key events
England vs USA line-ups
England: Earps, Bronze, Brilliant, Greenwood, Daly, Walsh, Stanway, Hemp, Kelly, Mead, Kirby.
Substitutes: Maciver, Roebuck Moran, Zelem, Wubben-Moy, Carter, Parris, Toone, Park, Stokes, James, Salmon.
USA: Naeher, Cook, Rodman, Huerta, Horan, Smith, Girma, Rapinoe, Lavelle, Sullivan, Fox.
Substitutes: Sanchez, Sauerbrunn, Mace, Hatch, Thompson, Coffey, Murphy, Dunn, Howell, Kingsbury, Mewis, DeMelo.
team news…
England boss Sarina Wiegman makes five changes to the team that defeated Luxembourg 10-0 last time out. Chloe Kelly – top scorer at the Wembley European Championship in July – returns to the team and Fran Kirby also joins, along with Millie Bright, who wears the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Leah Williamson. Lauren Hemp and Mary Earps also return to the side.
Happy half-century, England!
November 18 marks the 50th anniversary of the England women’s senior team. England beat Scotland 3-2 at Greenock on that day in 1972 and tonight’s international at Wembley will be dedicated to the anniversary.
Nearly 150 former and current England international players are expected to attend the match as FA guests, with 20 former players joining the current squad at the Lensbury Resort on Tuesday to meet the players and watch them train. Before kick-off tonight, 12 members of that first team from 1972 will receive a bespoke England cap as part of a special presentation led by Jill Scott amongst other VIPs.
In what promises to be a busy night for Scott, who is supposed to enjoy his retirement, the former England international will be honored pitchside with the presentation of a framed shirt, before bringing the Euro 2020 trophy she helped win at field. to help build crowd capacity prior to kickoff.
Here’s hoping that Sunderland’s best manage to fulfill all those pre-match duties without any of that foul-mouthed nonsense and jeffing that went a long way towards earning them their National Treasure status during the Euro final against Germany. .
The Yates Report: United States captain Becky Sauerbrunn has called for comprehensive reform of elite domestic soccer in North America after an independent investigation found that emotional abuse and sexual misconduct had become systemic throughout the National Soccer League. Feminine. reports Louise Taylor.
Weekly Women’s Soccer
Join presenter Faye Carruthers and The Guardian’s football writer Suzanne Wrack as they invite people from across the world of women’s football to guide them through the 2022/23 Women’s Super League season.
Whether you’ve been watching the first WSL games 12 years ago or just fell in love with the Lionesses this summer, Women’s Football Weekly will be available with reactions and analysis throughout the year, so check in to all the usual pods.
More on the Yates report: “None of the stories from the Yates investigation, which includes reports of coaches sexually assaulting their players, were shocking to me or my teammates; silence should not prevail,” writes soccer coach Candice Fabry, founder of Fearless & Capable, a women-led mentoring program for women working in sports.
Moving the goal posts
“Sarina Wiegman’s team now has the same winning mentality as the USWNT,” writes Anita Asante, Bristol City first-team coach and former England international in our weekly women’s soccer newsletter. “The match at Wembley will be fascinating,” she concludes.
Sign up for Moving the Goalposts, our free and informative weekly email, by clicking the link below and entering your email address.
Tonight’s match officials
Comment: Megan Rapinoe suggests that in women’s soccer there is no longer a huge quality gap between the US and other international heavyweights, but it is up to England and others to prove it at a World Cup, writes Suzanne Wrack.
First news from Team USA
Alex Morgan is the most conspicuous absence from a 24-woman squad named by Vlatko Andonvski for the United States’ friendlies against England and Spain that features big names like Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbaum, Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan.
The San Diego Wave striker, who angered countless humorless English fans with her goal celebration while drinking tea during the World Cup semi-finals, has been ruled out with a knee injury.
Still in high school, where she plays on a boys’ team (or the boys play on her team), 17-year-old Alyssa Thompson could make her debut in Morgan’s absence. With more than 120 caps to her name, Portland Thorns defender Crystal Dunn receives her first international call-up since she gave birth to a son, Marcel, in May.
Video: Megan Rapinoe and her teammates are “exhausted” after the release of Sally Yates’ report on emotional and sexual abuse in the NWSL, but added that the US women’s national team is used to bearing burdens off the field. “We are angry, exhausted, together and united,” she said. “So it’s a bit of everything.”
First news from the England team
Since triumphing at the European Championship, England have lost Lionesses legends Jill Scott and Ellen White to retirement and also have several injury absences to contend with.
Captain Leah Williamson suffered an injury in training this week that has sidelined the Arsenal defender, while West Ham defender Lucy Parker and Manchester United forward Alessia Russo are also sidelined.
In Williamson’s absence, Millie Bright will wear the captain’s armband, while Nikita Parris and Lotte Wubben-Moy have been called up to Sarina Wiegman’s side as cover.
International friendly: England v USA
After a sensational summer in which they won the European Championship, England host the World Champions tonight at Wembley Stadium. It may be a friendly, but it is the fastest England game (men or women) in New Wembley history. With both teams undefeated this calendar year, no quarter is expected to be asked or given once play begins, especially with the World Cup scheduled for next summer in Australia and New Zealand.
However, the rivalry will be put to rest briefly as both sets of players have planned a pre-match show of solidarity and togetherness following the release of Sally Yates’ independent report earlier this week, detailing the widespread abuse and sexual misconduct perpetrated by coaches at the National. Women’s Soccer League. The report also found that teams, the NWSL and US Soccer failed to implement basic safeguards for players. Both sets of players will wear teal armbands tonight to show solidarity with victims of sexual abuse.
In an evening that should and almost certainly will be a celebration of the popularity of women’s soccer in both the US Attorney General. Kick-off at Wembley tonight is 8:00pm (BST), but in the meantime, stay tuned for team news, more on Yates’ depressing report and match build-up.