Mueez Ajao
– European champions England beat world champions the United States for the first time since 2017 in front of more than 76,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
Keep this energy ๐ pic.twitter.com/TmnMub6yVh
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 7, 2022
– It promised to be a blockbuster fixture and did not disappoint with VAR drama, goals and a penalty featuring in the showpiece friendly.
– Manchester City winger Lauren Hemp, filling in as a central striker for the injured Alessia Russo, put the Lionesses ahead after just 10 minutes.
Also Read: England win Womenโs Euros after an emphatic win over Germany
– The USA responded when Sophia Smith fired in an equaliser, but England were awarded a penalty for a high boot on Lucy Bronze after referee Riem Hussein went to check the VAR monitor.
– Georgia Stanway stepped up to make it 2-1, before the USA had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside minutes later.
– Chances continued to fall for both sides after the break – the visitors having the best of them – in an open, frantic encounter.
– There was further frustration for the USA after they were awarded a penalty for handball in the 81st minute, but referee Hussein once again checked the VAR monitor and overturned her decision.
– England held on to record a huge victory against their long-standing rivals in their first meeting at the national stadium, and extend their impressive unbeaten run to 23 matches under manager Sarina Wiegman.
The unbeaten run continues! ๐ช pic.twitter.com/8q0AVOf1Ns
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) October 7, 2022
FINAL:
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ ENG 2 – 1 USA ๐บ๐ธ
Much respect, @Lionesses. pic.twitter.com/cAhrHiXLth
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 7, 2022
– Speaking to ITV Sport after the game, Wiegman said: “That was really intense, just what we wanted. USA played as we expected, they gave us hard times sometimes. I thought we played well in moments, better first half than second.”
– This was just the third time England have beaten the USA in 11 meetings – and the first victory since the SheBelieves Cup in March 2017. The teams met in the 2019 Women’s World Cup semi-finals when the USA won 2-1.
– It also comes 10 months before the 2023 Women’s World Cup which England are bidding to win for the first time, while the USA are hoping to defend their crown for a third successive tournament.
– Before kick-off, England showed solidarity with the USA after an inquiry uncovered “systemic” abuse and misconduct in the National Women’s Soccer League earlier this week.
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 7, 2022
๐ค pic.twitter.com/YohoLR8Yno
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) October 7, 2022
– Players wore teal armbands, Wembley’s arch was lit in teal and both squads gathered in the middle before kick-off, arm-in-arm in front of a banner saying ‘Protect The Players’.
– USA manager Vlatko Andonovski said after the game: “Obviously it was an extremely difficult week for everybody. It wasn’t easy for them to see and experience everything they went through.
– “I applaud their bravery and their fearlessness and relentlessness. They showed once again nothing will stop them playing the game they love. I hope we never have to go through that again.
– “It was a very special moment when the players got together and had the banner in front of them. It gave me goosebumps when the crowd applauded them. It was a statement, and once again the players did an incredible job to use this game and this event as a platform to fight against it.”
"I'm very proud of my players to play this game after everything that happened in the last week. Their mental toughness showed tonight."@USWNT's Vlatko Andonovski reflects on their match with England pic.twitter.com/Y3BIwv9x19
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 7, 2022
