The US women’s national team Are Friday night against Vietnam at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand in their World Cup opener. The match is the first of three group matches for the USA on their way to a fifth World Cup title. No team has ever achieved three Cups and the USWNT is in a prime position to be the first to do so. They will have to go through the group, where all matches will take place in New Zealand, including a final rematch in 2019 against the Netherlands.
Day one will be the first-ever meeting between the US and Vietnam. Here’s how to watch the match and what you need to know:
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- Date: Friday 21 July | Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Place: Eden Park — Auckland, New Zealand
- TV: Fox | Live stream: Fox Sports app And fuboTV (Try for free)
- Chances: US -4000; Draw +2800; Vietnam +5000 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
USWNT group schedule
All times Eastern
Friday July 21
US vs. Vietnam, 9 p.m. — Eden Park, Auckland
Wednesday July 26
US vs. Netherlands, 9 p.m. — Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
Tuesday, August 1
US vs. Portugal, 3 a.m. – Eden Park, Auckland
Predicted starting eleven
USWNT XI: Naeher; Dunn, Girma, Kok, Vos; Horan, Ertz, Sanchez; Smith, Morgan, Rodman
Julie Ertz and Rose Lavelle are medically cleared and are undoubtedly regarded as ideal starters for Vlatko Andonovski, so it’s time to live up to his words when he said Ertz would have started if the broadcast match against Wales was a World Cup match. But don’t be surprised if the coaching staff opts for a similar setup that was used during the USWNT’s broadcast game. Lavelle has not played a competitive game since mid-April and this could be the time she finally gets playing minutes, but she may be off the bench to continue building the tournament. Look for Lynn Williams, Sofia Huerta, Andi Sullivan, Alyssa Thompson or Kelley O’Hara to also score against Vietnam.
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Storylines
USWNT: The favorites to win another tournament and rightly so. Yes, there are several players who did not make the final selection due to injury, but not a single participant in this tournament is without significant injuries. The depth of this squad is deep and the new faces on the team are about to be introduced to a global audience.
18-year-old Alyssa Thompson and 21-year-old Trinity Rodman are two young players on the roster in their first World Cup and could be a bit of an x-factor for the USWNT, while veteran players Crystal Dunn and Lindsey Horan are sure to steer the starting line-up. But a first-group match against a rookie team could well work in favor of the US as they look to get stronger in the tournament.
Vietnam: The team is managed by Mai Đức Chung, who has been in charge of the team since 1997 before retiring in 2005 and returning in 2014. The squad has won six Southeast Asian Games gold medals and the AFF Women’s Championship under his tenure. Led in attack by Huynh Nhu, the 31-year-old is her country’s all-time top goalscorer, having scored 67 times in just 72 appearances.
They also have midfield experience with their captain Tran Thi Thuy Trang and youth on the pitch with Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha recently making headlines with her goal in a recent friendly against Germany that ended in a 2-1 defeat. Their friendlies in July against New Zealand and Spain also ended in 2-0 and 9-0 defeats. Still, it is an organized squad that can frustrate teams on the right day and will be motivated as World Cup debutants.
USWNT vs. Vietnam forecast
The USWNT will want a final game to put themselves in a good position in the group. It’s still the World Cup, and there will be jitters with most teams saving their best play for the world number 1, so no double-digit blowout here. Choose: USWNT 3, Vietnam 0.