This will be the first women’s World Cup to feature 32 teams, broken up into eight groups of four.
The U.S. women’s national soccer team has three-peat on their minds as they kick off their 2023 World Cup against Vietnam Friday on Fox.
The United States enters the competition as the two-time defending champion, but it will be the first time the women’s team has faced Vietnam, which is playing in its first World Cup. It is the fifth-straight World Cup where the United States has faced an opponent from Asia to open the tournament.
This will be the first women’s World Cup to feature 32 teams, broken up into eight groups of four. The United States is playing in Group E, where in addition to Vietnam, they will also take on Portugal and the Netherlands, a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final the United States won 2-0.
The two teams with the most points will advance to the knockout stage. Teams receive three points for a win, one for a tie, and zero for a loss.
Fans will see some familiar veterans on the field, including Megan Rapinoe (who will retire after this World Cup), Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara, Julie Ertz, and Alyssa Naeher. But the team will also feature fresh new faces like Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma, Trinity Rodman (the daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman), and teenager Alyssa Thompson.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch today’s United States-Vietnam World Cup match:
» READ MORE: Full Women’s World Cup TV schedule, live streaming, kickoff times on Fox and Telemundo
The U.S. women’s team’s first World Cup match against Vietnam is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fox.
Calling the game will be JP Dellacamera, the former Philadelphia Union TV voice who will broadcast his 17th World Cup. Alongside him in the booth will be former U.S. star Aly Wagner. Reporting from Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, will be Jenny Taft and Tom Rinaldi.
United States-Vietnam will also air in Spanish on Telemundo, with play-by-play voice Andrés Cantor joined by analysts Natalia Astrain and Manuel Sol.
United States-Vietnam and every other World Cup match is available to stream on the Fox Sports app, though it will only be available to those with a cable subscription.
The game will also stream on any so-called skinny bundle that carries Fox, including fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and DirecTV Stream. Most offer a free trial.
If you’re looking to stream the game for free and you live in or around Philadelphia, your best option is using a digital antenna, since all the U.S. games will air on broadcast television.
Want to stream the game in Spanish? Telemundo’s live streaming is available on the network’s website if you have a cable subscriptions. Otherwise it’s available on Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform, though you’ll have to pay for the premium tier to get all the games.
While Philadelphia is not impacted (Fox Corporation owns Fox29), viewers in 42 markets won’t be able to watch the World Cup on Fox on DirecTV or DirecTV Stream due to a carriage dispute with Nexstar, which owns the local stations. It includes some major cities, including Denver, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Charlotte.
This year’s women’s World Cup is cohosted by New Zealand and Australia, becoming the seventh and eighth countries to host the event.
The tournament will be played across 10 stadiums in nine cities. The United States is scheduled to play its three group matches in two New Zealand stadiums — Eden Park in Auckland and Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington.
This year’s World Cup final will be held in Stadium Australia (known locally as Accor Stadium) in Sydney, built to host the 2000 Summer Olympics, with a capacity of more than 80,000.
Pregame coverage ahead of the U.S. debut will begin at 7 p.m.
Hosting Fox’s studio coverage will be Rob Stone. He is joined by a cast of analysts headlined by retired U.S. soccer star and Delran native Carli Lloyd, who is making her women’s World Cup debut.
“If I wasn’t doing this with Fox Sports, I’d probably be just home catching games here and there,” Lloyd told The Inquirer. “But you’re so invested when you’re doing this, and I’m obviously going to be here for the whole tournament. … You just become so invested. You see the story lines more; you get to watch every team; you get to see players.”
Other studio analysts include Alexi Lalas, former Philadelphia Independence and Canada goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, former U.S. star Heather O’Reilly, Kate Gill, Ariane Hingst, and Stu Holden.
» READ MORE: Chickens, meditation and soccer analysis: Carli Lloyd tackles the World Cup in Fox’s TV booth
The U.S. women’s team is competing in Group E, which also includes Vietnam, Netherlands, and Portugal. Like Vietnam, Portugal is making its World Cup debut.
The two teams with the most points will advance to the knockout stage. Teams receive three points for a win, one for a tie, and zero for a loss.
Here’s the full U.S. women’s schedule for the group state of the 2023 World Cup:
U.S.-Vietnam: Friday, July 21, 9 p.m. (Fox, Telemundo)
U.S.-Netherlands: Wednesday, July 26, 9. p.m. (Fox, Telemundo)
U.S.-Portugal: Tuesday, Aug. 1, 3 a.m. (Fox, Telemundo)
» READ MORE: Who will win the women’s World Cup? The Inquirer’s soccer writers make their predictions
