Improved England held to goalless draw with USA at Wembley | Match Report

England and USA Draw in Physical Battle at Wembley

The Lionesses and the US Women’s National Team played out a thrilling 0-0 draw at Wembley Stadium, with both sides creating few chances in a physical and intense encounter. For England, it was a return to the familiar surroundings of Wembley, but this time under the guidance of new head coach Emma Hayes, who left Chelsea for the States earlier this year.

Hayes’ First Game Back in England

Hayes, who was visibly animated on the touchline, was looking to make a statement in her first game back in England, but her team struggled to create clear-cut chances against a stubborn US defense. The Olympic Champions had the best openings, with Captain Lindsey Horan’s finish being ruled out for offside in the first half. The US also had a penalty overturned after Alex Greenwood blocked a shot with her chest, initially judged as handball.

England Improves in Second Half

England improved in the second half, but managed only one shot on target, a shift that saw every player give their all. "I think we were a little bit isolated when we were going forward, which meant we had a lot of possession, but a lot of turnovers," said Hayes. "But I think if we look at it, we worked really, really hard today, so that was it was a great shift."

Physical Battle

The game was a physical and intense affair, with both sides battling for every ball. "It was a great shift, yeah, you can definitely see it was physical, it was intense, it was a tough game to get a hold of," said Hayes. "We don’t want it to be that transitional, that’s not our game either, that’s not the way we want to play."

Looking Ahead to the Summer

For England, the focus now turns to the summer, with the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 tournament just around the corner. "We wanted to use this time like these two camps have been uncomfortable for us," said Hayes. "We were not in control of the draw for the games before the Euros, so this time was molded to test us, and it has done. One more game to go on Tuesday to finish this sort of friendly block, and hopefully we’ll have the information we need to be ready to go in the Nations League and the summer."

Emma Hayes’ Return

Hayes’ return to England was a significant one, with many expecting her to make a big impact on the team. And while the result may not have been what she was hoping for, she will be delighted with the performance of her team, who kept the England fans quiet for most of the game. "I think Emma will be happy with the fact that USA kept England fans quiet," said Anton Tulai. "England only had one shot on goal, they really couldn’t inspire this 78,000 plus crowd here to cheer them on."

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