Hayes' USWNT had more then enough chances, but couldn't convert against a tough England team at Wembley
In the end, Emma Hayes' homecoming didn't quite live up to the hype. There were moments, yes, but not nearly enough of them. Ultimately, the occasion was ultimately defined by ceremony more than the game itself.
Saturday's clash between the U.S. women's national team and England ended scoreless as the two sides settled for a 0-0 draw. Neither will feel particularly happy with it. For England, the No. 2 ranked team in the world, this was a chance to show something against the sport's top squad, but it never happened. For the top-ranked USWNT, this was a chance to show that, even shorthanded, this program could continue to send messages against another top side. That never happened either.
Missing Mal Swanson, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith – all left off the squad to recover from minor injuries – the USWNT attack wasn't quite able to compensate for the loss of caffeine up top. The USWNT outshot England, 10-4, but despite dominance from the midfield and defense, the attack looked toothless. England's backline is too good to be beaten by a team not at their best and, without Triple Espresso, it seemed as if this USWNT team wasn't anywhere near that level.
There were positives, though. Naomi Girma, once again, was virtually perfect. Emily Fox put Arsenal teammate Beth Mead in her pocket and kept her there all match long. The midfield trio of Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle and Sam Coffey ran rings around the Lionesses for large stretches, although they never quite found the goal they deserved because of it.
And retiring goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher had yet another shutout in what will be her second-to-last match, as she will depart the international game after next week's contest in the Netherlands. It was her 69th career shutout, and her 10th this year – a calendar-year career best. Naeher joins Briana Scurry, Hope Solo and Siri Mullinix as the only goalkeepers to post 10+ USWNT shutouts in a single year.
"Coming off the year we had with the Olympics, the future is so bright for this team, I'm so excited to see what happens under Emma," Naeher said after the match. "To see the growth and development of this team. To come to Wembley and get a shutout at Wembley, I'm so proud of how this team fought – the defense from the top down. Just to be able to enjoy these last two games with this team is really special."
This day, though, was supposed to be about Hayes, and in some ways it was. With the draw, she remains unbeaten in her first 14 matches on the USWNT touchline – including an Olympic gold medal. And in a clash between her two homes, all eyes were on her, even during the national anthems of her "two" countries.
"I'm also really proud to coach America and I'm really proud of that national anthem," she said after the match. "Two things are possible all at once, and I'm not going to run away from… I know we want to, sort of, I don't know, fuel a nationalist debate around it. The realities are, both countries are really dear to me for lots of reasons and I'm very proud to represent both of them."
For all the attention on Hayes, game itself was lackluster, as none of the USWNT attackers on display were able to seize that attention. GOAL rates the USWNT's players from Wembley Stadium.
AFPGoalkeeper & Defense
Alyssa Naeher (6/10):
Didn't really have too much to do as the group in front of her took control of the game. An easy day for a goalkeeper, but she'll probably be OK with that as she closes down her international career.
Emily Fox (8/10):
Absolutely dominated her matchup with Beth Mead, who is normally as dangerous as it gets. Her familiarity with England's players surely helped but, on the flip side, England couldn't figure out any way to get past her.
Naomi Girma (8/10):
Made it look effortless as always. A big test for Girma, and she passed once again to show exactly where she ranks among the world's best.
Emily Sonnett (7/10):
Provided the scrappiness to Girma's level-headedness. Swatted away plenty of England attacks.
Casey Krueger (7/10):
Looked like she could have been a weak link, but instead stood tall. Had one good shot in the first half, but her ability to stand her ground defensively was more impressive.
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Sam Coffey (7/10):
Took an early yellow card but handled it well. Really set the tone against a good England midfield.
Lindsey Horan (7/10):
Was close to scoring, including on one sequence that was blatantly offside. Even so, she made England extremely uncomfortable all game with her movement and ability on the ball. On another day, could have had a goal or two but, unfortunately, it just didn't quite happen.
Rose Lavelle (7/10):
Was almost too unselfish at times, but continued to put herself in dangerous places. Worked very well with Horan as they gave England fits.
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Alyssa Thompson (6/10):
Had a few good runs, but clearly struggled with the physicality at times. Was given her biggest test yet against Lucy Bronze, who did get the better of the matchup, to be fair.
Emily Sears (5/10):
Looked a bit overmatched or overawed, which can happen for a young player at Wembley! Had a few decent moments, but was generally not quite matching the speed of the game.
Lynn Williams (5/10):
Just couldn't breakaway from England's defense. Didn't get into dangerous areas, which means she wasn't really on the end of any real chances.
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Yazmeen Ryan (7/10):
Nearly earned the USWNT a penalty, but VAR rightfully took that away. Still, it was easy to see the energy and enthusiasm from her once she came on for the USWNT in the second half.
Jaedyn Shaw (6/10):
A big spot to put her in as the U.S. clearly asked her to go be a match-winner. It didn't quite come off, but, even so, it felt like Shaw was the player most likely to make a difference in the final stretches of the game.
Korbin Albert (6/10):
Came on for Thompson towards the end to provide a bit more stability and fresh legs. Didn't get to do much more than that, though.
Ally Sentnor (N/A):
A memorable moment for the newcomer, who made her USWNT debut at Wembley. Got a few minutes at the end, but not enough to really make her mark.
Emma Hayes (6/10):
Not the homecoming she would have hoped for. The game really missed Triple Espresso up top and, although Hayes made the most of what she had, the attack just wasn't there to actually win the game.
