England vs. United States - Football Match Report - October 7, 2022 - ESPN

European champions England scored a rare 2-1 win over World Cup holders the United States women's national team in a pulsating friendly at London's Wembley Stadium on Friday.

In front of a sellout crowd of just under 77,000, the entertainment on the field more than lived up to the hype, particularly in a thrilling first half that saw three goals. Lauren Hemp and a Georgia Stanway penalty gave England the goals they needed, either side of a goal from Sophia Smith that briefly drew the U.S. level.

There was controversy too, when the U.S. was denied a second equalizer before halftime when the Video Assistant Referee ruled it out for offside in the buildup.

— Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

Preparations for the game had been dominated by the release earlier in the week of a report from Sally Yates that detailed systemic abuse and misconduct in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Players from both teams united before kickoff in a sign of solidarity with victims of sexual abuse, holding a banner that read «Protect the Players» and wearing teal armbands.

The U.S. players had spoken of the game being a welcome distraction from an exhausting few days and once the whistle sounded, the intensity on the field was far above that of a regular friendly. This was, after all, a rematch of the 2019 World Cup semifinal, won by the Americans, and a meeting between U.S. and England teams that gone 23 and 22 games, respectively, unbeaten.

It was also a chance for both teams to measure where their preparations stand ahead of next year's World Cup.

England, having already delivered a warning shot, had the home crowd jubilant after just 10 minutes. Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead was the creator, breaking