USWNT battles England on Wednesday for SheBelieves Cup title

USA vs. England
Orlando City Stadium; Orlando, Fla.
March 7, 2018
2018 SheBelieves Cup

(Via U.S. Soccer) – The USA will head into the final match day of the 2018 SheBelieves Cup needing a victory against England with a chance to win the tournament, but it will take a victory against England on March 7 at Orlando City Stadium (7 p.m. ET on ESPNews) to do so. The USA and England are tied on points with four each (the USA beat Germany and tied France and England beat France and tied Germany), but England is ahead on the first tie-breaker, goal difference, based on its 4-1 victory against France in the tournament opener.

SCENARIOS TO WIN: England needs just a tie to win its first SheBelieves Cup title while the Americans will need a victory. The USA came into its final match of the inaugural SheBelieves Cup in 2016 in the same situation, needing a victory against Germany to take the title. The USA went down 1-0 early in the game before rallying to win 2-1 and lift the trophy.

GERMANY AND FRANCE CLASH AGAIN: Germany and France will square off in the opening game of the final match day, kicking off at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN3. With one point each, the maximum points either can get is four, and either the USA and England will emerge with at least five, so neither France or Germany can win the tournament. If there is a winner in that game, England or Germany could still finish second, depending on the USA-England result. France and Germany met in an epic quarterfinal match at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup with Germany coming out on top in a match that saw France squander numerous chances to win the game.

ENGLAND SETS SBC RECORD: With England’s rousing 4-1 win against France in the first match of the tournament, which included three goals in the first half, the Three Lionesses set a SheBelieves Cup record for most goals in a game and a half, respectively. With six goals overall through two games, England has already set a record for most goals scored in a SheBelieves Cup and has as many goals as the other three teams combined. France scored five goals in the 2017 SheBelieves Cup. Just nine goals were scored in each of the first two SheBelieves Cup games, but with 12 so far in just two games, that mark has been eclipsed.

2018 SheBelieves Cup Standings

Team	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Pts.
England	2	1	0	1	6	3	+3	4
United States	2	1	0	1	2	1	+1	4
Germany	2	0	1	1	2	3	-1	1
France	2	0	1	1	2	5	-3	1

TOURNAMENT FORMAT: The tournament format is the same as the first two years, with the four teams each participating in three doubleheaders at three different venues from March 1-7. The winner of the tournament will be based on total points (three for a win, one for a draw), with the first tie-breaker being overall goal differential, followed by goals scored, then head-to-head result, and lastly FIFA ranking if necessary. Teams are allowed six substitutes each per game.

WHY SHEBELIEVES: Conceived and developed by U.S. Women’s National Team players, SheBelieves is a movement to inspire young girls and women and encourage them to accomplish their goals and dreams, athletic or otherwise. The campaign was originally launched in the run-up to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but has since evolved into a special bond between the team and its fans, taking its powerful message of empowerment into communities across the nation. Through dedication, teamwork, perseverance and success, U.S. WNT players inspire new generations of young girls and women to be better and strive for better; they inspire them to believe.

2018 SHEBELIEVES SUMMIT ROCKS NYC: In conjunction with the tournament, U.S. Soccer hosted its first SheBelieves Summit in New York City on March 3, 2018. The 2018 SheBelieves Summit was a day-long event to celebrate opportunity, empower attendees and equip young women with the inspiration, tools and connections to pursue and accomplish their goals in life, in school, on fields and in their future careers. The event featured notable female speakers representing sports such as WNBA’s Elena Delle Donne, entertainment and business who shared their personal and professional insights for greatness. A rousing success in its first year, the summit aimed to inspire generations about how to be strong and powerful women in any industry of their choosing around the world. ESPN’s Julie Foudy was this year’s keynote speaker.

FOCUS SHIFTS: U.S. head coach Jill Ellis used 2017 to learn more about her team, her veterans and new players, while trying several different formations, playing players in various positions and giving call-ups to numerous younger players. Since the end of the 2016 Olympics, Ellis has used more than 30 players in matches and has seen more than 50 in a training camp environment. In 2018, while Ellis and her staff will still be constantly evaluating players in various environments, those numbers are likely to go down. With a solid core that emerged from last year’s tough schedule and heavy evaluation, the current core group will be the one to move forward and receive the most opportunities to earn roster and starting spots.

