--- title: Women’s World Cup: Match Against U.S. Marks Historic Moment for Vietnam Soccer description: The Vietnam women’s national soccer team is set to take the country onto the global stage, a feat their male counterparts have yet to achieve. canonical: https://time.com/6295734/womens-world-cup-soccer-vietnam-us-history/ author: Koh Ewe article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-07-19T13:00:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:03:36.153Z article:section: Sports og:title: Vietnam’s Women’s Soccer Team Is Set to Make History og:description: In its first-ever World Cup appearance, Vietnam will face off against the U.S. og:url: https://time.com/6295734/womens-world-cup-soccer-vietnam-us-history/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1354c33f9fc04c17/698a3ecbdb29877be42692e7/Vietnam-Womens-World-Cup.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Germany v Vietnam - Women's International Friendly og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Vietnam’s Women’s Soccer Team Is Set to Make History twitter:description: In its first-ever World Cup appearance, Vietnam will face off against the U.S. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1354c33f9fc04c17/698a3ecbdb29877be42692e7/Vietnam-Womens-World-Cup.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Soccer-Loving Vietnam Looks to Women’s Team to Make History > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: England's Women's Team Optimistic Ahead of World Cup Opener [Watch (HLS stream): England's Women's Team Optimistic Ahead of World Cup Opener](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/CZYxQbN1.m3u8) (1:35)  _Published 2023-07-17. Ahead of the Women's World Cup, England's team presented a ceremonial cap and jersey to Paddy McGroarty, a member of the country's first ever women’s team. The reigning European champions kick off their World Cup run against Haiti on July 22 in Brisbane, with Denmark (July 28) and China (August 1) to follow._ by [Koh Ewe](https://time.com/author/koh-ewe/) ## Koh Ewe Koh Ewe (Koyu) was a reporter for TIME based in Singapore. Jul 19, 2023 1:00 PM UTC  Fans cheer at a women's international friendly between Germany and Vietnam at Stadion Am Bieberer Berg in Offenbach on June 24, 2023. Fans cheer at a women's international friendly between Germany and Vietnam at Stadion Am Bieberer Berg in Offenbach on June 24, 2023.Alex Grimm—Getty Images by [Koh Ewe](https://time.com/author/koh-ewe/) ## Koh Ewe Koh Ewe (Koyu) was a reporter for TIME based in Singapore. Jul 19, 2023 1:00 PM UTC No doubt thousands of soccer fans are looking forward to gathering in front of screens across the United States on Friday night to watch the U.S. women’s team take to the pitch in New Zealand for their first match of the 2023 World Cup. It’s the beginning of a chance to make history, as the American players enter as tournament favorites seeking their country’s third title in a row. But across the world, in Vietnam, the excitement is potentially even greater, as committed soccer fans prepare to rise early on Saturday, given the time difference, for the 8 a.m. kickoff of their country’s own history-making moment. The Rabbit Hole, [an Irish sports bar](https://www.therabbitholeirishbar.com/) in Ho Chi Minh City, usually doesn’t open until 3 p.m. But this Saturday, owner Ian Ó Broin says he will be opening the doors at 7.45 a.m., in anticipation of the supporters that will stream in to see Vietnam’s women play in the country’s first-ever World Cup match. “Any time that Vietnam are playing \[soccer\] internationally, we gather a crowd,” says Ó Broin. [**_Sign up for ‘Extra Time,’ our new newsletter that will break down the biggest moments from the 2023 Women’s World Cup_**](https://cloud.newsletters.time.com/signup?nln=extra-time) In Vietnam, a country of nearly 100 million people where soccer is known as the “king of sport,” an estimated [75 percent](https://www.nielsen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Nielsen-World-Football-Report-2022.pdf#page=6) of the population are soccer fans—the highest proportion among Asian countries—compared to just [32 percent of Americans](https://pro.morningconsult.com/articles/world-cup-us-soccer-fans) who consider themselves fans of the sport. On occasions when Vietnam performs well at international tournaments, ecstatic fans are known to [storm the streets](https://www.voanews.com/a/vietnam-soccer-victory/4707035.html) with flags and airhorns, partying late into the night. “Football seems to be the undying religion in Vietnam,” Huynh Tri Thien, a sports management expert at consultancy Pro Sport Solutions and former sports researcher, tells TIME. Soccer also holds a special place in the country’s political history, having famously been credited for [bridging the gap](https://saigoneer.com/vietnam-sports/11836-the-reunification-game-how-a-1976-football-match-brought-north-south-together) between the North and South in a newly unified Vietnam in 1976. Almost 50 years later, the Golden Star Women Warriors, the unofficial nickname given to the women’s national team, have grown into a regional powerhouse, clinching the gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games in May—their [fourth consecutive title](https://e.vnexpress.net/report/football/vietnam-women-win-fourth-straight-title-at-sea-games-4605593.html). Now they’re set to take the country onto the global stage, a feat their male counterparts have [yet to achieve](https://e.vnexpress.net/news/football/new-vietnam-coach-troussier-aims-for-2026-world-cup-qualification-4575458.html). --- ### More from TIME --- “Participating in the World Cup is not only my dream, but the entire team’s. Not just for the women players, but also for the men’s team and the fans,” Huynh Nhu [told](https://e.vnexpress.net/news/football/world-cup-goal-for-vietnam-s-women-football-will-make-history-coach-4625268.html) reporters earlier this month. The 31-year-old