En route to the Women's World Cup, Vietnam eliminated its local rival Thailand in a moment that crystallized progress, clinching a maiden ticket to the global finals for the first time, and highlighted the difficult road ahead, making that ticket count. The Thai had lost 13-0 against the United States at the 2019 World Cup, a result that had some question the merit of certain participants and criticizes the ruthless, unforgiving celebrations by the Americans.

On Saturday, Vietnam debuts at the World Cup against the defending champion, but that baptism of fire and questions about 13-0 score lines do not deter Vietnamese player Huynh Nhu. “Fear?” she asked at a news conference. “We believe. We prepared. There is nothing to fear or to be afraid of. We had friendlies against leading nations. We don’t fear.”

Perhaps Nhu has every right to be so confident. A five-time Vietnam Golden Ball winner, she captains the team. Above all, her role is talismanic and inspirational. She is the only Vietnamese player to ply her trade abroad with the Portuguese club Lank. She knows what it is to play in a different context.

Her country, the South East Asian champion, had warm-up matches against Germany, New Zealand, and Spain and got respectable results against the former two before shipping nine goals against Spain in what may be a sign of things to come not just against the United States but against 2019 finalists the Netherlands and fellow debutants Portugal as well.

This World Cup will see eight first-timers in the new 32-team format, including Haiti, Panama, Ireland, and the Philippines. In a 1-0 defeat against co-host Australia, the Irish were more than valiant and the Philippines impressed in a 2-0 loss against Switzerland. However, Vietnam’s task is altogether different in taking on Megan Rapinoe and all the skill, aptitude, and history of a team in search of a third-consecutive global crown. In contrast, the Vietnamese Football Federation was established only in 1989 and Vietnam first played a women’s international in 1997.

Coach Mai Duc Chung, who like the rest of the Vietnamese delegation had shuffled late into the auditorium at Eden Park, likened the opponent to “a big mountain.”

Chung has been around Vietnamese soccer forever, but coaching the 32nd-ranked team in the world against the top-ranked side will be a challenge. The word mismatch was never far away during the news conference but Chung dismissed it, claiming that Vietnam is in the tournament to learn and what better way than from the best. “It’s historic, we never dared to think of playing against the US," said Chung. "We are here to learn from the world.”

He wants the team to represent Vietnam well. The domestic media as well as local fans view this match as a prestige encounter because of the history between the two countries. At the news conference of US coach Vlatko Andonovski, a Vietnamese reporter asked: “What will happen if the US can’t win against Vietnam?” Another demanded to know if “You are going to crush us like Thailand?”

The game will not just be a sporting matter, but one of national pride. Chung and Nhu know it will be about minimizing the damage, but asked if Vietnam could win, Chung smiled and quipped: “It’d be wonderful. We wouldn’t refuse that.”