Here are some facts and figures since October of 2016 (after the Olympics) regarding call-ups by Ellis and her staff:

Total number of players called in for at least one training camp: 58
Total number of new players called-up for the first time: 27
Players that have seen game action over the past 15 months: 36
Number of players to earn first caps: 15 – Abby Dahlkemper, Ashley Hatch, Andi Sullivan, Casey Short, Jane Campbell, Jessica McDonald, Kealia Ohai, Lynn Williams, Megan Oyster, Rose Lavelle, Sofia Huerta, Taylor Smith, McCall Zerboni, Savannah McCaskill and Tierna Davidson.

COUNTDOWN TO CONCACAF QUALIFYING: The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup that will be held from June 7-July 7 in nine cities in France is still on the distant horizon, but the countdown has begun for CONCACAF Qualifying, which will take place this fall. The tournament host and teams have not been finalized, but the USA, Canada and Mexico will earn automatic berths into the final eight-team tournament, while the other five nations will have to go through pre-qualifying in their respective regions. From that eight-team tourney, three teams will qualify directly to France while a fourth will enter a two-leg playoff against the third-place team from South America. As the USA kicks off its 2018 campaign, all the players and coaches will cast a distant eye on the all-important qualifying tournament about eight months from now.

JILL ELLIS FACT FILE: After leading the USA to the Women’s World Cup title, U.S. head coach Jill Ellis was rewarded with a multi-year contract extension on Aug. 5, 2015. She is the third U.S. coach – and first female American coach — to win a Women’s World Cup at the senior level, following Anson Dorrance (1991) and the late Tony DiCicco (1999). Ellis was named the 2015 FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Soccer on Jan. 11, 2016, at the FIFA Awards Gala in Zurich, Switzerland. She was also named the CONCACAF Female Coach of the Year. Ellis, who previously served two stints as interim head coach of the U.S. WNT, is the eighth official head coach in U.S. history. She coached seven games as interim coach in 2012 (5-0-2) and two games (1-0-1) as interim in 2014 before she officially came on board, which gave her a 6-0-3 record before she ever was formally named the head coach in May of 2014. She has gone 66-6-12 since then for an overall record of 72-6-15, earning her 50th career WNT win on July 22, 2016, vs. Costa Rica. With the win against New Zealand on Sept. 15, 2017, Ellis moved past Anson Dorrance and into fourth place on the all-time wins list. Since taking over as head coach, Ellis has won four tournaments: the 2015 Algarve Cup, the 2015 Women’s World Cup, the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship and the 2016 SheBelieves Cup.

DEBUT AT ORLANDO CITY STADIUM: While the SheBelieves Cup will mark the first visit for the U.S. WNT to Orlando City Stadium, the venue has already hosted top flight women’s soccer – and featured more than a few goals from Alex Morgan – as the home stadium for the Orlando Pride of the NWSL. Still, the U.S. WNT is no stranger to Orlando, a city that has played a major role in the team’s history. Orlando was the site of several Residency Training Camps in the 1990s, including before the historic 1999 Women’s World Cup victory, and the USA played its first-ever Olympic match in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl, defeating Denmark 3-0 on July 21, 1996. The USA has played 10 full international matches in Orlando (winning them all), six of them at the Citrus Bowl, which was the site of one of the greatest moments in U.S. history when Mia Hamm broke Elisabetta Vignotto’s world goal scoring record on May 22, 1999, in a 3-0 win over Brazil that marked the U.S. legend’s 108 ^th career goal. She would go on to score 50 more.

U.S. Women’s National Team 2018 SheBelieves Cup Roster by Position (Caps/Goals):
GOALKEEPERS (3): 18- Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 2/0), 24- Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride; 14/0), 1- Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 26/0)

DEFENDERS (7): 7- Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage; 16/0), 17- Tierna Davidson (Stanford; 3/0), 14- Sofia Huerta (Chicago Red Stars; 3/0), 5- Kelley O’Hara (Utah Royals FC; 107/2), 2- Casey Short (Chicago Red Stars; 21/0), 22- Taylor Smith (NC Courage; 10/0), 16- Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC; 14/0),

MIDFIELDERS (6): 6- Morgan Brian (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 71/6), 8- Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars; 59/15), 9- Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 46/4), 10- Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash; 249/98); 20-Allie Long (Portland Thorns FC; 34/6), 3- Andi Sullivan (Stanford; 9/0)

