Vietnam goalkeeper Kim Thanh makes a good spreading save against Lindsay Horan - however the flag was already up.

Trinity Rodman - back on the pitch, thankfully - had fouled a defender.

Free kick midway inside the Vietnam half is lofted forward, Julie Ertz flicks on a header but it's just wide.

Veteran centre back Ertz has 20 international goals in her career - from 118 appearances.

This may set the tone.

USA are immediately getting balls in the Vietnam box and the red shirted defending is rather chaotic.

Alex Morgan's shot is blocked, before the danger is finally cleared.

Oh this isn't good.

Trinity Rodman - daughter of NBA icon Dennis Rodman - needs extensive treatment and the stretcher was called.

However, Rodman is able to walk off the pitch.

She's a real talent, hopefully she's ok to carry on.

Let them know you're there.

USA forward Trinity Rodman gets an early reducer from centre back Thi Thu Tran and looks in some pain.

Here we go!

The players are out on the field, the anthems have just been played.

The Vietnam anthem was particularly well received and rousingly sung. This is a very proud moment in the country's sporting history.

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport at Eden Park

While England sleeps, Auckland is partying hard.

Chants of "USA, USA, USA," break out around Eden Park, while they've blasted Cyndi Lauper, Katy Perry and Bon Jovi from the speakers at MAXIMUM volume.

Fans are pouring into New Zealand's national stadium. Some have dressed up as the Statue of Liberty, others are wearing shirts with 'Rapinoe' on the back and one couple have even brought their baby to the match.

There are patches of red all over the ground as Vietnam's fans come to watch a moment in history for their country.

It's a wonderful spectacle.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Four years ago, striker Morgan infuriated England fans with her tea-drinking celebration after scoring in the United States' 2019 World Cup semi-final win. Now 34, she has the ability to fire the US all the way again, as they target an unprecedented third successive title and she looks to add to her nine goals in 18 World Cup games.

"She is the rare example of a soccer player who has transcended her own sport to hold a place in mainstream culture," US women's soccer journalist Caitlin Murray said in 2021.

Although it will be her fourth World Cup, US coach Vlatko Andonovski said Morgan was as excited as ever. "Alex has been in this situation so many different times, but you could tell [the call-up] touched her," he added.

The outspoken striker, who has scored 121 goals in 207 internationals, was also central to the US women's national team's fight for equal pay as well as criticism of Fifa's now-abandoned plans to partner with Saudi Arabia as a sponsor for the 2023 World Cup.

As well as being a world-class footballer, Morgan is also one of three mothers in the American squad, along with Jane Ertz and Crystal Dunn.

Image source, Getty Images/BBC Sport

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport at Eden Park

I've been speaking to Anh Ngoc Truong, who works for the Vietnam News Agency and is in Auckland for this historic match for the country.

It is the first time a men's or women's team from Vietnam has appeared at a Fifa World Cup.

"Millions of people will be watching on television back home," he says.

"Here in New Zealand we have around 10,000 expats. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and many of them will be here inside the stadium.

"Lots of them have travelled from the South Island to be here. They are crazy about this match and they have said to me 'win or lose - it is not a problem'. They just want to be here as this moment means everything to them.

"Facing the world champions is a mountain for Vietnam. They cannot climb it. But they are not here for jogging. They have to fight until the end."

There are nine returning players from the USA side which won the 2019 title, including Rapinoe and star forward Alex Morgan.

It isn't all good news for the US however, as captain and key defender Becky Sauerbrunn misses out through injury.

When many people think of the Women's World Cup - or women's football in general - they think of Megan Rapinoe.

This will be the 38-year-old's final World Cup before she retires from professional football at the end of the year.

She has scored 63 goals for her country, including nine over the last two World Cups to help her country lift both titles.

If she comes off the bench, Rapinoe would earn her 200th international cap today. Just an extraordinary achievement.

Before the tournament, she says now her decision to retire at the end of the NWSL season is public knowledge, she and her international team-mates can focus on winning a third successive title.

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport at Eden Park

Image source, BBC Sport

This is Chasity Wills, who has travelled 6,500 miles from Los Angeles to be in Auckland to support the world champions.

She was proudly wearing her USA-Angel City scarf while visiting the fan park on the waterfront on Friday night.

Chasity is so confident the USA will make the final that she has already purchased her ticket for 20 August in Sydney. But what about the fact the Stars and Stripes have 14 World Cup debutants at this tournament?

"It makes it even more exciting because everyone has to step up," says Chasity. "This is going to be the most competitive World Cup to date."

I asked Chasity if she expected the USA to dish out another 13-0 drubbing like the team handed out to Thailand in 2019, when they face debutants Vietnam.

"I don't expect those scores anymore because the women's game is growing all the time. And besides, look at what New Zealand did on the opening night."

Fair point.

Italy won the FIFA men's World Cup in 1934 and 1938. Brazil triumphed in 1958 and 1962, but the hat-trick of titles eluded both nations.

In the Women's World Cup, Germany won back-to-back trophies in 2003 and 2007 but came unstuck on home soil in 2011.

Can the USA take that final step?

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport at Eden Park

Whatever happens to Vietnam today...it's fair to say they had the BEST fun at the Women's World Cup photo shoot.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

If you want yet more metrics as to why this is such a tough ask for Vietnam, let's look at the Americans' record against Asian nations.

They have never lost in 22 games against teams from the continent - 15 of them at World Cups - scoring an average of 3.6 goals a match.

Rachel Brown-Finnis
Ex-England goalkeeper

What a way for Vietnam to start their first World Cup - against the top-ranked team on the planet, who have won the past two World Cups.

Realistically, there is only going to be one winner here, and it is just a case of how many goals the USA will get.

The USA are still the team to beat and I am looking forward to seeing some of their new players. I watched them beat Wales in one of their warm-up games, and Trinity Rodman was just brilliant.

She is 21 and this is her first World Cup but I've been checking out what she did at youth level and her record for the Under-20s was amazing. She's going to be really exciting to watch out for over the next few weeks.

Rachel Brown-Finnis's prediction: 3-0

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport at Eden Park

Image source, BBC Sport

This is a monumental milestone in Vietnam's sporting history in that it is the first time a Vietnamese men's or women's team has competed at a Fifa World Cup.

"When encountering strong teams like the United States, we are not stressed at all," said Vietnam boss Mai Duc Chung, who, at the age of 72, is the oldest coach at this Women's World Cup.

"The reason I say that is because playing against such great and famous players is very rare for us. We are very excited."

By the way, this will possibly be Vietnam's most-watched football match in history as millions around the world tune in to watch.

This is the first meeting between USA and Vietnam. On the football pitch, obviously.

Image source, Getty Images

We will speak so much about the USA this tournament, so it right we shine a spotlight on Vietnam.

This is the south-east Asian country's first Fifa World Cup of any gender or age level.

They are one of eight debutant sides at the tournament - they will hope to do better than the two newbies who have already played, Republic of Ireland and Philippines, by not losing and scoring a goal. But both of those look like tough asks.

Vietnam aren't total minnows though. They are ranked 32nd in the Fifa rankings and only lost 2-1 to Germany in their final warm-up match.

Their qualification - earned by beating Thailand and Chinese Taipei in a play-off tournament - earned them special thanks from Vietnamese president Nguyen Xuan Phuc. If they get a result here, they might get a parade back home.

Image source, Getty Images