FootyChatter.com

It wasn’t a classic, but an improved defensive performance from the Lionesses denied Emma Hayes’s Olympic champions at Wembley Suzanne Wrack was at Wembley. Her report has landed, and here it is. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night. Emma Hayes speaks to ITV. “When you have to play England, after their defeat to Germany, we knew there would be a reaction to that performance … we kept the crowd quiet … we controlled the game … I got the chance to see younger players, less experienced players … we’re building towards something … I’m super proud the way we imposed ourselves … it was just the last part of the pitch … when you lose the quality by not having the Triple Espresso here … generally I’m pleased with the performance … the number of entries into the final third was us more than them … we’re in a developmental stage … I’m so proud … two years ago I remember watching the USA here and it was a very transitional game … we handled the hostile moments … I’m a proud English woman who is proud to coach America … I don’t have to choose, I love both countries. ” Mary Earps talks to ITV. “It was tough … we were hard to beat … resolute … sometimes you have to griund it out … obviously things we have to improve on but nil-nil is OK … it’s been a tough year … we know what we can do as a group … friendlies are the perfect time to experiment … nil-nil against the Olympic champions is no small thing … but we want to be winning games like this. ” Sarina Wiegman speaks to ITV. “Very intense game at the very highest level … we played more maturely than we did the last time here at Wembley [against Germany] … as a team we defended really well … second half we could create some moments … I would like to have some more … the final pass, we lost it too quick … second half we did that better … a lot to learn … lots of information … exciting game … I hope everyone here liked it too … we are trying out things … as a team we did really well … tactically the team was really connected … we are learning things … this shows where we are at … we need to keep improving … this is November but the second of July the tournament starts … this is good but we want to be better again. ” USA were the better team in the first half. They were the better team in the second, too, though England came into the game more as an attacking force after the break. Both sides were blunt up front, the US perhaps unsurprisingly so given their entire first-choice front line – the Triple Espresso of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson – were missing. But Sarina Wiegman, who embraced her friend Emma Hayes warmly on the full-time whistle, will take heart from that performance when it’s viewed in the round. Having shipped four goals against Germany and given up a plethora of chances against South Africa, the Lionesses were much improved defensively, and that’s something to build on as they head into major-championship year and the defence of their European crown. More positives than not, though they still need to cut out those careless errors at the back. It wasn’t a classic. But after a couple of below-par performances, England will take it against the best team in the world. 90 min +4: Williamson clears it. That should be that. 90 min +3: USA pass it around the back patiently. Then Kelly unceremoniously barges Krueger off the pitch, and earns herself a late yellow card. A free kick on the halfway line, and one last chance to pump the ball into the England box. 90 min +2: Ryan’s spectacular crossfield ball finds Lavelle on the right touchline, but Lavelle can’t do anything with it. 90 min +1: The first of four additional minutes passes without incident. 90 min: Kelly turns on the jets and takes on Krueger in a footrace down the right. She wins a corner, and England take it short. Kirby reaches the byline but her cutback is no good. 89 min: The tension is palpable, both teams suddenly forgetting how to retain possession. 87 min: The US captain Horan is replaced by the 20-year-old debutant Sentnor. 86 min: Fox waltzes past Russo on the right to reach the byline. She pulls back into the six-yard box, but there’s nobody in blue to take advantage. Earps grasps the ball. The USA seriously going for it here. 85 min: More space for Lavelle down the right. No pace on her cross, though, and Horan can’t attack it. 84 min: Bronze is caught snoozing by Ryan, who tears off down the right. Earps flops on her low cross. England have defended well tonight, yet there have still been several careless lapses that could have proved costly. 83 min: The corner’s nothing to write home about. England just about holding on here. 82 min: Albert steals the ball off Walsh, then sends Lavelle bombing into the box from the right. Her cross looks for Horan, but Williamson is again on hand to turn out for a corner. Coffey to take this one from the left. 80 min: England fail to deal with the corner, only half-clearing it to Girma, who loops into the mixer. Williamson slashes out for another corner, which is played back up the right flank to Fox, who looks for Horan with a long diagonal. Earps comes racing off her line to claim confidently. 79 min: Lavelle drives into space down the middle and sends Shaw away on the right. Shaw earns a corner. The USA turning up the heat again. 78 min: Horan and Shaw clip a couple of cute passes down the inside-left channel to release Lavelle into the box. Lavelle telescopes a leg in the hope of diverting the ball across Earps and into the bottom right, but Greenwood comes across to block, just in time. Earps snaffles the loose ball. That was a lovely move by the USA, with some staunch defence in response. 76 min: Mead advances down the left and hits a cross meant for Russo. Instead, it nearly sneaks into the bottom right. Naeher scrambles across in a panic but the ball sails out for a goal kick. 75 min: England respond to that double change with one of their own. A double change, that is. Kirby and Kelly come on for Park and Naz. 73 min: Thompson and Williams are replaced by Shaw and Albert. Horan moves up into the attack, the US having now replaced their entire starting front line. 72 min: Williamson tries to find Russo with a shovelled pass down the inside-left channel, but overcooks the pass, which sails out of play for a goal kick. “Should the ref let Ryan take the shot off the rebound before blowing for the penalty in case it’s overturned? ” wonders Zach Neeley, who may have a point. The decision, wrong though it was, effectively denied the USA another shooting chance. 