Sarina Wiegman vowed to experiment – did USA draw show evolution?
USA coach Emma Hayes said they expected a “reaction” from England, which they felt they faced despite having just one shot on target.
In a game with few clear-cut chances, the U.S. looked the more threatening, with a first-half penalty ruled out for offside and a second-half penalty correctly overturned after a video assistant referee check.
But England’s backline has stepped up to the task and put recent criticism aside after looking inconsistent this year.
Goalkeeper Mary Earps nodded in front of Hannah Hampton and it felt like a sign of confidence from Wiegman who showed confidence and made the Many saves.
She helped the team form a 4-4-2 formation – a formation that Wigman used when England reached the Women’s World Cup final in 2023 but no longer uses it this year.
“The structure has a bit of a World Cup atmosphere. Some of us have played together for a long time and we know each other very well,” Earps told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Communication is really important. I felt like we talked and looked for solutions to problems throughout the game. We shut them out.
“We don’t want to celebrate a 0-0 draw but we’ll live with it and we want to be on fire ahead of next summer’s European Championships.”
Earps admits it’s been a “tough year” for the Lionesses, who are still “figuring out” how they want to go to Euro 2025 – but it’s a step in the right direction that will Team USA is excluded, albeit without the usual top three of Team USA’s visitors.
