Match report: England 2-1 USA
International friendly: “On a night dominated by a moving show of unity, the Lionesses edged the USA to win a thrillingly open battle between the European champions and world champions.” Suzanne Wrack reports from Wembley.
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Lauren Hemp speaks: “I thought we did really well, especially in the first half,” says England’s makeshift No9. “We created a lot of chances and were fantastic off the ball as well. We all put in a shift today and it was a great result. It’s important we stay grounded now, another game on Tuesday and we’re looking forward to that.
“I think most of the time I don’t know what I’m doing! I had a free role to roam where I wanted, I was in the right place at the right time. I’m happy with any goal. It’s great preparation, it’s important to stay grounded. We have a lot of months, a lot of games to prepare for so that we’re in the best possible condition.”
Sarina Wiegman speaks ...
“Well that was really intense, just what we wanted,” says England’s manager in an interview with ITV. “USA played as we expected and gave us some hard times sometimes, which is obviously normal because they are really good.
“I think we played well too at moments, but actually I think in the first half we were a little better than the second half. We had some problems to get out of the press in the second half but it’s a 2-1 and I think a great game.”
Alex Morgan isn’t happy …
The "offside" call......... pic.twitter.com/rOywlghNcp
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) October 7, 2022
Full time: England 2-1 USA
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! It’s all over at Wembley, where England have seen off the world champions in a prestigious friendly and stretched their unbeaten run to 23 games. Lauren Hemp and Georgia Stanway got the first half goals either side of Sop[hia’s Smith’s strike for the USA. A tremendously entertaining game in front of a sell-out crowd of 90,000 punters has ended with England in the ascendency.
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90+3 min: Lucy Bronze puts the ball out of play for a throw-in halfway inside the England half under pressure from Thompson.
90+2 min: The USA win a corner which is cleared by Lauren James.
90+1 min: England substitution: Lauren James replaces Chloe Kelly, who scored the winner for England at Wembley when they won the Euros earlier this year.
90 min: Keira Walsh lofts a cross towards the far post but it’s cut out by Sanchez.
88 min: Substitute, two-time World Cup winner and Olympic champion Becky Sauerbrunn cuts out a cross as England go in search of a late third goal.
85 min: USA triple-substitution: Rapinoe, Rodman and Girma have left the pitch to be replaced by Thompson, Sanchez and Suaerbrunn. Alyssa Thompson is the substitute of note here. A 17-year-old student more used to playing with her high school boys’ team, this is her USA debut.
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82 min: Following a quick look at her pitchside monitor, referee Riem Hussein draws the obvious conclusion that it’s no penalty.
80 min: USA free-kick, wide on the left. Rapinoe curls the ball towards the far post and Millie Bright heads it out for a corner. Rapinoe’s outswinger is wellied goalwards by Lavelle and hits Lauren Hemp’s backside, but referee Riem Hussein awards a penalty for handball. VAR will sort that out.
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79 min: Lauren Hemp breaks upfield on a lightning fast England counter-attack but is unable to pick out Beth Mead who is the only player up in support.
76 min: Another scoring opportunity for England as Georgia Stanway shuffles across the edge of the USA box to create room for a shot, only to steer her effort high and wide.
75 min: Excellent defending from the USA’s Naomi Girma, who holds off Hemp and hooks the ball out of her path as the England goalscorer tried to beat her in a foot-race.
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73 min: Rapinoe wins the ball halfway inside her own half and tries to play Sophia Smith in behind the England defence with a weighted pass from deep. Her intentions were good but there wasn’t quite enough heft on her pass and England intercept.
70 min: Played in behind the England defence, Trinty Rodman rides a challenge from Rachel Daly but stays on her feet before drifting left and wide. If she’d gone to ground she might have won a penalty although VAR might have decided Daly’s tackle was a good one.
69 min: Rapinoe robs Stanway deep in the USA half and the visitors set off upfield again. England win the ball back.
68 min: England substitution: Ella Toone on for Fran Kirby.
66 min: A goal down but in the ascendency as the game enters its final 20 minutes, USA are plugging away in search of an equaliser. Emma Lavelle is fouled by Chloe Kelly and the USA have a free-kick wide on the right in a good position. Rapinoe’s delivery to the far post breaks to Rodman, who cuts inside and shoots horribly wide.
65 min: Another corner for the States. Millie Bright clears for England.
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63 min: USA double-substitution: Crystal Dunn and Sam Coffey on for Sofia Huerta and Andi Sullivan.
60 min: Trinity Rodman swings a cross into the England box from the inside right but it’s more in hope than expectaion. There’s nobody there to get on the end of it. Moments later, Megan Rapinoe has a shot put out for a corner. She raises her right arm and sends the ball to the far post from the quadrant but England clear.
