Forward Sophia Smith led the revamped United States team with a brace, which began its quest for a third consecutive Women’s World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Vietnam.
Smith, one of six members of the U.S. starting XI to make her World Cup debut, finished a precise crossover shot to open the scoring at Auckland’s Eden Park in the 14th minute.
In first-half added time, the 22-year-old striker found the net again, just minutes after veteran Alex Morgan missed a penalty in front of 41,000 fans.
Named the best player of the US tournament in 2022, Smith was again decisive in the third goal, in which she assisted the captain Lindsey Lohan so that she scored in the 77th minute.
A while before, Megan Rapinoe, an emblem of this team and of women’s football, had entered the field, thus achieving her 200th cap as an international.
The defending champions have room for improvement after failing numerous times against Vietnam, which saved pride and avoided the humiliating defeat conceded by Thailand (13-0) in the US debut at the previous World Cup, in 2019.
With three points already secured, the United States must face Portugal and the Netherlands, runners-up in 2019, in Group E.