USA Faces England In World Cup Semifinals

Following a spectacular 2-1 victory against host France in Paris last Friday courtesy of two goals from Megan Rapinoe, the U.S. Women’s National Team traveled to Lyon to face England in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Semifinal (3 p.m. ET; FOX and Telemundo). The other semifinal will see European champion Netherlands take on Sweden on July 3, also in Lyon. The USA and England played to a 2-2 draw earlier this year during the 2019 SheBelieves Cup on March 2 in Nashville, Tennessee. The quarterfinal match against France was U.S. head coach Jill Ellis’ 125th in charge of the USA, giving her the record of most games coached in U.S. history and breaking a tie with April Heinrichs (124).

HOW THEY GOT HERE

USA – 1st in Group F

Date                 Opponent        Score               Goal Scorers

June 11            Thailand           13-0 W             Morgan (5), Lavelle (2), Horan, Mewis (2), Rapinoe, Pugh, Lloyd

June 16            Chile                3-0 W              Lloyd (2), Ertz

June 20            Sweden            2-0 W              Horan, Own Goal

June 24            Spain               2-1 W              Rapinoe (2)

June 28            France              2-1 W              Rapinoe (2)

 

England – 1st in Group D

Date                 Opponent        Score               Goal Scorers

June 9              Scotland           2-1 W               Parris, White

June 14            Argentina          1-0 W               Taylor

June 19            Japan               2-0 W               White (2)

June 23            Cameroon        3-0 W               Houghton, White, Greenwood

June 27            Norway             3-0 W               Scott, White, Bronze

USA VS. ENGLAND

• The USA is 10-4-2 all-time against England. Out of the last five meetings between the teams, four have been 1-0 results – three wins for the USA and one for England – and one was a 2-2 draw.

• The most recent meeting came at the 2019 SheBelieves Cup, a 2-2 draw that saw goals from Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath for the USA, and Nikita Parris and Steph Houghton for England.

• At the 2018 SheBelieves Cupm a U.S. 1-0 win, the lone goal came when a Megan Rapinoe cross hit off defender Millie Bright and off goalkeeper Karen Bardsley before spinning into the net.

• The USA beat England 1-0 on Feb. 13, 2015, in Milton Keynes, England with the 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 in 2015.

• England turned the tables on the USA at the 2017 SheBelieves Cup, scoring in the 89th minute when Ellen White finished from close range after a goal mouth scramble from a set play.

• 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.

• U.S. defender Crystal Dunn played a season with Chelsea over 2017-218.

U.S. WNT TIDBITS

• After the win vs. France, the U.S. WNT is now 38-4-6 all-time in the Women’s World Cup, outscoring its opponents 134-37 in 48 games. The 38 wins, 48 games-played and 134 goals scored are all FIFA Women’s World Cup records.

• The United States is the only nation to have made it to all eight semifinals of the Women’s World Cup.

• The U.S. is unbeaten in its last 15 Women’s World Cup matches (12W-3D), winning the last 10 in a row. After the victory against France, the USA tied Norway's run from ‘95 to ‘99 of most consecutive WC matches won.

• World Cup Rosters: Lloyd (4); Krieger (3), O’Hara (3), Sauerbrunn (3), Heath (3), Morgan (3), Rapinoe (3); Harris (2), Naeher (2), Brian (2), Ertz (2), Press (2); Franch (1), Dahlkemper (1), Davidson (1), Dunn (1), Sonnett (1), Horan (1), Lavelle (1), Long (1), Mewis (1), McDonald (1), Pugh (1).

• Of the 23 players named to the roster, Lloyd has the most experience, having played in 23 matches while scoring 10 goals, one in 2011, six at the 2015 tournament and three so far in 2019. Lloyd is the oldest player on the roster at 36 and against Chile became the oldest player to score at least twice in a Women’s World Cup match.

• Five players own double-figure World Cup caps: Lloyd (23), Krieger (14), Morgan (16), Rapinoe (16) Heath (14) and Sauerbrunn (12).

• Davidson is the youngest player on the roster at age 20. Pugh turned 21 on April 29. Brian was the youngest player on the 2015 World Cup Team at 22. Just under half the roster (11 players) are in their 30s and 12 are in their 20s.