star forward is also the country’s [first woman](https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/nguyen-huynh-nhu-vietnam-womens-team-captain-going-places) to play soccer professionally in Europe, joining Portuguese club ​​Länk FC Vilaverdense last August. World Cup qualification elevated the status of Vietnamese soccer, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said when he [met](https://en.vietnamplus.vn/pm-meets-national-team-ahead-of-fifa-womens-world-cup-finals/255670.vnp) the women’s team in July, ahead of their departure for New Zealand. But women playing the sport hasn’t always enjoyed the support of the nation, where women’s soccer was [unofficially barred](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/16/sports/soccer/womens-world-cup-vietnam-uswnt.html) until the 1990s and female professionals continue to be paid very little. That’s begun to change with increased success, which has brought new sponsorships and greater [remuneration](https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/sports/20220207/vietnam-to-reward-womens-football-team-with-441000-for-historic-world-cup-qualification/65608.html) to the national team’s players. But there still remains a lot of room to grow. “We hope that after this World Cup, the popularity of the women’s football team will increase more,” says Thien. “Can you imagine how good Vietnam’s women’s team could be if it was properly funded?” asked Richard Harcus, another sports consultant, in [a 2021 whitepaper](https://amp.wecreatecontent.asia/hubfs/Football%20in%20Vietnam%20-%20The%20time%20is%20now%20-%20A%20WCC%20Whitepaper.pdf#page=16) about the state of football in Vietnam. **Read More:** [_A Viral French Ad Shows How Women’s Soccer Can Be Just as Exciting as Men’s_](https://time.com/6295047/viral-france-advertisement-soccer-gender-orange/) At the moment, however, no one—not longtime fans, not even the players themselves—is under any illusions about the challenge that awaits the team at this summer’s tournament. Vietnam’s Saturday match against the U.S., which marks the first time the two countries have ever played against each other in the sport, is the first of the “[super-death](https://www.actionnetwork.com/soccer/united-states-womens-world-cup-preview-expert-group-e)” group that also includes 2019 World Cup runner-up Netherlands and FIFA No.21-ranked Portugal. Only two teams will advance to the knockout rounds of the tournament. Pitted against the world’s best teams, Vietnam’s hopes have already been severely dampened. Since touching down in New Zealand on July 6, the team has lost to Germany, New Zealand, and Spain in friendly warm-up matches—the last of which was a 9-0 thrashing. Team coach Mai Duc Chung [said](https://e.vnexpress.net/news/football/world-cup-goal-for-vietnam-s-women-football-will-make-history-coach-4625268.html) earlier this month that scoring just one goal during the World Cup games would be enough to “make history.” Even with tempered expectations, many remain excited about watching the Golden Star Women Warriors take the pitch, whether that’s at home—where the matches will be [broadcast on free-to-air television](https://e.vnexpress.net/news/football/vietnam-obtains-broadcasting-rights-for-womens-world-cup-4609930.html)—or out on the town. At The Rabbit Hole, bar staff have been briefed to don t-shirts bearing the Vietnamese flag—a signature golden star printed across a red background—as they welcome soccer fans on Saturday. “I don’t expect too much,” says C. Dung, the administrator of a [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087876753653) that’s keeping track of the Vietnam team at the World Cup. “I believe the Vietnamese women’s team will play well and be resilient in this match.” Dung, who will be cheering on the team from his home, adds that there’s already cause to celebrate: “The fact that Vietnamese women’s football can participate in a tournament, a big competition like the World Cup, is something to be very proud of.” Women’s World Cup: Match Against U.S. Marks Historic Moment for Vietnam Soccer ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6295734/womens-world-cup-soccer-vietnam-us-history/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6295734/womens-world-cup-soccer-vietnam-us-history/"},"headline":"Soccer-Loving Vietnam Looks to Women’s Team to Make History","datePublished":"2023-07-19T13:00:37.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:03:36.153Z","description":"In its first-ever World Cup appearance, Vietnam will face off against the U.S.","url":"https://time.com/6295734/womens-world-cup-soccer-vietnam-us-history/","keywords":["World Cup"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1354c33f9fc04c17/698a3ecbdb29877be42692e7/Vietnam-Womens-World-Cup.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Koh Ewe","jobTitle":"Koh Ewe (Koyu) was a reporter for TIME based in Singapore.","url":"https://time.com/author/koh-ewe/"}],"articleSection":"Sports","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1354c33f9fc04c17/698a3ecbdb29877be42692e7/Vietnam-Womens-World-Cup.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Germany v Vietnam - Women's International Friendly","caption":"Germany v Vietnam - Women's International Friendly","creditText":"Alex Grimm—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/sports/","name":"Sports"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/world-cup/","name":"World Cup"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6295734/womens-world-cup-soccer-vietnam-us-history/","name":"Soccer-Loving Vietnam Looks to Women’s Team to Make History"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"England's Women's Team Optimistic Ahead of World Cup Opener","description":"Ahead of the Women's World Cup, England's team presented a ceremonial cap and jersey to Paddy McGroarty, a member of the country's first ever women’s team. 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