Women’s World Cup Briefing: Opportunities Abound

Plus: Sophia Smith Has Been Ready for Her World Cup Moment

ADVERTISEMENT July 22, 2023, 11:00 a.m. Eastern time Julie Ertz, left, and Alex Morgan battling Vietnam goalkeeper Thi Kim Thanh Tran.Rafaela Pontes/Associated Press By Juliet Macur In their match against Vietnam, it seemed at times as if every player on the United States team could have scored a goal or two, or three. Savannah DeMelo, making her first World Cup start and only her second appearance for the national team, had two great early chances. Rose Lavelle — finally back on the field after a long injury layoff — had at least two more after entering as a second-half substitute, including one shot that looked bound for success until it ricocheted off the crossbar. Even Alex Morgan, the star forward in her fourth World Cup, missed a penalty kick in first-half injury time when her low shot was stopped by the Vietnam goalkeeper, Thi Kim Tranh Tran. U.S. Coach Vlakto Andonovski acknowledged that his team — which is trying to win an unprecedented third consecutive World Cup title — should have converted more of the two-dozen-plus chances it created, and said he would have liked to see more efficiency in those critical moments in front of the goal. The U.S. team has only several days to make those adjustments before it faces a much tougher test against the Netherlands. The deadline is soon. The Netherlands, a team the U.S. defeated in the 2019 World Cup final, surely won't allow as many chances, and it surely will make the U.S. work harder on defense. Featured Today Andrew Cornaga/Associated Press   Sophia Smith Has Been Ready for Her World Cup Moment Smith had two goals and an assist in her debut in the tournament. And she believes, along with her teammates, that there could have been more. Read this story Latest Results Group C FULL TIME Zambia 0 Japan 5 Group D FULL TIME England 1 Haiti 0 FULL TIME Denmark 1 China PR 0 Group E FULL TIME United States 3 Vietnam 0 Next Matches Group E SUNDAY 3:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME | DUNEDIN STADIUM Netherlands Portugal Group F SUNDAY 6:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME | SYDNEY FOOTBALL STADIUM France Jamaica Group G SUNDAY 1:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME | WELLINGTON REGIONAL STADIUM Sweden South Africa More World Cup Coverage Women's World Cup: U.S. Beats Vietnam, 3-0, but Can't Capitalize on Many More Chances The Americans got two goals from Sophia Smith and a third from Lindsey Horan in a victory that was commanding everywhere but the scoreboard. Women's World Cup: Japan Rolls and England Gets By Both teams, like the United States with its victory over Vietnam, want to make a deep run. Japan started with a formidable victory against Zambia while England did just enough against Haiti. Why U.S. Players Will Get the Most Prize Money, Even if They Lose FIFA recommended a share of the pot for all World Cup players. But the U.S. women will outpace them all because of an agreement with U.S. Soccer. See more stories Receive alerts about the latest sports news as it happens with the New York Times app. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Women's World Cup Briefing from The New York Times. To stop receiving Women's World Cup Briefing, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018