2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup: USA Vs Vietnam W Preview
Written by Olaleye Oluwadamilola
With hosts New Zealand picking up a narrow 1-0 victory against Norway W and Australia edging out Republic of Ireland to open the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign, record Champions USA are set to play debutant, Vietnam W who are seen as relatively an underdog side due to United States Women’s history as the most successful side in the FIFA Women’s World Cup history but the Asian side are set to cause an upset in the first ever meeting between both teams.
More Details
The U.S. Women’s National Team will open its journey at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup against Vietnam, squaring off in Group E with the game set to be played at the Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau, New Zealand in a first ever meeting between the two nations as well as the first ever World Cup game for Vietnam.
USA W
One of the favorites of the competition, the USA will start their Women’s World Cup (WWC) journey with the sole aim of securing an unprecedented third successive title.
However, there are concerns as to whether Vlatko Andonovski’s side can again produce their best, especially with such a youthful playing squad containing 14 World Cup debutants.
The group stage opener in Auckland will be the first meeting all-time between the USA and Vietnam, making Vietnam the 57th different opponent the USWNT has faced all-time.
Although the group stage opener will be the first meeting ever between the USA and Vietnam, it will mark the fifth consecutive World Cup in which the USWNT has faced an opponent from Asia in its opening game of the tournament.
The USA opened the World Cup against Korea DPR in both 2007 (2-2 draw) and 2011 (2-0 USA win), faced off against Australia in the first group match in 2015 World Cup (3-1 USA win) and then opened the 2019 World Cup group against Thailand in France (13-0 USA win).
Form
Recent form is certainly on their side with nine successive wins coming into the competition, including a sixth She Believes Cup along the way.
Players To Watch
Andonovski has had to turn to so many debutants after being hit with a plethora of injuries in the build-up to the tournament.
Mallory Swanson netted in six straight USA appearances before tearing her patella tendon during April’s friendly with Ireland, while fellow stars Catarina Macario, captain Becky Sauerbrunn and veteran midfielder Sam Mewis are also set to miss out.
But with that all aside, all eyes will be on the USA’s Alex Morgan to see if she can replicate her stunning opening to the 2019 WWC when she scored five goals against Thailand to equal the tournament’s single-game goals record alongside Megan Rapinoe who will be ever her last dance in the Word Cup as he looks to end her career on a high.
Vietnam W
One of the first teams to qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Vietnam is one of eight nations making its Women’s World Cup debut at Australia/New Zealand 2023, joined by fellow debutants Haiti, Morocco, Republic of Ireland, Panama, Philippines, Portugal and Zambia.
Vietnam is one of six teams from the Asian Confederation in this year’s field, joined by tournament co-hosts Australia, 2011 World Cup champions Japan, 1999 World Cup runners-up China PR, Korea Republic and fellow World Cup debutants Philippines.
Although, they are at the other end of the scale to their opponents and are making their tournament debut in a baptism of fire. However, they are a fast-developing national side, highlighted in part by the fact they’ve won four successive South East Asian Games, as they’re now afforded the chance to compete with the very best on the biggest stage.
Form
That being said, their form coming into the tournament wouldn’t have boosted the confidence of Mai Duc Chung’s side, with Vietnam losing each of their last four matches, the latest of which was a humbling 9-0 defeat to Spain.
It’s little wonder then that Chung has played down their ambitions coming into the competition and instead described it as an opportunity for his squad to learn from the experience.
Read Also – Women’s World Cup: Can New Zealand Move Out Of Group Stage For The First Time?
Players To Watch
Twenty-two of the 23 players on this roster play their club soccer in Vietnam, with the lone exception being forward Huynh Nhu.
She scored Vietnam’s second in their 2-0 South East Asian Games final in May and also netted their most recent strike which came against Germany in June.
The 31-year-old made history in 2022 when she signed with Länk Vilaverdense in the Portugese top-flight, becoming the first Vietnamese woman to sign with a European club.
Nhu is the team’s all-time leading scorer with 71 career international goals and will help spearhead the Vietnam attack under Seventy-two-year-old head coach, Mai Duc Chung, a long-time coach for the Vietnam National Teams, coaching men, women and youth at different stages in his career.
Hot Streak
USA have recorded nine successive wins coming into the competition, including a sixth She Believes Cup and have also scored at least two goals in all eight of their WWC opening matches (W6, D2).
The USWNT is unbeaten in 15 consecutive matches against AFC teams at the FIFA Women’s World Cup and in its last 22 matches overall against AFC foes.
Head-To-Head
This will be the first ever meeting both teams as Vietnam are set to mark their debut against the all time leading champions.
Verdict
The Dunedin Stadium is set to host the battle of the old and new gourd with promises of fireworks.
Kindly Email: keepup@bettitude.com
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
About Author
