Never in modern times has the United States women’s national team entered a World Cup surrounded by so many questions. The scrutiny that follows the team is constant, but endless injuries and constant player turnover had created uncertainty.
United States coach Vlatko Andonovski’s starting lineup on Saturday against Vietnam for the team’s 2023 World Cup opener exemplified as much. In most scenarios, the number of surprises would have been seen as a risk too many to start a major tournament, but the United States won as expected, 3-0 over an overmatched but dogged Vietnam side making their tournament debut.
Forward Sophia Smith, one of six USA starters making her World Cup debut, led the way with a first-half brace and an assist on midfielder Lindsey Horan’s goal after half-time.
Smith’s first goal, in the 14th minute, came as Horan found Alex Morgan for a flick-on. It was the type of coordinated movement Andonovski alluded to wanting to see from his team in the opener to break down Vietnam’s hyper-defensive setup, a five-back formation that would become a line of six defenders at times.
“I was happy with the way this team played,” Andonovski said. “If you look at this team, it’s the first time that this 11 has been on the field together. They’ve never been on the field together in a game scenario for one minute and to see some of the connections and some of the combinations that they were able to do was very positive.”
The biggest surprise for the USA came at the No 10 position. Savannah DeMelo, who made the USA roster as an uncapped player, filled in for Rose Lavelle in the all-important role. Lavelle is being eased into the tournament following a months-long absence due to a knee injury. Ashley Sanchez had previously assumed those backup duties in her absence.
Saturday was DeMelo’s first start in a USA jersey after coming off the bench in the team’s only official warm-up match. She is only the third player to have made a USA World Cup roster without having previously been capped and the first since midfielder Shannon Boxx in 2003.
“Learning the details, getting accustomed to the team and just learning the ways, whether it’s the shape, the way we press,” DeMelo said of the adjustment. “So, just getting used to being with them and being part of this team.”
Julie Ertz, whose dramatic comeback was supposed to solve the team’s midfield problems, started at center-back in a surprise that had been foreshadowed by Andonovski in previous weeks following the loss of captain Becky Sauerbrunn to a foot injury. Andonovski said after the match that the staff started preparing Ertz for the position weeks prior to the game.
Four years ago, Ertz was one of the best players in the world – as a defensive midfielder. She has not consistently played at center-back in six years, apart from a couple of games in 2019 due to others’ injuries. She also hasn’t played much lately, period. Ertz was away from the team for 18 months, during which she gave birth to her son in August 2022, before returning in March.
Since then, Ertz has battled minor setbacks and played far fewer minutes than initially planned in her pre-World Cup comeback. On Saturday, she lined up alongside rising star Naomi Girma. It was the first time the two played the position together in an official match.
They had little to do, however, allowing them to familiarize themselves with each other. Vietnam failed to register a shot in the match.
“The clean sheet that’s what you want,” Ertz said. “For sure, I think it was a good start.”
Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe, who is playing in her fourth and final World Cup, aren’t fully fit and need to build their minutes as the tournament progresses, Andonovski said on Friday. The pair entered the match together just past the hour mark as the USA comfortably led 2-0. It was the first appearance in a competitive match for Lavelle in three months.
“It was a hard couple months,” Lavelle said. “Obviously, I had some setbacks, but I think I had a really good support system around me, a lot of people that were looking after me that helped me get to this point, and I’m so grateful to be out there with this team in this moment. It’s special.”
Lavelle found Rapinoe in space two minutes after they entered the match, but Rapinoe slashed her shot over the bar. Shortly after, Lavelle rattled the crossbar and the ball bounced straight down but failed to go over the line.
Morgan had a poor penalty attempt saved just before halftime in a rare moment that went truly wrong for the USA on the day. There was rust, no doubt, and Andonovski conceded that the team’s finishing clearly could have been better. The USA attempted 27 shots and put eight on target.
Much of that was to be expected. DeMelo and Smith were among the players who admitted to being nervous in their first World Cup matches.
It was a professional performance for the Americans ahead of a looming test next week: a 2019 World Cup final rematch against the Netherlands.
“We obviously could have put away a few more questions, myself included,” Smith said. “That’s always going to be the case. We always want more, we always want to strive for more, but we’re happy with the result. It’s a win and we’ll take it and we take that going into the next game.”
