Tag: 2023 Women’s World Cup

USWNT beat Vietnam to open World Cup — but was it by enough?

The U.S. could be vulnerable to a goal differential tiebreaker should they not beat the Netherlands and Portugal

Will the U.S. women’s national team rue only beating Vietnam by three goals?

Should the USWNT defeat the Netherlands and Portugal to close out group play at the World Cup, then it won’t matter. But anything less than two wins could open up the USWNT to a goal differential tiebreaker, and a possible second-place finish in Group E.

The U.S. most certainly dominated Vietnam at Eden Park, outshooting their opposition 28-0 as Sophia Smith turned in a star performance in her first World Cup match.

But as some pointed out, failing to beat the Netherlands could be damaging should the Dutch run up the score against Vietnam.

That could potentially set the USWNT up with a difficult round-of-16 match against Sweden, which Vlatko Andonovski’s side would definitely like to avoid if possible.

Here are some reactions from across Twitter after the USWNT’s opening-game win.

Smith stars as USWNT ‘only’ beats Vietnam 3-0 in World Cup opener

It wasn’t the hammering many feared, but the U.S. is off to a winning start at the World Cup

It was not the shellacking that many expected, or perhaps feared, but the U.S. women’s national team is still off to a winning start at the 2023 World Cup.

The USWNT defeated Vietnam 3-0 in its Group E opener at Eden Park in Auckland, as Sophia Smith scored a first-half double on her World Cup debut and assisted Lindsey Horan’s goal in the second half.

It was a far cry from four years ago, when the USWNT destroyed Thailand 13-0 to begin a 2019 World Cup run that would culminate in a second straight title.

The U.S. may be slightly disappointed with the margin of victory, with goal differential the first tiebreaker, but Vlatko Andonovski will likely be satisfied with his team’s performance in a game the U.S. still dominated to the tune of a 28-0 shot advantage.

Vietnam started the game off fairly well with some tight defending, but the USA’s quality told in a superb sequence for Smith’s opener.

Fourteen minutes in, Horan played an entry pass to Alex Morgan, whose lovely flicked layoff played Smith in for a composed finish.

The U.S. was in control but frustrated by the Vietnamese, who had a true moment to remember near the end of the first half after Trinity Rodman was fouled inside the box.

Up to the spot stepped Morgan, one of the most legendary players in international soccer history. But her spot kick was saved by Trần Thị Kim Thanh, sparking wild celebrations among Vietnam’s players.

The joy would be short-lived, however, as Smith got her second just before the half with a shot that snuck through traffic and went through Thanh.

The USWNT would be frustrated in the first 30 minutes of the second half, squandering several opportunities, before Smith once again proved the difference-maker.

The Portland Thorns forward beat her defender to a long ball before centering for Horan, who took a touch to collect before putting the ball home into an empty net.

The USWNT will be back in action on Wednesday night U.S. time, kicking off at 9 p.m. ET against the Netherlands in a 2019 final rematch.

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USWNT roster: Here are the 23 U.S. players heading to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand

Here’s the full U.S. women’s soccer team roster heading to the the 2023 World Cup.

The USWNT roster is out, and as expected, it’s filled with stars.

There are plenty of names you saw in the last Women’s World Cup back in 2019, including star forwards Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, so head coach Vlatko Andonovski will have lots of talent to choose from as the United States team gets set to defend its title in Australia and New Zealand.

If you’re wondering where Becky Sauerbrunn is? Sadly, the captain will miss the World Cup with a foot injury.

Here’s a breakdown of the full roster by position after it was announced on Wednesday, going from goalkeepers to the forwards.

MORE WORLD CUP:

2023 England Women’s World Cup roster

See England’s full squad of 23 players for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is finally here. The United States women’s national team will look to capture a third consecutive World Cup, this time in Australia and New Zealand.

The World Cup will begin with both host countries playing on Thursday, July 20th. The knockout stages will begin on August 5th, with the final scheduled for August 20th in Sydney at Stadium Australia.

We’ll be listing the rosters of the top contenders in the 2023 World Cup. England was drawn to Group D, along with Haiti, Denmark and China.

England schedule:

vs. Haiti (July 22nd)

vs. Denmark (July 28th)

vs. China (August 1st)

You can scroll through the full roster below:

Rapinoe and Lavelle to start World Cup on minutes restrictions

The USWNT pair are both working their way back from injury

U.S. women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski has said Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe will both begin the World Cup on minutes restrictions as they ease back following injuries.

The news was better on Julie Ertz, though, with the coach saying the midfielder is at 100 percent and has no restrictions.

None of the trio played in the team’s send-off match against Wales earlier this month.

Lavelle has been battling a knee injury that has sidelined her since April, while Rapinoe hasn’t played since she left OL Reign’s game against Kansas City on June 10 with a calf issue.

Ertz, meanwhile, has been battling a thigh issue at various points in the past two months.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of his team’s World Cup opener against Vietnam, Andonovski said that both Rapinoe and Lavelle would be eased into action as the tournament progresses.