FORWARDS (7): 19- Crystal Dunn (Chelsea FC, ENG; 59/23), 21- Savannah McCaskill (Sky Blue FC; 3/0), 13- Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride; 137/81); 23- Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars; 98/44), 11- Mallory Pugh (Washington Spirit; 32/9), 15- Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign; 132/35), 12- Lynn Williams (NC Courage; 18/4)

U.S. ROSTER NOTES

TEAM

Against France on March 4, Ellis made two changes to the starting lineup that faced Germany, giving the nod to Andi Sullivan in the midfield in place of Julie Ertz and Morgan Brian in place of Carli Lloyd.
Ellis also made all six subs vs. Germany as Savannah McCaskill earned her third WNT cap, coming in at halftime to replace Lindsey Horan. Ellis also brought on Casey Short for Taylor Smith in the 43rd minute and Lynn Williams for Megan Rapinoe at halftime. Later in the half, Carli Lloyd came on for Andi Sullivan in the 73rd and Crystal Dunn for Mallory Pugh, also in the 73rd. Due to injury, Ellis was forced to make one more sub almost immediately, bringing in Christen Press for Short, in the 76th. After Short’s injury, Dunn moved to outside back, a position she previously played during the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and at the beginning of her WNT senior career.
Just two players in the USA’s starting lineup on March 4 (Alyssa Naeher and Morgan Brian) started against France at last year’s SheBelieves Cup on March 7, 2017.
There have been two teenagers USA’s starting XI for the first three matches of the year in 19-year-olds Pugh and Tierna Davidson, both of whom are age-eligible for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Against Denmark in San Diego, the pair combined for two goals and two assists. Before that match in San Diego, the last time two teenagers were in the WNT starting lineup was June 30, 2001 vs. Canada in Toronto. Aleisha Cramer (18) and Cat Whitehill (19) both played the entire game.
The last time two teenagers been in the starting XI for three straight games was also in 2001, during that same time, when at least two teenagers started in seven straight games. Five of those games came during a that stretch of matches when the USA brought a young team to the Algarve Cup in Portugal and played a warm-up match in Italy prior to the tournament.
Fourteen players on the roster have 34 caps or fewer, and on the other end of the spectrum, eight have 59 or more, with just four having 100 or more. The average age of the U.S. roster is 25.8.
The roster has: 21 NWSL players, one player in Europe (Morgan Brian), and one college player in Davidson.
The USWNT has not allowed more than one goal in any of their last 10 games, going 8-0-2 during that run, and has scored at least three goals in seven of those 10 games.

