also hatched two surprises.




In midfield, Savannah DeMelo got the nod ahead of Ashley Sanchez, Lavelle’s
primary backup for some time. Buoyed by a strong season for NWSL’s Racing
Louisville, DeMelo earned her way onto the roster despite having never played
for the national team. Her debut came two weeks ago against Wales in the final
tuneup.




Julie Ertz not only started for the first time since returning to the team in
the spring following maternity leave, she did so on the backline, in place of
presumed starter Alana Cook.



Ertz, 31, had started on the backline in the 2015 World Cup before becoming a
defensive midfielder. In this tournament, she figured to press Andi Sullivan for
playing time at defensive midfield and provide cover in central defense, which,
in Becky Sauerbrunn’s absence, lacked World Cup experience.

Meet the U.S. women’s national team’s 2023 World Cup roster

Andonovski decided to partner Ertz with Naomi Girma, leaving Alana Cook on the
bench.

Defense, though, was not going to be an issue against vastly overmatched
Vietnam, which rarely enjoyed possession in the attacking end.

The challenge for the United States was breaking down a defensive-minded foe and
maintaining composure when hard tackles and disruptive tactics were employed.

The first painful experience came 20 seconds into the game, when Rodman was
dropped. She required treatment for two minutes before resuming.

The breakthrough came in the 14th minute. From deep in midfield, Horan delivered
a through ball to the top of the box. Morgan used a clever flick to set up Smith
free on the left side of the box for a low finish.

Opportunity continued to flow, but the United States was imprecise in dangerous
positions, and Vietnam intervened at critical moments.

U.S. frustration carried deep into the half. Then video replay took over the
game.

In the 40th minute, Thi Loan Hoang initially got away with taking down Rodman in
the box. But the video assistant referee recommended a review, and after a long
look at the sideline monitor, Bouchra Karboubi awarded a penalty kick.




Morgan’s attempt, however, was poor. Neither the pace nor the location was good
enough, allowing Thi Kim Thanh Tran to make the save. Morgan’s rebound bid was
disrupted by a defender, and out of pain and perhaps a touch of embarrassment,
she remained down for a moment.



VAR came into play again during stoppage time. Smith appeared to score, snapping
the ball past Tran, but the offside flag had gone up. The question was whether
Morgan was offside on the buildup; she was not.

Then there was the matter of whether Ertz or Morgan had interfered with Tran
when Smith drove her shot through a tangle of players; they had not.

The goal was awarded, and Smith became the second-youngest U.S. player to score
twice in a World Cup game. In 2003, Cat (Reddick) Whitehill was 21 when she
accomplished it against North Korea in the group stage.

Smith (14 international goals) almost completed a hat trick moments into the
second half but shot wide. Squandered opportunities continued into the cool,
gray afternoon.




Rapinoe entered in the 62nd minute, marking her 200th international appearance.
She is the 14th U.S. player to join the club.

Lavelle entered at the same time, her first appearance since April, when she
injured a knee in a friendly against Ireland.

In the 77th minute, Smith was back on the spot, muscling past a defender on the
right side of the box and crossing the ball back to Horan for a 14-yard shot and
her 28th career goal.

“I’m happy with the three points,” Horan said. “But I think we could have
finished a lot more of our opportunities. We know that, and that’s how it’s
going to go sometimes.”




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In Saudi Arabia, the soccer team Al Hilal has offered Kylian Mbappe, who
currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain, a record fee of $332 million.

That offer dwarfs even the salaries across the NBA, which have become
outrageous, and even that of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

James will earn over $53 million this coming season from the Lakers, and he has
a player option for the 2024-25 campaign which, if he exercises it, would mean
another $57.6 million. Of course, that’s not including his lifetime contract
with Nike, any of his other endorsements or anything he earns from one of his
numerous business ventures.

There is no doubt that James loves his money, and he seemed to joke about
running off to Saudi Arabia if it were to offer him a humongous deal like the
one offered to Mbappe.














Saudi Arabia is not exactly a basketball heavyweight, so Lakers fans shouldn’t
exactly be nervous about the four-time MVP sprinting like Forrest Gump to take
his basketball career halfway around the world.

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