70 min: Horan strides down the middle and has options either side. She clatters the ball into the nearest white shirt. The USA captain’s radar has been off this evening. 68 min: A relieved England go on the attack. Russo dribbles hard down the right and looks for Bronze in the middle. The ball clanks out for a goal kick. 67 min: Eventually justice is done. The referee changes her mind. No idea why it took so long to overturn. Stanway will take a breath of relief, because that was yet another careless mistake that could have been extremely costly. 66 min: VAR sends the referee over to the monitor. Surely this is clear cut? No penalty, surely? The referee takes a long, long, long look. All very strange. 65 min: … but VAR will take a look at this, because that shot surely hit Greenwood on the chest, rather than the arm. 64 min: Stanway dithers and is robbed by Coffey. Ryan shoots. Greenwood chests down. Ryan prepares to have another go, but the referee points to the spot! 63 min: Bronze’s loose pass in the middle of the park is snaffled by Horan, who should send Williams clear on goal, but overcooks the attempted assist. England just can’t break their recent habit of offering careless gifts. 62 min: … however England refuse to let it lie, and Russo goes on a barrelling run down the middle. She nearly bursts clear, too, but a combination of Girma and Krueger is too much in the end. 61 min: Mead crosses from a deep position on the left. Bronze fights in the hope of winning a header but Girma calmly deals with the situation. The USA then take a moment to take it down a notch with some sterile passing around the back. 59 min: Bronze strides down the right and whips a low cross through the six-yard box. Fox struggles to clear it. Russo attempts to make space to shoot on the left-hand corner of the box, but can’t turn quickly enough. USA clear, but all of a sudden it’s England asking the questions! 58 min: That was the best – let’s face it, only - period of sustained pressure from England. Much better, and it’s got the crowd going again. It’s also forced Williams into agriculturally booting a clearance upfield. All of which will give the hosts heart. 57 min: … but that was better from England, and they come again, Stanway picking up possession on the right and steaming infield before aiming for the top left. A pearler that looks like heading for the corner … but it’s deflected out for a corner, and nothing comes of the set piece. 55 min: … so after all that, Stanway slips Park into space down the right. Park crosses long. Russo waits to head goalwards at the far post, but Fox is wise to the situation and turns the ball out for a corner. Williamson sends a weak header straight at Naeher, who looks to bowl the ball out immediately, only to be checked by Russo. Again the referee decides against booking an England player for a fairly cynical foul. Naeher not best pleased. 54 min: … and so should Ryan, who races into the England box down the right. She’s one on one with Earps, but tries to tee up Horan in the middle instead of going for goal herself. That allows Williamson to divert the ball out for a corner, from which nothing happens. USA should be leading by now. 53 min: Horan enters the English box and fizzes a low diagonal shot across Earps and wide of the bottom-left corner. The USA captain hollers in frustration; she should have hit the target. 52 min: Sonnett wedges down the right for Williams, who can’t quite find Thompson in the middle. A sense that a US goal could be in the post. 50 min: Ryan hasn’t taken long to make her mark, and now she zips down the right, sending in a dangerous cross that Earps has to parry away from the lurking Thompson and Horan. Signs that Emma Hayes may have given her team the what-for during the break. 49 min: USA have the ball in the net. Ryan spins into space down the middle and dinks a ball into the box for Lavelle, who opens her body and aims for the right-hand side of the net. Lavelle gets it all wrong, the ball heading miles wide, but Horan sticks out a leg to divert it into the net. However Horan was clearly offside and the flag immediately goes up. 47 min: Fox strips Mead of possession and begins to dribble down the right. She’s nudged from behind by Mead, who is extremely fortunate not to go into the book. But it is a free kick, and a chance for the USA to load the English box. Coffey hits it diagonally but Girma can’t connect on the edge of the six-yard box. England clear. USA get the second half underway. They’ve replaced Sears with Ryan. Half-time post-election postbag. “There may be future trade barriers put in place by the next administration but we love the gift of Emma from the UK to the USA. We are so grateful, but you should have never let her go, what a gem! ” – Mary Waltz “We need some Chloe Kelly” – Peter Gartner The USA have enjoyed more possession, and taken all the shots. Yet they’ve not looked particularly dangerous, and given the form of both teams going into this match, it’ll be England who are happier going into the break. Both teams have higher gears, though. 45 min +1: Williamson clips Williams and there’s time for one last free kick. Coffey hooks it into the mixer. Williams heads harmlessly over, and that’ll be that for the first half. 45 min: There will be one additional minute. 44 min: Coffey sashays from right to left, along the curve of the England D, before unleashing a low swerving shot that Earps handles well. 42 min: Coffey turns up the speed and one-twos with Thompson down the inside-left channel … but again the door slams shut. The hosts will be happy with their defensive shift so far. 40 min: England are sitting back, inviting pressure. To be fair, they’re soaking it up well, offering the USA little space in which to work. Horan buzzes around in the hope of cracking the code, but there’s no way through. 38 min: Williamson’s careless pass out from the back is snaffled by Horan. She’s extremely fortunate that Horan dithers, unsure whether to look for Williams or shoot. The attack breaks down. Williamson clearly having learned little from her error that cost a goal against South Africa. 36 min: Park picks up possession 25 yards from goal. She considers the shot, but then opts to release Russo down the inside-right channel. She makes the pass, but Girma is on the case and intercepts. For a split second there, the USA looked vulnerable.