FORWARDS

After scoring in the opening match of the year against Denmark, Alex Morgan comes into the match with 81 goals in 137 caps and at age 28 and sits in sole possession of seventh place on the USA’s all-time goal scoring list. She has scored eight goals over her last 10 WNT matches through the end of 2017 and start of 2018. She has not found the net in the SBC so far, but did pick up the game-winning assist against Germany on March 1.
For players with more than 50 goals/assists combined, Morgan has averaged a goal or an assist for every 71.3 minutes on the field in her international career. The only player to have done better is Mia Hamm (68.5). Abby Wambach averaged a goal or assist for every 71.5 minutes and Michelle Akers finished her career at 74.0 minutes per goal or assist. (Credit: Paul Carr).
Christen Press has 98 caps and 44 career goals, most recently scoring on a brilliant strike from distance against Korea Republic on Oct. 22 of last year. Press is in 14th place on the all-time WNT goals list and with one more goal will tie Julie Foudy for 13th place. She averages just under a goal every two games (0.45 goals per game) and 0.82 goals per every 90 minutes she’s been on the field.
The Tournament of Nations last year sparked a quality end of 2017 for Megan Rapinoe, who scored three goals with five assists over the last eight matches of the year. After scoring in the first half against Germany on March 1, Rapinoe now has 35career goals, tying with April Heinrichs and Sydney Leroux for 15th on the all-time goals list.
Rapinoe took seven shots against Germany, as many as the whole German team. It was also her free kick against France that led to Mallory Pugh’s goal on March 4.
Crystal Dunn scored four goals in 2017, all in back-to-back braces against Russia in April, and got her first of the year on Jan. 21 against Denmark, finishing a rebound off a Christen Press shot. She came off the bench to play outside back against France after Casey Short was injured about 30 minutes after coming on as a sub herself.
In 2017, Dunn played in 23 matches for Chelsea FC. In 2018, Dunn played in five matches for Chelsea before returning home for the SheBelieves Cup. On January 16, it was announced Dunn will return to the NWSL and play for the North Carolina Courage during the 2018 season. The Courage acquired her rights from the Washington Spirit for Taylor Smith and Ashley Hatch.
Mallory Pugh scored in her senior team debut (the 19th U.S. WNT player to score in her first cap) on Jan. 23, 2016, vs. Ireland at 17 years, 8 months and 25 days old, becoming the youngest player to debut for the U.S. in the previous 11 years.
She turned 18 on April 29, 2016 and is fifth all-time for most U.S. caps before the age of 18 (11). Third for most goals before the age of 18 (2), fourth in most starts before the age of 18 (7) and first for most assists before the age of 18 (5). She now has 30 caps and is the youngest WNT player ever to compile 10 career assists (she currently has 12), surpassing Kristine Lilly.
She turned 19 on April 29, 2017 and tied with Mia Hamm for third in U.S. history for goals before age of 19 (four), was fourth in caps (20) and second in starts (14).
After scoring against France on March 4, she leads the team in goals this year with three and is currently fourth for goals before the age of 20 with nine (behind Cindy Parlow-15, Mia Hamm-14 and Christie Welsh -11), first in assists with 12, tied for second caps with 32 (with Cindy Parlow) and second in starts with 24, moving past Hamm (Tiffany Roberts is first with 41).
Lynn Williams is up to 18 caps with seven starts for the WNT in her career. She scored her fourth international goal on Oct. 22, 2017, and got the start against Canada on Nov. 9, playing in her first away match for the WNT and going 87 minutes before coming out for Allie Long. Last season, she contributed nine goals and five assists for the NWSL Shield winner NC Courage.
Savannah McCaskill , who was taken second overall in the 2018 NWSL College Draft by the Boston Breakers and then was picked by Sky Blue FC in the Dispersal Draft, is experiencing her second extended training time with the WNT. McCaskill made the game roster for the Jan. 21 match against Denmark and earned her first cap when she came into the game in the 70th minute for Andi Sullivan. She earned her second cap on March 1 against Germany, coming into the match at attacking midfield with 18 minutes left and put in a solid shift to help the USA earn the victory. She also had a good performance against France, playing the entire second half in the midfield. She led South Carolina to the NCAA College Cup last season with eight goals and nine assists on the year.

