Defending champions USA have won the Women's World Cup 4 times and are once again considered the favorites to win the tournament, so it will be difficult for Vietnam, who is making its first appearance in the final week, to deal with the USA in the first match.
Many national teams have made progress in recent years, narrowing the gap between countries, and I believe that many teams would like to challenge the United States as the king. However, the US still has a number of world-class players, including Alex Morgan in the front line and Linsley Horan in the midfield, and there are also a number of young players who have been performing well.
Forward Sophia Smith, who will be making her Women's World Cup debut, is part of a new generation in the United States, and she's one of the players I'm most looking forward to seeing. The 22-year-old striker is currently the leading scorer in the U.S. domestic women's league and her form is unquestionable. In fact, she's full of talent and has great speed and touch on goal.
Lowen is another rising star with a promising future. She scored both goals in the recent win over Wells, and even though she may not start this game, I expect her to see some playing time.
The United States beat Thailand 13-0 in their first group stage match in the last Women's World Cup Final Week, and I hope Vietnam won't make the same mistake and get a similar result. It's a great achievement for Vietnam to make it to the Women's World Cup Finals, but they're a far cry from their opponents, so I think it's going to be a tough battle for them against the USA, who are much fitter and more skillful than they are.
