England Women 2-1 USA Women: Lionesses beat World Champions to stay unbeaten under Sarina Wiegman

This was just a friendly. Maybe on paper. In reality far from. England vs the United States, the European champions vs the world champions, in front of a crowd of 76,891 people at Wembley. This was a match that would have been worthy of a World Cup final – and in nine months it could be.

Three years ago, England were beaten 2-1 by the US in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup. It was a narrow defeat according to the deficit, but in reality the Lionesses were some distance from their rivals. The US was stronger, fitter and had the know-how to cross the line. So what has changed? Believe.

After winning the European Championship, England now believe they can beat the US, and they did so last night. There were three young stars on the scoresheet, with Lauren Hemp and Georgia Stanway for England, while Sophia Smith scored the visitors’ goal. There were shadows of 2019, but reversed when England took the lead, were fed back, but again took the lead, with the help of the VAR.

Sarina Wiegman had said that the gap between the US and European countries had narrowed. She is right. She is rarely wrong. With both teams missing key players, a lot will change for next summer. But there is no escaping it. This was a statement win.

The match took place against the background of the Sally Yates report, which found that abuse and misconduct were “systemic” at the top of women’s soccer in the United States. As a show of solidarity with victims of sexual abuse, the England players joined the US team wearing blue armbands and stood behind a banner that read ‘Protect the Players’. It was a defiant act of unity and a reminder of how much remains to be done to protect female footballers around the world.

Finally, attention turned to things on the field. Both teams missed key players. England were without captain Leah Williamson and striker Alessia Russo. The US, meanwhile, was without Alex Morgan – who is still remembered for her tea-drinking celebration in the 2-1 win over England at the 2019 World Cup.

England’s injuries left Alex Greenwood starting at center back alongside Millie Bright, while Lauren Hemp took the number 9 spot. Many had expected Beth Mead to take center stage as she began her career as a striker – while Hemp has little experience in that role.

We should now know to trust Wiegman’s decision-making. Just over ten minutes had passed before England’s new number 9 opened the scoring. It was made by Mead, who drove to the right and sent in a cross that was put in Hemp’s path by Alanna Cook and the attacker squeezed the ball under American goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. The finish of a striker from a textbook.

There is a lot of hype around Hemp and how good it can be. But Hemp wasn’t the only exciting player on display last night. There has also been a lot of talk about American Sophia Smith, a rising young star who will star at the World Cup. After twenty-eight minutes, she leveled the visitors.

England were the constructs of their own demise as Millie Bright pressured Stanway with a weak pass on the edge of her penalty area. The midfielder was muscled by Lindsey Horan and the ball fell to Smith, who shot past Mary Earps in the bottom right corner.

But Stanway and England reacted when the midfielder restored the host country’s lead five minutes later from the penalty spot. Hailie Mace, who had replaced the injured Emily Fox halfway through half-time, caught Lucy Bronze with a high foot in the penalty area. Referee Riem Hussein initially waved through, but with VAR in use, was ordered to check the monitor and was then awarded a penalty.

Stanway converted in the lower right corner. The US thought they had equalized four minutes later, only the VAR intervened again. Smith was involved again when her cross was thrown by Rapinoe to Trinity Rodman, who ended up in the bottom right corner. Smith was marginally offside in the build-up.

Smith continued to wreak havoc at the start of the second half, nearly leveling up the US level when she sent an effort just wide of the far post.

While Smith lit one end of the field, Hemp played in the other. The forward stole the ball from Cook and shot down the wing before crossing over to Bronze at the back post, but the fullback could only send a shot into the side net.

Ten minutes before the end, the US were awarded a penalty because Hemp had acted in the penalty area. Rose Lavelle’s shot had hit her behind. The decision was rightly quashed. Last night everything went in England’s favour. Unlike 2019, we didn’t complain.