MIDFIELDERS

Carli Lloyd is a two-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year (2015, 2016) and finished second in the voting in 2017. She is the all-time active caps leader with 249 and is sitting on 98 goals, two away from becoming the sixth player to score 100 or more for the USA, and the first since 2009 when Abby Wambach scored her 100th. Lloyd is in sixth place on the all-time caps list and is now one away from becoming the sixth player in U.S. history to earn 250 caps.
While she played as a withdrawn forward for many of her minutes (since the knockout round of the 2015 Women’s World Cup), she is still the highest scoring midfielder in U.S. history.
Lloyd is the highest active goal scorer in U.S. history with the players ahead of her – Mia Hamm, Wambach, Kristine Lilly, Tiffeny Milbrett and Michelle Akers – all retired.
Lloyd scored 36 international goals between the time she debuted six days before her 23rd birthday, and her 30th birthday. Since turning 30, she has scored 62 goals in just over five and a half years.
Lloyd earned the 50th assist of her career on Julie Ertz’ goal against Brazil on July 30, joining just seven other U.S. players to earn 50 or more assists in their careers. Lloyd is in eighth-place in all-time assists, but with six more, can move into fifth.
Julie Ertz scored her first goal under her married name against Brazil on July 30, 2017, the dramatic game-winner in the 89thminute while playing defensive midfielder, and then grew into the position the entire year, scoring five more goals and playing so well that she was named 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.
She got 2018 off to a great start as well, scoring the game-winner on Jan. 21 vs. Denmark.
Ertz is the third player to be named both the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year and Young Female Player of the Year. Lauren Holiday (2014 & 2007) and Tobin Heath (2016 & 2009) are the other two, making the five years between the awards for Ertz the shortest time for any player.
Just 25 years old, she played her 50th game for the USA against Brazil, becoming the 54th American female player to achieve that milestone and now has 59 caps and 15 goals.
Ertz started at D-mid against Germany on March 1 before giving way to McCaskill in the 72nd minute and sat out the France match with a few minor knocks.
Lindsey Horan enjoyed a fine 2017, helping the Portland Thorns win the NWSL title while scoring four goals with two assists. She played mostly holding midfielder during the year and scored the game-winning goal in the championship. For the WNT, she came off the bench for six of her first seven appearances of the year, but then finished strong, started four of the last six games, establishing herself in the lineup, while scoring a goal and getting four assists. She played 90 in the last three matches of 2017 and full 90s in the first two matches of 2018, as well as the first half of the March 4 match against France before giving way to McCaskill.
Morgan Brian was hampered by injuries last year and played in just six games, starting two. She made her return to the field against Germany on March 1, coming on for Carli Lloyd in the 65th minute to see her first action for the National Team since September 15, 2017, when she came off the bench to play the final 16 minutes against New Zealand. On March 4, she got her first start since the France game at last year’s SheBelieves Cup and went the full 90 minutes as she continues to regain her form and fitness. She is still just 25-years-old and has 71 caps, and has moved past Natasha Kai into 44th place on the all-time caps list.
Allie Long scored her first three career goals (all on headers) in 2016. She scored her fourth and fifth goals, also off headers, vs. Russia on April 6, 2017. It was the second brace of her career. She finally got a WNT goal with her feet on Oct. 22 against Korea Republic, slotting home a pass from Horan, and now has 34 caps after appearing in 14 games for the USA in 2017 and coming on at the end of the Germany game on March 1.
Twenty-two-year-old Andi Sullivan, who led Stanford to the NCAA title as a senior and won the Hermann Trophy as the top player in college soccer, is becoming a regular on U.S. rosters. After a year away from the U.S. team while rehabbing a knee injury, Sullivan returned to the roster for the Oct. 19 against Korea Republic and earned her fifth cap a year to the date after her first. She played the final 16 and 15 minutes against Canada on Nov. 9 and 12, respectively. She got the start on Jan. 21 against Denmark for her eighth cap and the start against France on March 4 to earn her ninth.
Sullivan was a key player for the USA in both the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She was taken #1 overall in the 2018 NWSL Draft when she was selected by her home area Washington Spirit on January 18.

