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Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
The USWNT were without the Triple Espresso attacking line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith for Saturday’s friendly against England, and it showed.
While the team played admirably in their stead, earning a scoreless draw against a tough foe, there was little doubt that the attack left something to be desired without the clinical trio up top.
After the contest, USWNT supporters had mixed feelings on the result:
OlutosinFashusi @OlutosinFashusi
86′<br>why are our forwards going away from goal?!?! Waste of a great move and cross by Fox<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/USWNT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#USWNT</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGUSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#ENGUSA</a> <a href=”https://t.co/GJiaOFZRty”>https://t.co/GJiaOFZRty</a>
On balance, this was a positive result for a reshuffled USWNT side, especially away at Wembley against a talented England bunch. The Americans held 53.6 percent of possession, outshot England 10-4 (3-1 on goal) and had six corners compared to three for England. The USWNT was the better despite being without its three most exciting players, a trio that accounted for a whopping 10 of the country’s 12 goals during this summer’s Olympics.
They were kept off the roster for Saturday’s friendly against England and Tuesday’s clash with the Netherlands to allow them time to rest the end of the NWSL season and recuperate from lingering injuries.
“Let me be clear, not one of these players want to ever miss a game for playing for their country,” Emma Hayes told reporters earlier in November. “So, I want to be really clear about that… I want to make sure these players are prepared for a long time to come. And when you’re in the back end of a season, and you’re playing a lot, your body’s tired, your mind’s tired, that’s where sometimes it can become risky.”
A scoreless draw rarely inspires exuberance among supporters, and Saturday was no exception. But given the context of the match, the USWNT can be pleased enough with the result.