Evaluating the opponent in the opening match of the 2023 Women's World Cup, US women's team coach Vlatko Andonovski said: "We don't know much about the Vietnamese women's team yet, but I know they have had a challenging journey at the Asian Cup (Asian World Cup qualifiers). It will certainly be an interesting experience to meet Vietnam in the opening match of the 2023 World Cup. We look forward to learning more about them."
The Vietnamese and American women's teams will face each other in the opening match of Group E at 8am tomorrow (July 22). According to experts and fans, Huynh Nhu and her teammates will find it difficult to create a surprise against a strong opponent like the US. In particular, the team led by coach Vlatko Andonovski will be even more determined as they are aiming to win the World Cup for the third consecutive time and set a new record in the history of world football.
Coach Vlatko Andonovski (2nd from right) shows respect for the Vietnamese women's team
In this year's tournament, the US women's team has many changes in its lineup, when coach Vlatko Andonovski only brought 9 players who participated in the 2019 World Cup. In the current US women's team, there are up to 14 players who have never participated in the biggest football tournament on the planet, including many names that lack international competition experience. However, the reigning World Cup champion is still considered the leading candidate for the highest position with veteran and experienced faces such as Lindsey Horan, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe...
“We always talk about the pressure that can come with the team and on the pitch. It’s great to hear from the seniors who are more experienced and who we can lean on. Whether I’m starting or coming off the bench, I can lean on them,” said defender Emily Fox, who will be making her first World Cup appearance for the U.S. women’s national team.
Coach Mai Duc Chung
Captain Huynh Nhu
In the press conference before the match, coach Mai Duc Chung shared: "We feel honored that this is the first time the Vietnamese women's team has won a ticket to the World Cup. We are proud to represent the people of the whole country. The Vietnamese women's team came here with the main purpose of learning experience. We are still young and need to learn from all the other opponents in this tournament."
The head coach of the Vietnamese women's team added: "The US women's team is superior in class to Vietnam. But we did not come here to go on vacation . It can be said that the US women's team is like a towering mountain blocking our way, but that does not mean we will falter. Vietnam will have a reasonable strategy. Our first goal is to limit the number of goals conceded and avoid injuries. If we score, everything will be even better. We come from an area where football is still underdeveloped. However, Southeast Asia is proud to have two representatives, Vietnam and the Philippines, in this tournament."
Captain striker Huynh Nhu expressed: “The Vietnamese women's team has gone through a difficult journey to get here. We always feel proud to be present at such a large-scale playground, so we will try our best in the opening match to bring the image of Vietnamese people to the international arena. Hopefully, this will also be a source of inspiration for Vietnamese women's football to develop in the future. To reach the World Cup, Vietnamese women's football had to go through many difficulties. We are still not developed compared to the world, but the players always have a collective spirit. Hopefully, the 2023 World Cup will inspire the young generation of Vietnamese women's football to pursue their passion. If we have passion, we will achieve our dreams."
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