DEFENDERS

Kelley O’Hara started and captained the USA on Sept. 15 against New Zealand to earn her 100th cap, becoming the 36th player in U.S. WNT history to play 100 or more times for her country. O’Hara is the fourth most-capped player on the roster with 107.
Abby Dahlkemper , a former captain of the U-17 Women’s National Team, took advantage of a big opportunity when she played in both games in Europe in June of 2017, the first one off the bench in which she played the entire second half against Sweden, and then started and playing all 90 minutes against Norway. The Norway match marked her first start for the WNT and the first time she had played 90.
She then played all 90 minutes at center back in each of the final nine games of the year, establishing herself on the U.S. backline. She ended up starting 10 of the 11 games she appeared in while playing 945 minutes, fifth best on the team. She started the first match of the year against Denmark on Jan. 21 next to debutante Tierna Davidson and the duo also went the full 90 together on March 1 against Germany and March 4 vs. France. Dalhkemper also had a stellar 2017 club season and was named the NWSL Defender of the Year.
Casey Short has started 17 of her first 20 games for the USA, playing mostly left back, but also played some outside midfield vs. Switzerland last year, and played centrally vs. Sweden on June 8 and vs. Brazil on July 30. She came off the bench at the end of the Germany game on March 1 to replace Kelley O’Hara at left back and came into the match against France at the end of the first half, but injured her ankle in the second half and is day-to-day for the England match.
After gaining her change of national association on Sept. 14, Sofia Huerta was named to the 18-player roster for the Sept. 15 match against New Zealand and entered the game in the 51st minute to earn her first cap. She earned her second on Oct. 19, coming off the bench to play the final 27 minutes vs. Korea. She got her first start and played her first complete 90 minutes in a U.S. uniform on Oct. 22 against Korea in Cary, N.C.
Huerta played for Mexico at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and has five caps for the Mexico senior team, including one that came against the USA, making her the first female player in history to play for and against the U.S. Women’s National Team in a senior level international match. She’s also the first player from the state of Idaho to earn a cap for the senior U.S. WNT.
Taylor Smith made her WNT debut this year in challenging circumstances, starting against Australia and Brazil at the Tournament of Nations to earn her first two caps before coming off the bench against Japan to record two assists. She missed the October friendlies against Korea Republic after suffering a shoulder injury in the NWSL title game. She returned to the field on Nov. 9, played the final 24 minutes of the game in relief of Short and started on Nov. 12 vs. Canada. She earned her eighth cap on Jan. 21 vs. Denmark, a game in which she got the start, and ninth on March 1 against Germany when she went the full 90 minutes. She earned her 10th against France in March 4.
Emily Sonnett returns to the roster after finishing her stint in Australia during the NWSL off-season for Sydney FC where she helped lead her team to the Grand Final before falling 2-0 to a Melbourne City side featuring nine NWSL players. Sonnett had an excellent 2017 NWSL season, anchoring the Portland Thorns back line to a championship and scored several key goals, including a header in the 4-1 NWSL Semifinal win against Orlando. She scored four goals during in 2017 (on only six shots on goal), an impressive tally for a center-back.
Sonnett has 14 caps. Before she played on Jan. 21, 2018 vs. Denmark off the bench, her most recent cap had come on Oct. 19, 2016 vs. Switzerland. She played the final minutes vs. Germany on March 1 coming in for Megan Rapinoe.
Defender Tierna Davidson helped lead Stanford to the NCAA Championship this past season as a sophomore and gets her fourth career call-up after training with the team on two occasions in 2017. She started and played the entire 90 minutes to earn her first cap in the 5-1 victory against Denmark on Jan. 21. She also got the game-winning assist on Julie Ertz’ goal. She went the full 90 minutes again against Germany on March 1 and France on March 4, in what were serious tests for the 19-year-old. Davidson is the third teenager since 2013 to earn a first cap for the WNT. Pugh (17 in 2016) and Horan (19 in 2013) are the most recent teenagers to debut for the WNT.
Davidson was named to the roster for the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship and departed on Jan. 22 after the Denmark match to join her U-20 teammates in Trinidad & Tobago where she helped them qualify for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She scored in the championship match, but the USA fell in PKs to Mexico.
GOALKEEPERS
Against France on March 4, Alyssa Naeher earned her 26th cap and earned her 13th career shutout. Naeher earned 13 of her caps in 2017. She is the seventh goalkeeper in U.S. history to earn 25 or more caps. She’s allowed 14 goals in her 26 caps, but six came over two games, a 3-0 loss to France at the 2017 SheBelieves Cup and vs. Brazil in the 4-3 win at the 2017 Tournament of Nations.
Veteran Ashlyn Harris has 14 caps and Jane Campbell earned her first two last year.
Harris returned to the roster for the NZL games last September after missing several months with a leg injury. She played the first half on Oct. 22 game vs. Korea to earn her 14th cap in her first action since April 9 against Russia.
Campbell, who took over the starting spot for the Dash and played very well in her rookie year in the NWSL, earned her first cap against Russia on April 9, 2017, at BBVA Stadium in Houston. She earned her second on Oct. 22 when she played the second half against Korea in relief of Harris.

IN FOCUS: ENGLAND

The Football Association
FIFA World Ranking: 3
UEFA Ranking: 2
Women’s World Cup Appearances (4): 1995, 2007, 2011, 2015
Best Women’s World Cup qualifying finish: Third (2015)
Record vs. USA: 4-9-1
Head Coach: Phil Neville

England Women’s National Team Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Karen Bardsley* (Manchester City), 13-Siobhan Chamberlain* (Liverpool), 21-Carly Telford (Chelsea)

DEFENDERS (9): 2-Lucy Bronze* (Olympique Lyon, FRA), 3-Demi Stokes (Manchester City), 5-Anita Asante (Chelsea), 6-Millie Bright* (Chelsea), 12-Hannah Blundell (Chelsea), 14-Alex Greenwood (Liverpool), 15-Abbie McManus (Manchester City), 17-Rachel Daly* (Houston Dash, USA), 23-Gabby George (Everton)

MIDFIELDERS (4): 4-Fara Williams* (Reading), 8-Jill Scott* (Manchester City), 16-Izzy Christiansen* (Manchester City), 22-Keira Walsh (Manchester City)

