Smith sets sights on Dutch after stealing show on WC debut

The attacker scored twice and set up captain Lindsey Horan for the third in a comfortable 3-0 win on Saturday over Vietnam at Eden Park in Auckland.

"I think it is a good place to start and personally it was good to just get a World Cup game under my belt and see how it felt," said the 22-year-old from Colorado after enjoying a dream debut at the tournament. "I think it honestly just makes me more excited for the next game."

The meeting against the Netherlands in Wellington will be a repeat of the 2019 final, which the Americans won 2-0 to retain their crown. Smith needed just 14 minutes to open the scoring against Vietnam and added another in first-half stoppage time, shortly after Alex Morgan's penalty had been saved. The Portland Thorns forward then set up Horan late on.

The holders and favourites were easy winners, but they were also wasteful in front of goal, meaning there was no repeat of the 13-0 thrashing they handed out to Thailand at the start of their successful 2019 World Cup campaign. Vlatko Andonovski's side, featuring six World Cup debutants at kick-off, had 27 attempts on Vietnam's goal to none for their opponents.

"At the end I just felt we needed to be a little bit better with the final shot," said the coach. "We created opportunities, we had a penalty kick, obviously enough to score a few more goals, but there are lots of positives from game one going into game two."

As well as Smith on the left wing, 21-year-old Trinity Rodman - daughter of former NBA superstar Dennis Rodman - made her World Cup debut on the right. Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Andi Sullivan and Savannah DeMelo also made their first World Cup appearances, while Sofia Huerta and 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson did likewise coming off the bench.

 

July 22, 2023

Beginners' nerves

Andonovski blamed that inexperience for his team's often wayward finishing, even if veteran icon Megan Rapinoe was also guilty of squandering chances after coming on for her 200th cap. "We are very encouraged by the style of soccer that we displayed and also encouraged by the opportunities and goals we scored," he said.

"Sophia Smith making her debut in the World Cup scored two beautiful goals and assisted, so very positive things and very encouraged going into game two." Smith said she found handling the occasion, before a crowd of over 41,000, easier thanks to the presence of captain Horan, the Lyon midfielder.

"I love playing with Lindsey. She is such a great player. She has such a great eye for a lot of things that a lot of players don't see," said Smith. "It is an honour to play with Lindsey and it's a lot of fun, and being from Colorado together makes it a little more special."

The United States now head to New Zealand's capital Wellington for a match against the Dutch on what will be another special occasion for Smith. "My boyfriend is half-Kiwi and his Mum is from Wellington. His whole Mum's side of the family is in Wellington," she revealed.