With the chance to defend their Euros title fast approaching, England’s Lionesses missed the chance to show their mettle in goalless draw against the USA, writes TARA ANSON-WALSH

A world record crowd for a women’s friendly match headed to Wembley to see two managerial greats face off against each other.

It was a homecoming for USA head coach Emma Hayes, England women’s most decorated club manager of all time. And with the Euros fast approaching, it was the perfect opportunity for the Lionesses to test their mettle ahead of their title defence next summer – the world number two taking on the world number one and the stars were aligned for a thriller.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t always play out like a Hollywood script, and England were held to a stalemate in front of 78,346 people in north-west London.

Both sides appeared to lack cohesion going forward while were well-organised defensively, and it made for a ponderous game at times, with England registering just one shot on target compared to USA’s three.

Hayes’ side had the better chances though, which the former Chelsea coach recognised after the game: ‘It was two top teams. Sarina’s an amazing coach. I thought it was a good tactical match-up.

‘I felt we were in control of the game. At the end of the day we didn’t score. I felt we should have done more for the volume of entries that we had.’ 

England registered just one shot on target and failed to trouble USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher

Mary Earps was on point for England between the sticks, making a fine stop in the second-half 

Hayes was forced to field a weakened team with her three best attacking players in Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, coined ‘Triple Espresso’, presumably for their potency in front of goal, having pulled out of the squad due to injury.

Despite the build-up, the first half was a mostly quiet affair. The USA came close when, in the opening five minutes of the game, Alyssa Thompson sent a curling shot at Mary Earps’ far post. Earps reacted quickly and tipped it around the outside of the goal.

The debate about which goalkeeper Wiegman is going to pick next rolls on, with a battle between the established Earps and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton underway. Wiegman rotated the two earlier this year due to Hampton receiving more minutes than PSG’s Earps this season. However, Earps has since cemented her position as the first-choice goalkeeper for PSG, making the selection dilemma all the more intriguing as Wiegman looks ahead to future matches.

It was Earps who got the nod against the States and the 31-year-old put on a fine performance – her natural command of the box as well as her shot-stopping skills were on full display. Whether this will sway Wiegman going forward remains to be seen.

Besides that Thompson shot though, it took until the second half for the game to come to life. The USA flew out of the traps after the break and their captain, Lyon’s Lindsey Horan, had both a goal ruled out for offside, and a poor miss past Earps’ far post, in quick succession.

These chances seemed to finally jolt England from their slumber, and Leah Williamson finally registered the Lionesses’ first shot on target in the 55th minute.

A flurry of activity at both ends ensued, much to the delight of the Wembley crowd.

Alex Greenwood was on the harsh end of a penalty call in the 67th minute by referee Lina Lehtovaara, with the ball striking her midriff rather than her extended right arm, and the VAR overturned the initial decision.

Wiegman called upon Fran Kirby and Chloe Kelly to affect the game in the latter stages of the game, but both teams held strong and the final whistle blew with very little separating either side.