FORWARDS (7): 7-Nikita Parris* (Manchester City), 9-Jodie Taylor* (Seattle Reign, USA), 10-Fran Kirby (Chelsea), 11-Toni Duggan* (Barcelona, ESP), 18-Ellen White* (Birmingham City), 19-Mel Lawley (Manchester City), 20-Georgia Stanway (Manchester City)

*2017 SheBelieves Cup Roster

ENGLAND NOTES:

England got off to a banner start in its SheBelieves Cup opener, trouncing France 4-1 behind three first half scores. New head coach Phil Neville had a dream debut as Toni Duggan scored in the seventh, Jill Scott tallied in the 29th and Jodie Taylor of the Seattle Reign scored in the 39th to make it 3-0 at the break. Fran Kirby added a fourth goal about a minute into the second half and France’s lone score from Gaetene Thiney had no impact on the result.
The match set a SheBelieves Cup record for most goals in a half and most goals in a game. France scored three against the USA last year.
England played Germany to a 2-2 tie in its second match. The Germans outshot England 19-11, but a brace from Ellen White earned England a vital point.
England came back twice in the match as White answered a German score in the 17th minute with a goal in the 18th minute. After an extremely unfortunate Millie Bright own goal in the 51st minute, White equalized off a breakaway in the 73rd.
The win against France marked just the second-time England had beaten Les Bleus since 1974, with the first win coming at last summer’s UEFA Women’s Euros that knocked France out of the tournament.
England has three players with two goals+assists during the tournament so far: Ellen White (2G, 0A), Fran Kirby (1G,1A), and Jill Scott (1G,1A). No other player has registered more than one goal+assist.
England brought some newer players, but still has 12 players from last year’s She Believes Cup on its roster. Neville has also included 10 players from England’s third-place team at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.
Neville played more than 500 games over 20 years in the Premier League, a little more than half for Manchester United and the rest for Everton. He earned almost 60 caps for England from 1996-07. He previously coached the men’s professional sides at Manchester United and Valencia.
England has some extremely experienced players, led by Fara Williams who has piled up 168 caps and 40 goals. Forward Ellen White is perhaps England’s most dangerous forward. She has 71 caps and 26 goals. Lanky 5-foot-11 midfielder Jill Scott has 128 caps with 19 goals and has proved a powerful force in the middle. England lost Anita Asante and her 71 caps when she suffered an apparent knee injury early in the match against France.
The defensive core also includes former UNC Tar Heel Lucy Bronze, who has 54 caps and six goals on her resume. Williams scored three times from the penalty spot during the 2015 Women’s World Cup, including the game-winner against Germany in overtime of the third-place match. Bronze scored twice in the World Cup, including the game-winner against Canada in the quarterfinal match.
Besides the two NWSL players (see below), Bronze and forward Toni Duggan are the only England players currently playing club soccer outside their country. Bronze is in France where she plays with U.S. midfielder Morgan Brian at Olympique Lyon and Duggan plies her trade for FC Barcelona.
England has two NWSL players on the roster in Rachel Daly of the Houston Dash, long an attacking player who has switched to defender for club and country, and forward Jodie Taylor of the Seattle Reign. Taylor, who returns to the league after playing with the Washington Spirit and the Portland Thorns over 2014-15 (when she scored 14 goals between the clubs), scored the opening goal against Canada in the Women’s World Cup quarterfinal.
Crystal Dunn, who played her last match with Chelsea on Feb. 24 in a 2-2 tie with Manchester City, will be reunited with four of her teammates during this tournament.
At the 2017 Euros, Taylor scored a hat trick in a 6-0 win vs. Scotland, becoming the first Englishwoman to do so in a major tournament. Taylor scored again against Spain, and against France in the quarterfinals. Her five goals gave her the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the tournament as England reached the semifinals. Taylor now has 16 goals in just 34 caps.
England has two experienced goalkeepers in Karen Bardsely (72 caps) and Siobhan Chamberlain (50). Bardsley grew up in Orange County in Southern California where she played youth club for the So Cal Blues and attended Cal State Fullerton.
England was drawn into Group D at the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euro with Portugal, Scotland and Spain and showed why they were the group favorite, downing the Scots 6-0 as Jodie Taylor scored three times while White, Nobbs and Duggan added single scores. England then downed Spain, 2-0, on goals from Fran Kirby and Taylor, and finished group play with a 2-1 win over Portugal on goals from Duggan and Nikita Parris. That earned England a match against France in the quarterfinal and a 60th-minute Taylor goal was good enough for the historic victory. England then ran into the home country in the semifinal, and the Netherlands, backed by an electric crowd, won 3-0.
England’s run at the 2015 Women’s World Cup started with a 1-0 loss to France in the opening group game, but they did not lose again until the semifinal. England’s games were all decided by one goal. The Three Lionesses defeated Mexico and Colombia by 2-1 scores to finish group play to advance to the Round of 16, where they defeated Norway, 2-1. England then took down the hosts, defeating Canada 2-1 in the quarterfinal and had a chance to defeat Japan in the semifinal, but fell 2-1 due to a crushing own goal by Laura Bassett late in the game. England then defeated Germany 1-0 in the third-place match for its historic third-place finish.
England made three changes from its original roster announcement due to injuries with captain Steph Houghton, forward Nobbs and midfielder Karen Carney ruled out. They were replaced by Daly along with Manchester City’s Abbie McManus and Georgia Stanway.
Former star defender Casey Stoney has retired and immediately joined the coaching staff with Phil Neville. Just three players (Williams, Alex Scott & Carney) have won more caps for England than Stoney (130).

