The USWNT will take a team with some players getting rest to Europe for a pair of international friendlies. First stop will be London where the USA will take on England at Wembley Stadium. It will be a challenging set of friendlies abroad for Emma Hayes who has injected a new sense of fun and competition into the team. That said, the absence of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson will be a challenge and the attackers brought in their place will need to step up.
England – A team looking to rebound in 2025
The Lionesses most recently played Germany and South Africa in friendlies held in October. Germany handed them a 4-3 loss with England falling behind 3-0 before the half and then clawing back a pair of goals only to see the game effectively put away on a 72nd minute goal.
South Africa would offer a chance to get back into the win column and the England team was up to the task. That game ended 2-1 thanks to a pair of first half goals, including one from star defender Leah Williamson to get the scoring started in the 12th minute.
England missed the Olympics and did not have a major tournament to enter in 2024. As a result, the team has been in something of a preparation mode for World Cup qualification and defending their 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro championship.
The aforementioned Williamson along with Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze anchor a stout backline that will present challenges for the USA attack. In midfield, Barcelona’s Keira Walsh plays a deep role with the creative effort coming from Georgia Stanway. Up top Beth Mead has been prolific with England scoring 33 goals in 61 games.
USWNT – Keep up the fun and the momentum
The news that Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international competition after the friendlies provides a chance not only to celebrate her amazing career with the USWNT, but also perhaps an idea of who is in the running to take the net that she will vacate.
Mandy Haught and Phallon Tullis-Joyce were brought in as the backup keepers. They may not get any game time, unless a late sub is in the works for Naeher’s curtain call, but the duo will have a chance to be in the mix for upcoming matches.
The teams are also obviously familiar with each other as they met in the 2019 World Cup when the Lionesses were eliminated in a win for the USA. Most recently, they played a friendly in 2022 again at Wembley where England prevailed by a score of 2-1. With a newer generation of players coming into the picture for the USWNT the game will be a test to see how those who haven’t faced England can do against a world class opponent.
It will also be a chance for players who need to step up to do just that – looking at Korbin Albert, for example. Cough, cough. Meanwhile, those who look promising like Jaedyn Shaw can ply their skills against the no. 2 ranked team in the world.
Finally, the game will be a chance for Hayes to show that she can keep the atmosphere that the team has established under her going. This team has been having fun and playing well since she took over. While it is a friendly, England will want to put up a strong challenge at home and the Americans can show they are up to the task.
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