World Championship
Defending champion USA wins World Cup opener with ease
Won confidently with the USA: Lindsey Horan (l) and Sophia Smith. photo
© Andrew Cornaga/AP/dpa
Defending champions USA started the women’s soccer World Cup with a win. The four-time world champion prevailed 3-0 (2-0) against World Cup debutant Vietnam on Saturday in Eden Park in Auckland.
defending champion USA started the women’s World Cup with a win. The four-time world champion prevailed 3-0 (2-0) against World Cup debutant Vietnam on Saturday in Eden Park in Auckland.
In front of 41,107 spectators, Sophia Smith scored twice in the first half (14th/45th +7 minutes) for the clearly superior US team. Vietnam’s goalkeeper parried a penalty kick from Alex Morgan (44′).
Megan Rapinoe earned her 200th cap as a substitute in the second half but, like her team-mates, missed a number of high-quality scoring chances. US captain Lindsey Horan finally marked the final score (77th).
In Group E, coach Vlatko Andonovski’s team still meets their final opponents from 2019, the Netherlands, and World Cup debutants Portugal.
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