2023 Women's World Cup: 6 Takeaways From USWNT's Win vs. Vietnam
The United States Women's National Team kicked off their World Cup title defense with a solid 3-0 victory vs. Vietnam.
In what was a lopsided match for the Vlatko Andonovski-led side, the Stars and Stripes dispatched Vietnam with ease, with Sophia Smith making headlines, assisting once and scoring twice in her World Cup debut.
The US showed a strong defense with Naomi Girma and Julie Ertz as their center-back pairing, effectively blocking most of the potential Vietnamese counterattacks.
However, despite the scoreline and positive individual performances, the US struggled to be clinical in front of goal, outshooting the Vietnamese 28-0, but only scoring three times.
As they prepare to take on the Netherlands on Wednesday, the US must take the lessons they learned in this match and improve upon them.
Here are the six takeaways from the USWNT's group stage opener against Vietnam.
Sophia Smith Dazzles in Debut
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With the absence of Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario due to knee injuries, it was Sophia Smith's time to step up for the US.
That, she did.
The 22-year-old forward was the best player for the US on the day, casually netting two goals and one assist.
Smith looked untroubled as she ended the game with three chances created, five total shots, and a 60% dribble completion rate alongside her goal and assist tally.
Smith was dangerous on the US left flank as she combined well with fellow forward Alex Morgan on several occasions, including the opening goal of the match.
As the US progress through the group stages and beyond, Smith will continue to play a big role in Andonovski's attack.
Youth Plays Big Role In Win
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With the upcoming retirement of seasoned players like Megan Rapinoe and the aging of Alex Morgan, the USWNT is going through a generational transition. As a result, younger players on the team have taken on more prominent roles.
In their win against Vietnam, that generational shift was put on display.
The victory was achieved with significant contributions from Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma, and Trinity Rodman, who started for the US and are all below the age of 25.
Smith scored two goals and provided an assist, leading the US in scoring. Rodman created four opportunities while Girma was outstanding defensively, making six recoveries and two clearances.
In addition, 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson was subbed in during the 76th minute, becoming the second youngest player to represent the US in a Women's World Cup.
The future is bright for the USWNT and this group-stage game gave audiences a glimpse of that.
Defense Untested, But Solid
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Although they had not been tested against Vietnam's attack, the center-back duo of Naomi Girma and Julie Ertz, seemed at ease and secure.
In attack, Vietnam barely got near the net. Instead, they opted to defend and wait for opportunities to counter. But, Ertz and Girma were prepared and managed to prevent any counterattacks by the Vietnamese.
The underrated side of defending is the impact it can have in the buildup of a goal. Ertz and Girma didn't have much defensive work to do, but they excelled in their progressive passing and helped in the US attacking buildup.
During the match, Ertz had a pass completion rate of 84% on 91 touches, while Girma had a pass completion rate of 92% on 88 touches.
Ultimately, while defending was few and far between, Girma and Ertz displayed exceptional control and ability to dictate the tempo.
Vlatko Andonovski's Reliance on Individuals
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There have been many concerns regarding Vlatko Andonovski's tactics ahead of the tournament.
Many people believe that the USWNT is underperforming due to an excessive focus on individual talent and a lack of emphasis on collective and tactical planning.
On an episode of The Re—Cap Show, USWNT players Tobin Heath and Christen Press spoke about this issue and how individual brilliance can only carry the US so far.
"I look at this front line and see danger from every player that can play [in attack.] You look at their individual qualities any one of these players can go off and score a solo goal that [could win Goal of the Tournament.] But, when I look at [how the collective plays together,] the harmony, for me, isn't there."
Though the US has a plethora of attacking talent, it's up to Andonovski to get them in the correct positon to succeed.
Against Vietnam, there were able to get away with some things, but as they get set to play the Netherlands, there will need to be much sharper in the final third and play as a collective instead of relying on individual brilliance.
Finishing Must Be Better
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Despite the solid attacking display from the offensive front three, considering their high number of shots on target against Vietnam, the US should've scored more.
Speaking to the media after the win, captain Alex Morgan even touched on their lack of clinical finishing.
"I mean, of course, we're happy with the win. But I think we could've gotten more goals."
Sure, the Vietnamese defended in a low block that was difficult to break down, but the US have enough individual attacking talent to be able to bypass that.
There have been many concerns regarding Vlatko Andonovski's tactics ahead of the tournament.
Under Andonovski, the US has often over-relied on individual performance. While scoring three goals in a World Cup group stage opener would be phenomenal for any country, when one outshoots Vietnam on goal 28-0, more goals are expected.
Against the Netherlands, the US must go in with a clinical mindset if they want to win again.
Rose LaVelle Is Ready To Start
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Rose Lavelle looks like herself again.
The 28-year-old midfielder had not played a competitive match since April due to a knee injury. However, Lavelle made a strong comeback when she came on as a substitute the in the 61st minute and put on an excellent performance.
That leads many to hope that the Ohio native can start when the US takes on the Netherlands.
Although Lavelle hasn't played a full match in a while, her technical ability and spark gave the US midfield energy and a willingness to drive forward.
As the Stars and Stripes progress deeper into the tournament, Lavelle starting will be key to their title defense.
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