“Rose actually has been really good, she’s trained with the team now for a good three weeks, and off and on she trained with us before that,” Andonovski said. “She’s ready to play and we’re not going to force a lot of minutes from the beginning. We’ll ease everything up as we move on.”

Andonovski added: “From minutes management, Julie is 100% where Megan is in the same boat like Rose. Her minutes are probably going to grow as the tournament goes by.”

With Lavelle sidelined, Ashley Sanchez appears a likely candidate to start against Vietnam. Newcomer Savannah DeMelo is also an option for the USWNT at the No. 10 position.

Rapinoe, meanwhile, is expected to be used as a bench option for the USWNT even if fully fit, with Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Thompson and Lynn Williams potential starters at wide forward with Sophia Smith a lock starter on the other side.

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Best USWNT 2023 FIFA World Cup gear including jerseys, hats, shoes and more

Get everything you need to support the USWNT right here

Could the United States women’s national team win a fifth World Cup title in 2023?

While the USWNT is in Australia and New Zealand vying for another championship, Pro Soccer Wire has all your news and updates covered right here. But the team still needs your support now more than ever.

While Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and the rest of the women in the red, white, and blue are pushing through the rigorous competition, be sure to gear up in all the right ways.

Between jerseys, hats, t-shirts and more, check out some of the best USWNT team gear in our collection below. Order now get and your items in before the end of the group stage:

USA vs Vietnam: How to watch USWNT’s Women’s World Cup opener

The USWNT will be heavily favored to start its World Cup campaign with victory

The U.S. women’s national team’s quest for a third straight World Cup begins with its Group E opener against Vietnam.

The two nations have never met before, and the USWNT is heavily favored to get its title defense off to a winning start against the World Cup debutants from Asia.

Following its opener, the USWNT will face the Netherlands and then Portugal to round off Group E play. The top two teams in the group will advance to the round of 16.

The match against Vietnam kicks off at 1 p.m. local time in Auckland on Saturday, July 22, which is 9 p.m. ET on Friday, July 21 in the United States.

Here’s everything you need to know to catch all the action from New Zealand:

USA vs. Vietnam

  • When: Friday, July 21
  • Where: Eden Park, Auckland
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Fox, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock

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2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Day 2 Recap: Spain, Switzerland dominate

Spain and Switzerland showed their class, while Canada was held to a frustrating draw

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is officially getting into the swing of things, as Day 2 of the event saw a three-game slate on Friday (Or Thursday night into early Friday morning, for those not living in the host countries). Nigeria took on Canada, Switzerland faced off against the Philippines, and Spain battled it out against Costa Rica.

Before diving into the action, a quick reminder about our coverage of the World Cup here at Pro Soccer Wire. Make sure to keep up with the games by checking out the TV/streaming schedule, a constantly updated list of the standings, and the Golden Boot race at all times.

With that, let’s see how the games played out on Day 2.

Sam Kerr injury dents Australia hopes despite World Cup win over Ireland

Kerr’s return is an unknown at this point

Australia got off to a winning World Cup start, but were still left with an enormous worry in terms of their prospects as contenders.

The Matildas defeated the Republic of Ireland 1-0 before over 75,000 fans at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Thursday, and had to do so without superstar striker Sam Kerr. The Chelsea forward was held out of the match due to a calf strain apparently suffered in their final training session before the match.

Minutes before announcing their starting lineup to the public, Football Australia took to social media to announce the bad news.

“Sam Kerr is unavailable tonight after she picked up a calf injury at training on [matchday-minus-one],” said Australia’s announcement. “Sam will be unavailable for the next two matches with the Matildas Medical Team to re-assess her following our second group stage match.”

With Kerr out, Australia had a void to fill in terms of both their captaincy and their penalty taker. Arsenal left back Steph Catley stepped up in both cases, captaining the Matildas and converting a second-half spot kick in a closer-than-anticipated victory.

“Losing a player like Sam, probably the best player in the world – and just for her as a person – we were completely heartbroken,” said Catley in a post-match press conference. “We used her spirit and used the fact that she wasn’t able to be out there with us to help us push on and to all add a bit to what we already bring.

“That’s what it’s going to take for as long as she misses… she’s massive for us and she’s so important. She’s our spiritual leader and whatever role she plays in the next however long, will be massive.”

That “however long” is a key issue. While Australia said that Kerr will also miss the team’s next match against Nigeria, the only information they could offer was that they would evaluate her status after that match’s finish.

“We have to be honest with you, we said she will be out for two games. After that we will reassess it,” said Matildas manager Tony Gustavsson. “Right now we don’t know what grade [the strain] is.”

It is hard to overstate Kerr’s importance to Australia. She is the undisputed face of the team, a leader as Catley said, and also its best player. Her 63 international goals in 121 appearances represent an outstanding scoring record, and in truth the Matildas don’t have a similar but lesser player they can plug into their lineup.

Without Kerr, Gustavsson brought Cortnee Vine into the team on the left wing, pushing Caitlin Foord up to lead the line. Australia struggled to turn possession into looks in the final third against a rugged Ireland side, and will have to expect more of the same in terms of opposition tactics from Nigeria and (should Kerr remain out) Canada in their Group B finale.

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