USA VS. ENGLAND

The USA is 9-4-1 all-time against England. The last three meetings between the teams have been 1-0 results, two wins for the USA and one for England.
The USA beat England 1-0 on Feb. 13, 2015, in Milton Keynes, England with the lone goal coming from an Alex Morgan header and at the 2016 SheBelieves Cup in Tampa, Fla, on a brilliant goal from Crystal Dunn. The meeting with England in Milton Keynes, England, sparked a 24-game unbeaten streak which included the run to the World Cup title. England did have a goal controversially waved off due to offside in that match.
England turned the tables on the USA at last year’s SheBelieves Cup, scoring in the 89th minute when Ellen White finished from close range after a goal mouth scramble from a set play. Last year’s game was a tight one defensively on both sides with the USA firing seven shots to England’s six. The USA had three shots on goal to England’s two. But England had five corner kicks to the USA’s zero.
The USA has 11 players on its roster that played in last year’s meeting with England at the SheBelieves Cup, including seven that started, while England has eight, including six who started.
Prior to the 2015 meeting, the USA and England hadn’t played since a 2011 friendly in London that saw England defeat the USA 2-1. Prior to that, the teams hadn’t met since the 2007 Women’s World Cup, a 3-0 victory for the USA during the quarterfinal in Tianjin, China.
The USA lost its first two matches against England, played in 1985 and 1988, both in Italy. The 1985 match was the third ever played by the U.S. Women’s National Team, a 3-1 loss.

LAST TIME…

On the field for the USA vs. England:
March 4, 2017 – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, NJ
2017 SheBelieves Cup

USA 0
ENG 1 White 89

Lineups:
USA: 24-Ashlyn Harris; 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 8-Julie Johnston, 11-Ali Krieger; 19-Crystal Dunn (12-Lynn Williams, 64), 3-Samantha Mewis (20-Allie Long, 77), 9-Lindsey Horan (6-Morgan Brian, 77), 16-Rose Lavelle, 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.) (17-Tobin Heath, 76); 2-Mallory Pugh, 13-Alex Morgan (23-Christen Press, 63)
Subs not used: 1-Alyssa Naeher, 5-Kelley O’Hara, 7-Casey Short, 14-Jessica McDonald, 15-Emily Sonnett, 18-Jane Campbell, 22-Brianna Pinto
Head coach: Jill Ellis

ENG: 13-Siobhan Chamberlain; 3-Demi Stokes, 4-Lucy Bronze, 5-Steph Houghton (capt.), 7-Jordan Nobbs (8-Jade Moore, 90+3), 10-Izzy Christiansen (6-Millie Bright, 90+2), 15-Laura Bassett, 17-Fara Williams, 19-Toni Duggan (11-Ellen White, 76), 20-Karen Carney (18-Jill Scott, 63), 22-Nikita Parris (9-Jodie Taylor, 77)
Subs not used: 1-Karen Bardsley, 21-Mary Earps, 12-Rachel Daly, 14-Casey Stoney, 16-Gemma Bonner, 23-Rachel Williams