AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Fresh-faced newcomer Sophia Smith teamed with captain Lindsey Horan to give the United States a balanced performance as the Americans breezed to another opening victory at the Women’s World Cup.
Smith scored twice and the two-time defending champions beat tournament first-timers Vietnam 3-0 Saturday for the Americans’ 13th straight victory in a World Cup match. Smith, who turns 23 next month and is playing in her first tournament, is the second-youngest U.S. women’s player to score multiple goals in a World Cup game.
Horan, the team’s co-captain with Alex Morgan, added a goal for the favored Americans, who have won four World Cups overall and are vying for an unprecedented three-peat in this year’s tournament.
