Sophia Smith scores twice for U.S. in win over Vietnam at Women’s World Cup

AUKLAND, New Zealand — Fresh-faced newcomer Sophia Smith teamed with captain Lindsey Horan to offer the United States a balanced efficiency because the Americans breezed to a different opening victory on the Women’s World Cup.

Smith scored twice and the two-time defending champions beat event first-timers Vietnam 3-0 Saturday for the Americans’ twelfth straight victory in a World Cup match. Smith, who turns 23 subsequent month and is taking part in in her first event, is the second-youngest U.S. girls’s participant to attain a number of targets in a World Cup recreation.

Horan, the group’s co-captain with Alex Morgan, added a purpose for the favoured Americans, who’ve gained 4 World Cups general and are vying for an unprecedented three-peat on this 12 months’s event.

“I love playing with Lindsey, she’s such a great player. She has such a good eye for things that a lot of players don’t see,” Smith stated. “She understands my game. She understands the runs I’m making before I even make them.”

Vietnam drew comparisons to Thailand, the group the Americans routed 13-0 in of their 2019 World Cup opening recreation. But Vietnam was surprisingly resilient, stored the sport nearer than anticipated, and goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh stopped Morgan’s first-half penalty try.

Morgan was knocked to the sphere clutching her calf after making an attempt for the rebound off her missed penalty, however she shortly returned. It was simply her second penalty miss for the United States.

Smith, one in every of 14 Americans taking part in of their first World Cup, confirmed why she was named each U.S. Soccer’s Player of the Year and the National Women’s Soccer League MVP final 12 months along with her two first-half targets.

She scored when Morgan directed a cross from Horan to her within the 14th minute. Smith and Horan celebrated with a choreographed handshake after the purpose.

Smith scored once more in first-half stoppage time to make it 2-0 going into the break. The United States was at first flagged as offside earlier than a video overview confirmed the purpose.

The U.S. group was infused with younger expertise together with Smith and Trinity Rodman after settling for a disappointing bronze medal on the Tokyo Olympics.

“They’re confident, they’ve been in pressure situations. Soph Smith, look what she did. She does that every single day in training so it’s no shock to me,” Horan stated. “But it’s always great to have the first game to really calm everyone’s nerves and get the three points.”

Among the veterans, 38-year-old Megan Rapinoe made her 2 hundredth worldwide look in opposition to Vietnam.

Rapinoe, who scored within the World Cup last in France and was named that event’s greatest participant, didn’t begin. She introduced earlier than the group left for New Zealand that this could be her final World Cup and he or she would retire from her skilled group on the finish of the season.

Rapinoe and midfielder Rose Lavelle, who have been each restricted by accidents within the run-up to the event, each got here in as substitutes within the 63rd minute. Rapinoe sported vibrant blue hair.

“It feels old to reach that,” Rapinoe joked afterward. “My legs are like ‘You’ve earned it.’ It feels nice, clearly, to have it’s in a extremely significant recreation like a World Cup.”

The youngest participant on the group, 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson, was additionally a second-half sub.

Horan scored right into a wide-open web off a cross from Smith, who was rushed by the goalkeeper and deftly despatched the ball again to her. Horan, who was not too long ago engaged, kissed her ring in celebration.

There was early drama when Rodman, the daughter of former NBA nice Dennis Rodman and one of many younger newcomers on the group, appeared injured after falling arduous on her again when she was tackled by defender Tran Thi Thu. Rapinoe warmed up on the sidelines and a stretcher was introduced out on the sphere, however Rodman stood and returned to the match just a few moments later.

Saturday’s recreation was the primary assembly between the United States and Vietnam. The Vietnamese misplaced two exhibition matches forward of the event and fell 9-0 to Spain in a closed-door tune-up match in Auckland final Friday.

Also in Group E are the Netherlands and Portugal, which meet Sunday in Dunedin. Portugal can also be making its first World Cup look.

The group performs all of their matches in New Zealand, which is co-hosting the event with Australia. The United States performs the Netherlands in a 2019 last rematch on Thursday in Wellington.

Should the United States high the group, the group will head to Sydney for the spherical of 16.

Back house within the United States, an indication was erected on the North Lawn of the White House that stated “Go Team USA! We are all behind you.”

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