Sophia Smith scored a first-half brace on her Women's World Cup debut as the United States got their bid for a third successive title off to a comfortable start with a 3-0 win over Vietnam at Eden Park on Saturday.
The four-time champions have put their trust in the next generation this year and were rewarded with a showstopping performance from the 22-year-old forward, who also provided the assist for co-captain Lindsey Horan's goal in the second half.
Vietnam were scarcely able to breach the final third on their World Cup debut but goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh dived to her right to save Alex Morgan's first-half penalty in one of several good chances the Americans spurned.
"I thought we played a good game," US coach Vlatko Andonovski told reporters.
"Unfortunately we didn't capitalise on all the opportunities - great opportunities - we created."
Smith scored her first in the 14th minute off a neat flick through from Morgan and fired her second from close range during stoppage time at the end of the half, the strike initially ruled out for offside but confirmed after a VAR review.
Horan, who assumed the captaincy this year, made amends for an earlier miss when she got on the scoresheet in the 77th minute after Smith cut the ball back to the centre of the box having beaten a defender on the right flank.
The Americans dominated possession with eight shots on target, while underdogs Vietnam battled hard but were unable to get a single shot on goal over the 90 minutes.
"We tried to be more tactical, skillful," Vietnam coach Mai Duc Chung told reporters via a translator.
"In terms of spirit, we are very satisfied here today."
The heavy American presence in the crowd of 41,107 roared with pleasure as Megan Rapinoe, who plans to retire at the end of this year, took the field in the second half but the 38-year-old missed a golden scoring opportunity in the 70th minute.
Substitute midfielder Rose Lavelle was also left frustrated as a shot in the 85th minute ricocheted off the crossbar and another chance went over the net in second-half stoppage time.
The US face the Netherlands on Thursday in their second Group E game, a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, while Vietnam next play Portugal.
Japanese have it easy
Former champions Japan romped to a 5-0 over Zambia in their opener at Waikato Stadium, outclassing the debutant Africans with a slick display of pass-and-move football.
Hinata Miyazawa scored twice and fellow forward Mina Tanaka found the net in the second half after having two earlier efforts called back for offside by VAR.
Winger Jun Endo added the fourth in the 71st minute and substitute Riko Ueki got the fifth from a penalty in stoppage time after Zambia goalkeeper Catherine Musonda had been dismissed for two yellow cards.
Champions at the 2011 World Cup and runners-up in 2015, Japan lined up in an attacking 3-5-1 formation and looked like a team on a mission from the start.
Japan join Spain, who beat Costa Rica 3-0 in Wellington on Friday, at the top of Group C ahead of their second match of the tournament against the Central Americans in Dunedin on Wednesday.
England scrape past Haiti
England's Georgia Stanway made sure her retaken penalty counted to give the Lionesses a 1-0 victory over debutants Haiti in a dramatic World Cup opener for both teams at Brisbane.
Stanway stepped up to the penalty spot twice after Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus moved off her line early in saving the Bayern Munich midfielder's first attempt, awarded after a handball.
Stanway shrugged off the miss, tucking her second into the far corner to the delight of the largely pro-England crowd. All eight World Cup games so far have featured penalties.
Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses are ranked fourth - 49 spots above fledgling Haiti - and are considered among the World Cup favourites as the reigning European champions.
