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USA vs Vietnam live score, updates, lineups, and result as USWNT begins FIFA World Cup 2023 group play

By July 22, 2023No Comments

The U.S. women’s national team will begin their quest for a World Cup three-peat when they kick off group play against debutants Vietnam in a match played in New Zealand.

Despite missing key players due to injury, the USA are the No. 1-ranked team in the world and the favorites to win the tournament, and the result of their opening match against No. 32 Vietnam is not really in question. For the Americans, it will be about building momentum ahead of two tougher matches to come.

The USWNT was drawn into Group E, where, in addition to Vietnam, it will face two challenging European foes in the Netherlands and Portugal. Since goal difference (between goals scored and conceded) is the first tiebreaker for teams level on points, the USA will want to pad their goal total against Vietnam. 

Only the top two teams in the group advance to the knockout rounds and finishing first is important: It could be the difference between facing No. 3-ranked Sweden or No. 16 Italy.

The Sporting News will be following USA vs Vietnam live and providing score updates,  commentary and highlights as they happen.

MORE: How Trinity Rodman became a superstar

USA vs Vietnam live score

  2nd Half Goal scorers
USA 2 Sophia Smith (Alex Morgan) 14′
Sophia Smith 54′
Vietnam 0  

Lineups:

USA (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Naeher (GK) — 23-Fox, 4-Girma, 8-Ertz 19-Dunn — 9-DeMelo (16-Lavelle 63′), 17-Sullivan, 10-Horan — 20-Rodman, 13-Morgan (15-Rapinoe 63′), 11-S. Smith.

Vietnam (5-4-1, right to left): 14-Kim Thanh (GK) — 17-Thu Thao, 2-Thu Thuong (3-Thi Kieu 61′), 13-Diem My, 4-Tran Thi Thu, 5-Hoang Thi Loan — 23-Bich Thuy (22-Nguyen 62′), 9-Huynh Nhu, 7-Tuyet Dung (21-Thi Van Su 46′), 11-Thi Thao — 10-Hai Linh

USA vs Vietnam live updates, highlights and commentary from Women’s World Cup

63rd min.: SUBS. Both USA and Vietnam make changes. Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle, who are having their minutes limited in this tournament, will get about 30 minutes. Rapinoe is playing wide left and Sophia Smith moves central.

56th min.: YELLOW card to Lindsey Horan for a high boot. It’s a good call by the referee. The USA still not playing with the urgency of a team desperate for goals. Maybe they’re measuring themselves.

50th min.: Chance USA! Trinity Rodman with the cross from the right and Lindsey Horan takes it first time, but she missed the opposite post.

46th min.: Second half is underway. The USA need more goals. Goal difference can come into play to determine who wins Group E. Only one sub by Vietnam.

Halftime: USA 2-0 Vietnam

54th+ min.: The USA goal stands! The referee takes the word of the VAR that there is no offside, and it’s 2-0 USA.

52nd+ min.: Goal USA??? A Sophia Smith shot finds its way through bodies and into the back of the net. But an offside is flagged. VAR is checking it.

49th+ min.: Chance USA. It’s another half chance for the Americans in the box, but it’s a broken play and they’re chasing a loose ball.

Credit to Vietnam for solid defending. Sophia Smith has tried to beat defenders 1-on-1, but the Vietnamese team is staying with her step for step.

45th min.: Eight minutes of stoppage time. If the score remains 1-0, this would be a disappointing half for the USA.

44th min.: Penalty save! Vietnam’s goalkeeper makes the save. Morgan’s shot is central. And Morgan gets hurt as she chased down the rebound.

43rd min.: Penalty USA! The referee gives the penalty and Alex Morgan is set to take it.

40th min.: Penalty USA? Trinity Rodman was brought down by a scissors tackle on the right side of the box. It looked incriminating on the replay, and the referee goes to the monitor. The question will be whether the defender got to the ball first.

36th min.: Injury stoppage. USA’s Julie Ertz is down for treatment after the ball grazed her eye on a header attempt. And the Americans take advantage for a huddle with head coach Vlatko Andonovski on the sideline.

31st min.: Chance USA! Another chance, and Lindsey Horan hooks it wide after a goalkeeper clearance. The USA are not sharp enough inside the box.

28th min.: Chance USA! It’s a great mid-air control by Alex Morgan who takes the shot and the diagonal effort goes wide of the far post.

19th min.: Chance USA! This time it’s Savannah DeMelo who has a shot after good work by Trinity Rodman down the right. But her shot is right at the ‘keeper.

14th min.: Goal USA! Sophia Smith scores it on a back-to-goal layoff from Alex Morgan. Well-executed play by the USA to penetrate the Vietnamese defense and Smith slots it home, right between the ‘keeper’s legs.

Scenes from the watch party in Kansas City and DC: 

10th min.: Vietnam enjoy a few minutes in the USA’s half and the debutants have weathered the early storm. They’re getting comfortable as the minutes go by. The USWNT would do well to keep up the tempo of the game and not let Vietnam drag it down.

