Women's World Cup Results: USA thrash Thailand, Netherlands steal last-gasp win

USA v Thailand: Group F - 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France
USA v Thailand: Group F - 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France

Defending champions and tournament favorites USA began their Women's World Cup campaign with a 13-0 thumping of minnows Thailand at the Stade Auguste-Delaune II in Reims.

Star striker Alex Morgan scored five goals, in addition to a brace each from Samantha Mewis and Rose Lavelle. The USWNT scored ten goals in the second half, as the floodgates well and truly opened.

Head coach Jill Ellis and the squad know that the next two group games - against Sweden and Chile - will be sterner tests than the one posed by the Thai side.

Nevertheless, this was a resounding statement of intent from the defending champions, in a tournament where some of the more fancied sides have really struggled to get going in their opening games.

USA 13 (Morgan x5, Lavelle x2, Horan, Mewis x2, Rapinoe, Pugh, Lloyd)

Dutch luck out in injury-time

A case in point, the Netherlands laboring against New Zealand in their opening game in Le Havre. Jill Roord's injury-time winner spared Dutch blushes on a day when they were lucky to even be in the game, by the time they scored the goal.

Olivia Chance hit the post in the first half, and Sandra Gregorious had a couple of golden opportunities which were well saved by Dutch 'keeper Sari van Veenendaal.

The Dutch front three of Lieke Martens, Shanice van de Sanden, and Vivianne Miedema never really hit their straps and their combinations were all over the place.

The Dutch did have a golden opportunity right on the half-time whistle, when Dominique Bloodworth somehow contrived to shoot wide, from inside the six-yard box.

When the winner arrived, it was a lovely cross from Kika van Es towards Lineth Beerensteyn at the far-post. Her knock-down fell kindly for Roord, who calmly slotted beyond Erin Nayler in the Football Ferns' goal.

New Zealand 0-1 Netherlands (Roord)

Sweden begin with a win

Sweden, too, had to wait a long time for their opening goal, but in the end, ran out 2-0 winners against Chile. Kosovare Asilani gave the Swedes the lead in the 83rd minute before Madelen Janogy put the result beyond doubt in injury-time.

Chile 0-2 Sweden (Asilani, Janogy)

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Edited by Zaid Khan