England Women vs USA: Team news as injury-hit Lionesses face toughest test against the world champions
The i says England Women were back this week at what Beth Mead called their “home from home”, the Twickenham hotel where they stayed as they took on – and beat – Europe’s best this summer. “There’s a lot of good memories here,” said the team’s newly-crowned Player of the Year.
Not that England are at The Lensbury to reminisce. They are looking ahead, not behind. Having conquered Europe their ambitions are global with the 2023 World Cup in their sights. On Friday night, they can benchmark their progress at a sold-out Wembley against the USA, winners of the 2015 and 2019 finals.
Though Megan Rapinoe said of watching England in the summer “you couldn’t help but want them to bring it home”, there is a growing rivalry between the teams, with an occasional edge highlighted by Alex Morgan’s tea-drinking celebration when she scored in the American’s 2019 World Cup semi-final defeat of England.