• Six players had previously scored in a Women’s World Cup tournament that are on the roster. Four of the seven goal scorers against Thailand made their World Cup scoring debuts. Current all-time World Cup goal scorers on the roster are: Lloyd (10), Morgan (8), Rapinoe (6), Horan (2), Lavelle (2), Mewis (2), Ertz (1), Pugh (1), Heath (1), O’Hara (1), Press (1) and Own Goal (1).

 

IN FOCUS: England

England Football Association

FIFA World Ranking: 3

UEFA Ranking: 2 

World Cup Appearances: 5 (1995, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019)

Best Women’s World Cup finish: Third Place, 2015

Record vs. USA: 4-10-2

Head Coach: Phil Neville

England Women’s World Cup Roster By Position

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), 21-Mary Earps (Wolfsburg, GER), 13-Carly Telford (Chelsea)

DEFENDERS (8): 2-Lucy Bronze (Olympique Lyon, FRA), 3-Alex Greenwood (Manchester United), 5-Steph Houghton (Manchester City), 6-Millie Bright (Chelsea), 12-Demi Stokes (Manchester City), 14-Leah Williamson (Arsenal), 15-Abbie McManus (McManus), 17-Rachel Daly (Houston Dash, USA)

MIDFIELDERS (6): 4-Keira Walsh (Manchester City), 8-Jill Scott (Manchester City), 16-Jade Moore (Reading), 19-Georgia Stanway (Manchester City), 20-Karen Carney (Chelsea), 23-Lucy Staniforth (Birmingham City)

FORWARDS (6): 11-Toni Duggan (Barcelona, ESP), 22-Beth Mead (Arsenal), 7-Nikita Parris (Manchester City), 9-Jodie Taylor (Reign FC, USA), 18-Ellen White (Birmingham City), 10-Fran Kirby (Chelsea)

ENGLAND NOTES:

• England got off to a bit a slow start, but still won Group D handily with a 2-1 victory against Scotland, a 1-0 victory against Argentina and a 2-0 win vs. Japan.

• The Lionesses amped up their player in the knockout rounds, registering two straight 3-0 wins – over Cameroon and Norway – with forward Ellen White leading the way. She has scored in four of the five matches so far and is tied for the World Cup lead with five goals.

• No other player has scored more than one, with single tallies from Nikita Parris (against Scotland), Jodie Taylor (against Argentina), Step Houghton (against Cameroon), Alex Greenwood (also Cameroon), Jill Scott (against Norway) and Lucy Bronze (against Norway).

• England has not given up a goal since the first match of the tournament.

• The 2018 SheBelieves Cup marked the debut of England head coach Phil Neville, the former Manchester United and Everton star and England National Team defender.

• England has some extremely experienced players and is one of the most veteran teams in the world. Goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, who grew up in Orange County, Calif., played club for the SoCal Blues and attended Cal State Fullerton, has 81 caps. Usual captain and central defender Steph Houghton has 110 caps with 13 goals while winger Karen Carney is on 143 caps with 32 goals, which is the most international scores on the squad, but she has seen little action in this tournament.

• England has a deep and dangerous forward line, with Ellen White (86 caps/33 goals), Toni Duggan (75/22), Jodie Taylor (45/18) and Nikita Paris (39/13).

• The defensive also includes former UNC Tar Heel Lucy Bronze, who has 73 caps and eight goals.

• 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 her country, and forward Jodie Taylor of Reign FC. Taylor, who returned to the league in 2018 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 2015 Women’s World Cup quarterfinal. Taylor scored nine goals with one assist for the Reign last season. Daly led the Dash with 10 goals.

• England had a smooth qualifying campaign for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, winning UEFA Qualifying Group 1 with seven wins and one draw, that coming against Wales at home. England defeated Wales away, 3-0, to qualify for France with one game to spare. England out-scored its opponents 29-1 during the eight matches.

• Nikita Parris (six goals) led England during qualifying, but the scoring was spread around. Toni Duggan had four while Jill Scott had three and Lucy Bronze, Izzy Christiansen, Steph Houghton and Fran Kirby had two each.