The USWNT will play its first game on Saturday in New Zealand, although it will be Friday night in the United States. (John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports)
In quest of an unprecedented third consecutive championship, the U.S. women’s national team will take on Women’s World Cup debutant Vietnam in its opening match of the tournament at Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau.
The match kicks off at 1 p.m. local in Auckland on Saturday, July 22, which is 9 p.m. ET on July 21 for viewers stateside and will be broadcast on FOX, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock).
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 the Asian Football Confederation in its opening game of the tournament.
The USA started the World Cup against Korea DPR in both 2007 and 2011, faced off against Australia in the first group match in 2015 World Cup and then opened the 2019 World Cup group against Thailand in France.
The USWNT heads into the World Cup after most recently earning a 2-0 win against Wales in the team’s Send-Off match on July 9 in San Jose, Calif., where two second-half goals from forward Trinity Rodman, which marked her first career brace, led the team to victory in front of a sellout crowd of 18,000 fans. The USA will enter the World Cup with a 50W-6D-5L in 61 games under head coach Vlatko Andonovski.
The Americans will face World Cup debutantes Vietnam and Portugal in Group E along with 2019 World Cup runners-up Netherlands.
The USA will play the entire group stage in New Zealand. After playing Vietnam, the USA will face 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), followed by Portugal on Aug. 1 at Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau (7 p.m. local/3 a.m. ET on FOX, Telemundo and Peacock).
The squad heads into the World Cup after most recently earning a 2-0 win against Wales in the team’s Send-Off match on July 9 in San Jose, Calif., where two second-half goals from forward Trinity Rodman led the team to victory in front of a sellout crowd of 18,000. The USA will enter the World Cup with a 50-6-5 record in 61 games under head coach Vlatko Andonovski.
U.S. roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 14), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 91)
DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign; 25/1), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 29/1), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC; 132/24), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 16/0), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign; 30/0), Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 157/3), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign; 75/1)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC; 0/0), Julie Ertz (Angel City FC; 118/20), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 129/27), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 88/24), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 51/7), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit; 25/3), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 45/3)
FORWARDS (6): Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC; 207/121), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign; 199/63), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 18/4), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 30/12), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 4/0), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 53/15)
Vietnam roster
Goalkeepers (3): 1-DAO Thi Kieu Oanh (Hanoi WFC), 14-TRAN Thi Kim Thanh (Ho Chi Minh City WFC), 20-KHONG Thi Hang (Than Khoang San FC)
Defenders (8): 2-LUONG Thi Thu Thuong (Than Khoang San FC), 3-CHUONG Thi Kieu (Ho Chi Minh City WFC), 4-TRAN Thi Thu (Ho Chi Minh City WFC), 5-HOANG Thi Loan (Hanoi WFC), 6-TRAN Thi Thuy Nga (Thai Nguyen T&T WFC), 13-LE Thi Diem My (Than Khoang San FC), 17-TRAN Thi Thu Thao (Ho Chi Minh City WFC), 22-NGUYEN Thi My Anh (Thai Nguyen T&T WFC)
Midfielders (8): 7-NGUYEN Thi Tuyet Dung (Phong Phu Ha Nam FC), 8-TRAN Thi Thuy Trang (Ho Chi Minh City WFC), 10-TRAN Thi Hai Linh (Hanoi WFC), 11-THAI Thi Thao (Hanoi WFC), 16-DUONG Thi Van (Than Khoang San FC), 19-NGUYEN Thi Thanh Nha (Hanoi WFC), 21-NGAN Thi Van Su (Hanoi WFC), 23-NGUYEN Thi Bich Thuy (Ho Chi Minh City WFC)
Forwards (4): 9-HUYNH Nhu (Länk Vilaverdense, POR), 12-PHAM Hai Yen (Hanoi WFC), 15-NGUYEN Thi Thuy Hang (Than Khoang San FC), 18-VU Thi Hoa (Hanoi WFC)