56 min: England attack on the counter with the impressive Hemp driving forward. Her cross picks out Lucy Bronze, who rifles the ball into the side-netting from distance. A sizeable proportion of the Wembley crowd thought she’d scored.
55 min: Rachel Daly plays a back-pass to her goalkeeper Mary Earps from inside the USA half. Earps wasn’t expecting it and was well out of her penalty area but a moment of brief collective Wembley panic is alleviated when she gets back to retrieve the ball before it trundles anywhere near the goal she is defending.
53 min: England go forward again. Chloe Kelly cuts inside on to her right foot and tries to curl the ball inside the far upright. It’s well wide.
52 min: Beth Mead is penalised for a tactical foul on USA substitute Hailie Mace in the middle of the pitch as England go forward again. Another promising England attack draws to a close.
50 min: Fran Kirby plays the ball wide to CHloe Kelly on the left flank. Her cross is far too close to Alyssa Naeher in the USA goal. Danger averted.
50 min: Lauren Hemp runs at the USA defence after winning the ball in midfield and tries to play Beth Mead in behind. Offside.
49 min: Trinity Rodman is booked for an injudicious lunge on Rachel Daly in the England left-back position.
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48 min: Sophia Smith, USA’s player of the match so far, finds herself in front of goal with the ball at her feet but sends her low diagonal effort rolling wide of the far post.
47 min: England try to play the ball out from the back again but their efforts go awry when goalkeeper Mary Earps hoofs the ball out of play over the touchline.
Second half: England 2-1 USA
46 min: England get the ball rolling for the second half with no changes in personnel on either side thus far. Both managers are allowed six substitutions each, to be made in three different windows from this point on.
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Apologies: After the USA’s second goal was ruled out for one of the most ludicrousoffside decisions I’ve ever seen, the flowery and descriptive passage I typed describing that particular turn of pedantic events seems to have disappeared into the ether. I have no idea how or why.
Half-time: England 2-1 USA
England lead: England are ahead at half-time after an intriguing first half. Lauren Hemp, playing up front for the hosts, opened the scoring only for the Americans to equalise through Sophia Smith. Georgia Stanway restored England’s lead from the penalty spot and Trinity Rodman had what looked like a perfectly good second equaliser for the USA ruled out for offside. Was it offside? Computer said yes but I’m not so sure.
45+2 min: USA win a free-kick wide on the left and Megan Rapinoe stands over it. Her delivery is headed over the bar by Lindsey Horan.
England 2-1 USA
I’m not sure I made it clear earlier but the USA’s second equaliser was ruled out for offside after a VAR consultation. I’m not so sure it was offside but England look to have got away with one after the intervention of the fourth official.
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43 min: Chloe Kelly is unable to chase down a pass towards the corner flag. Goal kick for the States.
41 min: Sofia Huerta puts the ball out for an England corner with the USA back defending in numbers in the face of an England onslaught. Beth Mead sends the ball into the mixer, where American goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher’s attempted punched clearance is poor. USA eventually get the ball away but without anything resembling finesse or assurance.
39 min: Another backheel from Rapinoe deep inside her own half allows Lindsey Horan to welly the ball forward from deep for the USA. England clear.
GOAL! England 2-2 USA (Rodman 37)
It’s level again! The USA carve England open with an attack down the right flank. Smith takes on Bright and nutmegs her with a cross that finds it’s way to the unmarked Trintiy Rodman courtesy of a dummied backheel from Rapinoe. With only Earps in the England goal to beat from 10 yards, she makes no mistake with her low shot. VAR to the rescue for England – it’s been ruled out for offside!!!
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35 min: Bronze and Mead combine down the right flank for England but Hailie Mace gets across to intercept the ball and avert the danger for the USA. Good defending.
GOAL! England 2-1 USA (Stanway 33pen)
England retake the lead! Georgia Stanway scores from the spot and England lead by the odd goal of three.
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PENALTY FOR ENGLAND!
31 min: There’s a VAR check as referee Riem Hussein adjourns to her touchline monitor to check for a potential high foot from Hailie Mace on Lucy Bronze. She gives it, even though it could be argued Bronze ducked down to head a waist-high ball and got caught in the face.
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GOAL! England 1-1 USA (Smith 28)
USA draw level. England try to play the ball out from the back, signposting their every slow-motion move. They make an absolute mess of it and Georgia Stanway loses the ball while facing her own goal just outside her own penalty area. She’s robbed, the ball’s poked forward to Sophia Smith, who only has Mary Earps to beat and pokes it into the bottom corner. Atrocious from England.
