Emma Hayes frustrated as England hold her USA on Wembley homecoming | Women’s football

The gap between expectation and reality can be a big one and the tight chess match between England and the United States did not quite provide the action to match the clash-of-the-titans narrative that had been set up before the game.

In front of 78,346 fans eager to see who would come away from the showpiece friendly in better shape, the European champions, led by Sarina Wiegman, or the Olympic gold medallists, led by London-native Emma Hayes, the answer was neither.

Hayes had been jovial before kick-off, declaring: “Life is so short, I want to have a good time.”

The football in the first half did not quite deliver the good vibes the hyped-up crowd had been hoping for. After lasers, fireworks, smoke and thundering music, it was all a little bit flat, an intricate battle of strategy instead of a barnstormer.

The visiting team were the relatively more organised and efficient side when on the ball and their press stifled England when off it, limiting them to two touches in the area in the first half to USA’s 15 in England’s, but Wiegman’s side weren’t particularly poor either.

Jess Naz, making her third appearance for the Lionesses, was excellent ahead of Lucy Bronze on the right, tracking back to cover when the Chelsea full-back would go on a marauding run and causing problems  for the USA at the back, although the quality of the final ball eluded her.

Mary Earps, preferred in goal to Hannah Hampton on this occasion, with Hampton having played here last time out, was assured between the sticks, forced to leap into action twice in the first half. She had to push away Alyssa Thompson’s effort six minutes in and denied Casey Krueger after Thompson’s strike was deflected into her path by Bronze’s block.

The action on the pitch lacking in bite, attention was easily drawn to the touchline, where arguably the two best managers in women’s football were at work, gesticulating periodically, Hayes sometimes pausing with arms crossed, Wiegman with them clasped behind her back.

There was one change for the USA after break, Emma Sears swapped with Yazmeen Ryan. Both were collecting their third caps and benefiting from the absence of the potent forward trio of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson.

There was a bit more energy after the restart, the crowd more vocal, willing the game poised on a knife-edge to tip one way or the other. Within four minutes, the net was bulging, the USA captain, Lindsey Horan, having poked in from close range, but the flag was up for offside. Hayes punched the air in glee before doing so again in frustration.

England were brighter too, there was more control and patience in possession. It was reflected in the stats, with the Lionesses going from two touches in the opposition box to 10 in the space of the next 20 minutes.

It was almost disaster for the home side just past the hour mark, though, when Alex Greenwood was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area in blocking Ryan’s shot. But replays showed the ball clearly came off the Manchester City defender’s chest and VAR stepped in, with the referee, Lina Lehtovaara, overturning her on-field decision after viewing the pitchside monitor.

The arrival of Korbin Albert in place of Thompson prompted the loudest reaction from the crowd in the first 73 minutes, boos ringing around the stadium for the player that had been forced to apologise for posting homophobic content on social media in March.

Experience arrived in the form of Fran Kirby and the Euros matchwinner, Chloe Kelly, for England but the home team struggled to find gaps in a solid visiting backline marshalled by the exceptional centre-half Naomi Girma.

It was the USA that looked the more likely to take the lead in the closing stages, but the stalemate was a fair result. Against top opposition, Hayes and Wiegman will have learned a lot and there is work to do. For Wiegman, that will have to be done quickly, with Nations League football in the new year and England’s defence of their European title in the summer.