USWNT vs. England Preview: Why This Match is More Than a Friendly
The USWNT vs. England. Every once in a while, hundreds of years’ worth of history are brought to the forefront when these proud nations take each other on in sports. Women’s soccer between both sides has sparked a rivalry that started to take shape over the last couple of years. England coming off winning the Euros means they’ll be full of confidence, and hosting the Americans will give them a greater boost. Let’s break down the United States roster, provide some context, and preview the USWNT vs. England friendly ahead of the World Cup.
USWNT
The return of Crystal Dunn might be the biggest story for the United States. This camp will be critical to see what her fitness levels will be like. As well as how close she really is to getting back to 100% post-pregnancy.
Other big news is Alex Morgan missing out, which shouldn’t come as a surprise with the San Diego Wave now in the NWSL playoffs. Both club and country will make sure Morgan is well rested and healthy before taking the pitch otherwise, it’s a huge risk putting her out there for a friendly.
Taylor Kornieck and Mallory Pugh were also on the original roster, but Kornieck will miss the match due to an injury. She’s replaced by Racing Louisville’s Jaelin Howell. Mallory Pugh will miss due to a family commitment and no one will replace her on the roster.
A majority of the roster features all the familiar names except for one, 17-year-old Alyssa Thompson. Between Jaedyn Shaw and Thompson, the future of the USWNT is in good hands. U.S. Soccer is identifying the talent at a young age and bringing them in early to give them a taste of the next level. It helps with their development tremendously, and Thompson’s potential is something to get excited about.
Roster
Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Hailie Mace (Kansas City Current), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC)
Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Jaelin Howell (Racing Louisville), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
Forwards: Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Thompson (Total Futbol Academy)
Without Alex Morgan, the USWNT still has more than enough attacking options that pose a threat to any team. It’ll be intriguing to see how England plans to counter the USWNT’s attack.
Rivalry
Let’s not forget the context coming into this matchup and why things might not be so “friendly” when these teams play each other. First, we have the Alex Morgan tea-drinking celebration.
Alex Morgan Tea Celebration never gets old. 😉 🇺🇸 #USWNT #SuperBowlCommercials pic.twitter.com/lw1U0X7iKH
— Dracula (@Ref_Dracula) February 14, 2022
Naturally, the Brits didn’t take too kindly to this, and there was footage of them mocking the “I Believe That We Will Win Chant” after winning the SheBelieves Cup on American soil. Of course, it’s near impossible to find that clip from three years ago, but it was a bit of revenge for England. Now they feature a team with even more confidence heading into this friendly matchup which is sure to be fireworks.
England’s team doesn’t feature all the stars you’d normally see, but it’s still a loaded roster.
England WNT Roster
Mary Earps (Manchester United), Sandy MacIver (Manchester City), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City), Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Lucy Parker (West Ham), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Jessica Park (Everton), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Katie Zelem (Manchester United), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Manchester United), Ebony Salmon (Houston Dash)
Leah Williamson is out, which is a huge deal for England, but Beth Mead is on another level right now in attack. Kiera Walsh, Chloe Kelly, Ella Toone, and Lauren Hemp are more than capable of picking up the slack with Fran Kirby in the middle conducting the attack. Ebony Salmon and Rachel Daly also know the United States well and could feature in the Starting XI for England.
Most teams are forced to sit back and defend while the USWNT puts pressure on them. But don’t expect England to do that. They will want to take it to the Americans in front of a packed house at Wembley. It will be up to the USWNT to be ready and respond. With the next generation of stars ready to usher in a younger feel to this rivalry, the matchup will be something special. We should all be glued to our screens watching this one.
When and Where to Watch USWNT vs. England
Kick off: 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT, Oct. 7
TV Channel: FOX
Featured image via @uswnt on Instagram
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