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25 min: In the USA penalty area, Chloe Kelly is unable to get to an overhit cross from the right and the visitors’ goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher beats her to the ball and plays it downfield.
23 min: Fox walked off, holding her mouth, with the air about her of a woman who might have broken her jaw or lost a couple of teeth for the cause. I didn’t see what happened to her, but here’s hoping it’s nothing too serious. Or expensive.
21 min: There’s another break in play so American left-back Emily Fox can receive treatment for a facial injury. She’s unable to continue and is helped off the pitch. Hailie Mace replaces her.
18 min: USA winger Sophia Smith has a shot blocked by England goalkeeper Mary Earps, who is unable to hold on to the ball. A near post scramble ensues and England keep the ball out but eventually play is blown up by referee Riem Hussein for an England goal-kick.
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17 min: There’s a break in play as Hemp receives treatment after shipping that free-kick in the face. A sore one.
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15 min: The USA win a free-kick in the channel between the right side of the England penalty area and the touchline. Megan Rapinoe stands over the ball and shoots straight into the face of Lauren Hemp, who comprises 50% of England’s two-woman wall.
14 min: USA lose the ball halfway inside their own half and Fran Kirby squares it for Lauren Hemp in the visitors’ penalty area. Her first-time shot is blocked.
13 min: Lucy Bronze attempts to drive the ball into the penalty area from the right flank but her cross is intercepted and cleared. England’s tails are up after taking the lead against the run of early play.
GOAL! England 1-0 USA (Hemp)
England lead: England ping the ball around the back, trying to build and draw their opponents out of position. Beth Mead is played down the right touchline and squares the ball for Lauren Hemp. Facing her own goal, USA defender Alana Cook makes a dog’s breakfast of trying to intercept the pass, allowing Lauren Hemp to rob her of possession and poke the ball beyond USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Updated
5 min: England work the ball upfield courtesy of good work from Georgia Stanway and American goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is tested for the first time. She saves comfortably from Beth Mead, who shoots straight into her breadbasket.
3 min: Team USA are dominating these early stages but England get forward. Beth Mead tries to pick out Chloe Kelly with a ball into the centre but the USA intercept and clear upfield.
1 min: Lucy Ward, a popular regular on the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast, says she is “looking forward to an incredible game”. Sophia Smith advances into England territory and unleashes a low drive from inside the penalty area. It’s straight at England goalkeeper Mary Earps, who saves comfortably. An early warning for England.
England v USA is go ...
1 min: Play begins after both teams pose for a photo holding a banner that reads “Protect the players”, followed by a well observed minute’s silence for the victims of the stadium disaster in Indonesia last weekend and the taking of a collective knee. The USA get the ball rolling, their players wearing blue shirts, shorts and socks. The players of England wear all white.
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Not long now: There’s a light show under way at Wembley and Jill Scott has just placed the Euros trophy on a touchline plinth, to raucous applause from the a full house. Led by Riem Hussein ands her team of match officials, the teams march out on to the Wembley sward. Cue: the national anthems.
England v USA line-ups
England: Earps, Bronze, Bright, Greenwood, Daly, Walsh, Stanway, Hemp, Kelly, Mead, Kirby.
Subs: Maciver, Roebuck Moran, Zelem, Wubben-Moy, Carter, Parris, Toone, Park, Stokes, James, Salmon.
USA: Naeher, Cook, Rodman, Huerta, Horan, Smith, Girma, Rapinoe, Lavelle, Sullivan, Fox.
Subs: Sanchez, Sauerbrunn, Mace, Hatch, Thompson, Coffey, Murphy, Dunn, Howell, Kingsbury, Mewis, DeMelo.
Team news ...
England boss Sarina Wiegman makes five changes to the team that walloped Luxembourg 10-0 last time out. Chloe Kelly - scorer of the Euros winner at Wembley in July - returns to the team and Fran Kirby also comes in, alongside Millie Bright, who wears the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Leah Williamson. Lauren Hemp and Mary Earps also return to the side.
Happy half-century, England!
The 18th November marks the 50th anniversary of the England senior women’s team. England beat Scotland 3-2 in Greenock on that day in 1972 and tonight’s international at Wembley will be dedicated to the anniversary.
Nearly 150 former and current England women’s internationals are expected to attend the fixture as guests of the FA, and 20 former players joined the current team at the Lensbury Resort on Tuesday to meet the players and watch them train. Ahead of kick-off this evening, 12 members of that first ever 1972 team will receive a bespoke England cap on the evening as part of a special presentation led by Jill Scott, among other VIPs.
