Sophia Smith scores brace to power champions US past Vietnam in FIFA Women’s World Cup

AUCKLAND – Sophia Smith scored a first-half brace on her FIFA Women’s World Cup debut because the United States obtained their bid for a 3rd successive title off to a cushty begin with a 3-0 win over Vietnam at Eden Park on Saturday.

The top-ranked Americans have put their belief within the subsequent era this yr and had been rewarded with a show-stopping efficiency from the 22-year-old ahead, who additionally supplied the help for co-captain Lindsey Horan’s objective within the second half.

Vietnam had been scarcely in a position to breach the ultimate third on their World Cup debut however goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh dived to her proper to avoid wasting Alex Morgan’s first-half penalty in one in all a number of good possibilities the U.S. spurned.

Smith scored her first within the 14th minute off a neat flick by way of from Morgan and fired her second from shut vary throughout stoppage time on the finish of the half, the strike initially dominated out for offside however confirmed after a VAR assessment.

Horan, who assumed the captaincy this yr, made amends for an earlier miss when she obtained on the scoresheet within the 77th minute after Smith minimize the ball again to the centre of the field having crushed a defender on the fitting flank.

The closely American presence within the crowd of 41,107 roared with pleasure as Megan Rapinoe, who plans to retire on the finish of this yr, took the sphere halfway by way of the second half however the 38-year-old additionally missed a very good scoring likelihood.

Midfielder Rose Lavelle was additionally left annoyed as a shot within the eighty fifth minute ricocheted off the crossbar and one other likelihood went over the web in second-half stoppage time.

The U.S. subsequent face the Netherlands on Thursday of their second Group E sport, a rematch of the 2019 World Cup remaining, whereas Vietnam subsequent play Portugal. 

—Reuters