Without much offense, Vietnam plays tough against US in Women’s World Cup debut

By ZACH ALLEN
Associated Press

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Left bruised, bandaged and limping, the Vietnamese walked off the pitch smiling. Entering its World Cup-opening match Saturday against the United States, the Vietnamese were expected to suffer a defeat similar to the 2019 Thailand team, which lost to the Americans 13-0 to open that tournament. After all, the top-ranked United States has won four World Cup titles, while Vietnam was making its tournament debut. Final score: United States 3, Vietnam 0. In a match where Vietnam failed to get off a shot, its defensive intensity kept it in the game.