On what promises to be a busy evening for Scott, who is supposed to be enjoying her retirement, the former England international will later be honoured pitch side with the presentation of a framed shirt, before she brings the Euro 2020 trophy she helped win out pitchside to help gee up the capacity crowd up before kick-off.
Here’s hoping Sunderland’s finest manages to get through all those pre-match duties without any of that potty-mouthed effing and jeffing that went a long way towards earning her National Treasure status during the Euros final against Germany.
The Yates report: The United States captain, Becky Sauerbrunn, has demanded root and branch reform of elite domestic soccer in North America after an independent investigation found that emotional abuse and sexual misconduct had become systemic throughout the National Women’s Soccer League. Louise Taylor reports.
Women's Football Weekly
Join host Faye Carruthers and Guardian football writer, Suzanne Wrack, as they invite guests from across the world of women’s football to guide you through the 2022/23 Women’s Super League season.
Whether you were watching the first WSL games 12 years ago or just fell in love with the Lionesses this summer, Women’s Football Weekly will be on hand with reaction and analysis throughout the year so sign up in all the usual pod places.
More on the Yates report: “None of the stories from the Yates investigation, which include reports of coaches sexually assaulting their players, were shocking for me or my peers; silence must not prevail,” writes football coach Candice Fabry, the founder of Fearless & Capable, a female led mentorship programme for women working in sport.
Moving the goalposts
“Sarina Wiegman’s side now have the same winning mentality as the USWNT” writes Anita Asante, the Bristol City first team coach and former England international in our weekly women’s football newsletter. “The match at Wembley will be fascinating,” she concludes.
Sign up for Moving the Goalposts, our free and informative weekly email, by clicking on the link below and entering your email address.
Tonight's match officials
Referee: Riem Hussein
Referee’s assistants: Katrin Rafalski and Sina Diekmann
Fourth offical: Angelika Söder
VAR: Karoline Wacker
Comment: Megan Rapinoe suggests a major gulf in quality between the USA and other international heavyweights no longer exists in women’s football but it is up to England and others to prove this at a World Cup, writes Suzanne Wrack.
Early USA team news
Alex Morgan is the most conspicuous absentee from a 24-woman squad named by Vlatko Andonvski for the USA’s friendlies against England and Spain that features big names such as Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbaum, Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan.
The San Diego Wave striker, who enraged no end of humourless England fans with her tea-sipping goal celebration during the World Cup semi-finals has been ruled out with a knee injury.
Still in high school, where she plays on a boys’ team (or the boys play on her team), Alyssa Thompson, 17, could make her debut in Morgan’s absence. With over 120 caps to her name already, Portland Thorns defender Crystal Dunn gets her first international call-up since giving birth to a son, Marcel, in May.
Video: Megan Rapinoe and her team-mates are “exhausted” after the release of the Sally Yates report into emotional and sexual abuse in the NWSL, but she added that the US women’s national team are used to shouldering off-field burdens. “We’re angry and exhausted and together, and unified,” she said. “So it’s kind of all of it.”
Early England team news
Since triumphing at the Euros, England have lost Lionesses legends Jill Scott and Ellen White to retirement and also have a number of absences through injury with which to contend.
Captain Leah Williamson picked up an injury in training this week that has ruled out the Arsenal defender, while West Ham defender Lucy Parker and Manchester United striker Alessia Russo are also sidelined.
In the absence of Williamson, Millie Bright will wear the captain’s armband, while Nikita Parris and Lotte Wubben-Moy have been called up to Sarina Wiegman’s squad as cover.
International friendly: England v USA
Following a sensational summer in which they won the European Championships, England host the World Champions tonight at Wembley Stadium. A friendly this may be, but it is the fastest England sell-out – men’s or women’s – in New Wembley’s history. With both sides unbeaten in this calendar year no quarter is expected to be asked for or given once the game kicks off, not least with the World Cup slated to take place in Australia and New Zealand next summer.
However, rivalry will be briefly set aside as both sets of players have planned a pre-match show of solidarity and togetherness following the publication of the independent Sally Yates report earlier this week, which detailed widespread abuse and sexual misconduct perpetrated by coaches in the National Women’s Soccer League. The report also found that teams, the NWSL and US Soccer failed to put basic safeguards in place for players. Both sets of players will wear teal armbands tonight to show solidarity with sexual abuse victims.
On an evening that should and almost certainly will be a celebration of the popularity of the women’s game in both the USA and UK, it is imperative that we don’t attempt to gloss over the harrowing verdict handed down by Yates, the former acting US Attorney General. Kick-off at Wembley tonight is at 8pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news, more on the thoroughly depressing Yates report and match build-up.
