In Group E, Portugal and Vietnam, the two teams that made a historic run to the final week of the tournament, are set to battle it out in a tightly contested match. Both sides will be looking for their first win in this first Women's World Cup matchup.
Portugal met a strong Dutch side in their opening match of the last final week, and even though they lost 0-1, their performance was enough to prove a strength in front of the 2019 Women's World Cup runners-up. Central midfielder Carla Costa played a key role in the backline, while former Chelsea winger Anna Pokis also managed to convert into a defensive player with a notable performance.
But in my opinion, Portugal need to create more goal scoring opportunities. They need to get Sheska Schwarz more involved in the attack, and I believe that she is fully capable of changing the course of the game if she gets enough support.
Vietnam, on the other hand, is still proud of their first final week performance despite losing 0-3 to defending champions USA in their opening match. Goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh managed to save a penalty kick from the USA's best player, Alex Morgan, which certainly added to her confidence for the rest of the match. The five defenders worked closely together and ended up allowing the USA to score only three goals, an achievement that deserves high praise.
I believe Vietnam can be more aggressive against Portugal and even have a chance to score the first goal of the Women's World Cup. In order to achieve this goal, captains Hoang Roo and Nguyen Xue Nhung will have to play at their best.
