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Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2023 6:14:03 GMT
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Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2023 7:31:10 GMT
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (July 22, 2023) – The U.S. Women’s National Team earned a 3-0 win against Vietnam in the team’s opening match at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. A brace from forward Sophia Smith and a goal from midfielder and team captain Lindsey Horan led the team to victory in front of a crowd of 41,107 mostly American fans at historic Eden Park. The USA improved to 7W-2D-0L all-time in opening matches at the FIFA Women's World Cup and have started each of the last four tournaments with a win. The USWNT has now won 13 consecutive matches at the FIFA Women's World Cup, extending its own record for most consecutive wins in the competition. The U.S. will now face the Netherlands on July 27 at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara (1 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET on July 26 on FOX, Telemundo, Universo and Peacock) in its second Group E match and will finish group play against Portugal on Aug. 1 back at Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau (7 p.m. local / 3 a.m. ET on FOX, Telemundo and Peacock). The match was physical from the jump as a gritty Vietnam side made its presence known with several fouls. The USA had an early scare in just the first minute as forward Trinity Rodman fell hard after a challenge and needed attention from the medical staff before returning to the field moments later. The U.S. created plenty of scoring chances and surely had enough excellent looks at goal to more than double the scoreline, but never stopped looking for ways to break down Vietnam. With Horan pulling the strings in midfield, the U.S. created the opening goal in the 14th minute as she received the ball near midfield and played a brilliant, driven pass toward Morgan at the top of the penalty. Morgan flicked a first-time pass with her heel into Smith’s path as she ran into the left side of box. Smith then took a touch and fired low with her left foot through the legs of goalkeeper Tran Thị Kim Thanh to open the scoring. Her goal marked the fastest at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup thus far. After continuously threatening in the attack, the USA nearly doubled the lead in the 44th minute when a VAR review awarded the USA a penalty kick for a foul on Rodman moments earlier. Morgan stepped up to the spot, but Tran, who made four saves on the night in an impressive performance, came up with a diving stop to deny her attempt. Smith then struck again before the halftime whistle, this time in the seventh of eight minutes of stoppage time that were awarded in the first half after Vietnam consistently tried to waste time. Tran came off her line and punched out a cross from defender Naomi Girma, but the ball flew directly to Smith just inside the box where the reigning U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year finished once again with her left foot through the legs of Tran with Julie Ertz and Morgan providing distraction in front of the net. In the 63rd minute, forward and USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe earned her 200th cap after coming on as a substitute for Morgan. Rapinoe, who announced in early July that she will retire at the end of the 2023 NWSL season, becomes just the 14th player in U.S. Women’s National Team history to reach the milestone.
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Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2023 17:06:06 GMT
Sophia Smith scored a pair of goals and assisted on the third goal by Lindsey Horan as USA earned a clean sheet victory over Vietnam to open up Group E.
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Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2023 20:02:51 GMT
The journey of a lifetime. Megan Rapinoe becomes the 14th USWNT player to earn 200 caps.
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Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2023 22:02:44 GMT
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