A reported 76,000 people packed into Wembley Stadium to watch the Lionesses go to battle with the United States. It may have been a friendly but the expectations and atmosphere were as high as ever on another record-breaking evening for the women’s game. The first half was played at 100mph before England, who had the lead, were able to take their foot off the gas after the break. Lauren Hemp starred for the hosts, netting a tenth goal for her country.
Lauren Hemp Torments the USWNT
The Pace of Lauren Hemp Is Truly Frightening
There were several strong performers among Sarina Wiegman’s ranks, but Hemp is certainly at the forefront of that. Her pace is only matched by her energy, keeping up the lung-bursting runs to the final whistle.
The Manchester City star was on hand to put the Lionesses in front when Alana Cook was unable to deal with a Beth Mead cross. This was a sign of things to come from Hemp as she remained persistent, doing what she does best. Having that ability to run in behind over and over again without getting frustrated.
Enjoyed that one🤩 your support was incredible 🫶🏼 pic.twitter.com/B82Lhf9QVL
— Lauren Hemp (@lauren__hemp) October 8, 2022
Hemp’s former club teammate Georgia Stanway was the player to fire the Lionesses back in front. One of a few VAR decisions in favour of the home side led to referee Riem Hussein pointing to the penalty spot. She was afforded the chance to take it by Alex Greenwood and duly converted.
Read More: Lionesses vs USWNT Promises to be a Must-Watch Game
USA In a Transition Period
A lot of the positives come from the Lionesses, leaving the USWNT in limbo. Bridging the gap between generations can often be make or break and there are no clear indications as to where this is going with the US squad. Abby Dahlkemper, Tobin Heath and Megan Rapinoe are amongst those who have either been phased out or who won’t be far behind.
In fairness to Rapinoe, amidst the Wembley boos and a lot of criticism, she was one of the best players on the field. Her technical ability shone through ahead of where she may have lost a yard or two of pace. Another key performer for Vlatko Andonovski’s team was Sophia Smith, a vital part of the next generation.
Sophia Smith is going to feast at international level. Great to watch her live.
Fantastic result @Lionesses ♥️♥️
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) October 7, 2022
The Lionesses were particularly daring in their distribution in the defensive third. Keira Walsh and Rachel Daly were often on the verge of being caught out only to play their way out without a care in the world. The sole USWNT goal that actually stood, was sandwiched in between strikes from Hemp and Stanway and came from an English mistake.
The Bayern Munich star was the guilty party for that, and Smith duly obliged to fire beyond Mary Earps. The Portland Thorns forward was the brightest spark for the visitors. Trinity Rodman and Rose Lavelle had their moments but Smith was the constant threat. The former actually had a goal ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR stoppage.
Goals from @lauren__hemp and @StanwayGeorgia secure a memorable win over the world champions! 👊
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) October 7, 2022
It was a great experience being in the stands for this one. Hemp was surely the player of the match, with Chloe Kelly, Walsh and Millie Bright also impressing. Spain await the US on Tuesday night in Pamplona whereas England versus the Czech Republic will take place in Brighton.