7th min.: Chance USA. Lindsey Horan is raiding the box and her shot is blocked by the Vietnamese ‘keeper. But there was an offside on the play. The pressure is already relentless.

5th min.: Just five minutes into the match the USA has a couple of shots blocked in the box and a set piece delivery finishes wide. The pressure has started in earnest.

1st min.: Vietnam kick off, and Trinity Rodman is down after a few minutes, landing hard on the ground. She needs treatment.

Kickoff

3 minutes from kickoff: Teams are on the field and it’s the U.S. anthem first.

5 minutes from kickoff: Hype video courtesy of Oprah Winfrey.

10 minutes from kickoff: Vietnam also has their supporters in the stadium:

15 minutes from kickoff: Tom Brady’s message to the USWNT earlier in the day:

35 minutes from kickoff: Savannah DeMelo’s second cap comes in a World Cup match. Vlatko Andonovski has clearly quickly become a fan.

35 minutes from kickoff: USWNT players passing the time before warmups:

50 minutes from kickoff: Here’s what success looks like for Vietnam in this tournament.

1 hour from kickoff: We’ve got the USWNT’s starting lineup for the match. And it looks like Julie Ertz will be at center back, while Andi Sullivan plays at holding midfield.

1 hour, 45 minutes from kickoff: The scene outside Eden Park with under two hours until kickoff. Reminder it’s already Saturday in New Zealand.

2 hours from kickoff: The USWNT players are showing up in style to Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.

3 hours from kickoff: Here’s the latest on the availability of the three U.S. players that had fitness concerns coming into the tournament. Managing minutes is not synonymous with not playing. So we could see Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle in this game, especially if the USA are having issues breaking down Vietnam.

4 hours from kickoff: The betting market is on the same page as U.S. fans: It’s not about whether the USA are beating Vietnam. It’s about how many goals they can score and how good they look doing it.

MORE: Megan Rapinoe’s blue hair explained

USA vs Vietnam lineups

Starters Alana Cook and Rose Lavelle are on the bench to start the match. Cook is a surprise, with Julie Ertz taking her place at center back, while Lavelle’s situation was clear from the outset given manager Vlatko Andonovski indicated he’d be managing her minutes. Savannah DeMelo gets the nod over Ashley Sanchez to replace Lavelle in this one.

A reminder that this U.S. team is without injured starters Becky Sauerbrunn, Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario, who did not make the final roster.

MORE: A full breakdown of the USWNT roster for the 2023 Women’s World Cup

USA starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Naeher (GK) — 23-Fox, 4-Girma, 8-Ertz 19-Dunn — 9-DeMelo, 17-Sullivan, 10-Horan — 20-Rodman, 13-Morgan, 11-S. Smith.

USA subs (12): Kingsbury (GK), Murphy (GK), Huerta, Cook, O’Hara, Sonnett, K. Mewis, Lavelle, A. Sanchez, Rapinoe, L. Williams, A. Thompson

According to The Sporting News’ Vietnam chief editor Thien Liu, this Vietnamese team will be about defending first and counterattacking, but the lack of physicality and experience will present challenges for them against the USA.

They’ll rely on captain Huynh Nhu, the only player plying their trade overseas (Portugal), set-piece specialist Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung (look out for Olimpico attempts on corners), and 21-year-old up-and-coming winger Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha, who has explosive pace out left and starts the game on the bench.

Vietnam starting lineup (5-4-1, right to left): 14-Kim Thanh (GK) — 17-Thu Thao, 2-Thu Thuong, 13-Diem My, 4-Tran Thi Thu, 5-Hoang Thi Loan — 23-Bich Thuy, 9-Huynh Nhu, 7-Tuyet Dung, 11-Thi Thao — 10-Hai Linh

MORE: More on the Vietnamese team from the Sporting News Vietnam desk

USA vs Vietnam live stream, TV channel

Here are the details for the live stream and TV channel to watch USA vs Vietnam in the 2023 FIFA World Cup:

MORE: The current U.S. roster broken down by college, state and club team

  TV channel Streaming
USA Fox, Telemundo,
Universo		 Fubo, Peacock,
Telemundo Deportes site/app,
Universo NOW,
Fox Sports site/app
UK BBC One BBC iPlayer,
BBC website
Australia  — Optus Sport
Canada TSN1, TSN4, TSN5, RDS TSN+,
TSN site/app
RDS site/app
India DD Sports Fancode
New Zealand Sky Sport 1 NZ Sky Sport NOW, Sky Go
Singapore  — StarHub TV+
Hong Kong Now TV Viu

USA: The USA vs Vietnam match will be televised on Fox in English and on Telemundo and Universo in Spanish, with all three channels streaming on Fubo, which is available to new users on a free trial.

Subscribers to cable, satellite or telco packages can use their authenticated credentials to access a live stream on the Fox Sports site/app, Telemundo Deportes site/app, and Universo NOW. A Spanish-language stream will be available to subscribers of NBC streaming platform Peacock.

Canada: The USA vs. Vietnam match will be available to watch on TSN1, TSN4 and TSN5 in English and on RDS in French. Streams will be available on TSN+, the TSN site/app, and the RDS site/app.

Source

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