A breakdown of each of the USWNT’s opponents in Group E as the world’s top-ranked team will be favorites to top the table.
Vietnam
World ranking: 32
Match vs. USWNT: 7 p.m. MDT, Friday, July 21
The last time the U.S. opened against a Southeast Asian debutant, the Americans certainly made headlines with a 13-0 rout of Thailand in 2019. The more teams that enter the fray as the field expands to 32 teams, the more likely it is we’ll see a few upsets. This won’t be one of them. The Vietnamese are led by 31-year-old Huynh Nhu, who scored more than 100 times for Ho Chi Minh City over 15 seasons before making a move to a top-flight team in Portugal last fall. She’s held her own in Europe, scoring seven times.
Netherlands
World ranking: 9
Match vs. USWNT: 7 p.m. MDT, July 26
Talk about a blockbuster matchup. The U.S. will face its toughest challenge of the group in a rematch of the 2019 World Cup finale. Even after a disappointing quarterfinal exit at last summer’s European championship, Netherlands is still a strong squad and deep enough to make a run if the Oranje get hot. Keep an eye out for Danielle Van de Donk, who scored seven times in World Cup qualifying. Jill Roord, 26, is looking to build off two strong seasons at club level.
Portugal
World ranking: 21
Match vs. USWNT: 1 a.m. MDT, Aug. 1
It will be a maiden voyage at the World Cup for the Portuguese, coming on the heels of their first Euros. They reached the promised land via the playoffs and will be no slouch under head coach Francisco Neto, who’s led the program for nine years. Tatiana Pinto, 29, will be the taliswoman, as she had 15 goal contributions for her club in 2022-23, while Ana Borges has been with the national team since 2019 with over 150 appearances for her country.
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.
