The stiffest test for our Lionesses. European champs against the best team in the world. I expect the US will win, but our lot have a tremendous spirit and a very decent team. And the crowd will be huge - I'd guess 80k as we love our women's team now even more than the men's.
BBC...
"I don't think there'll be anything friendly about the game. The USA have led the way in women's football for so many years.
I don't think tonight will be definitive in terms of who is the best, but I think it will be a really good test, especially for the Lionesses, to see what the gap's like with the US. Being champions of Europe is one thing, but going toe to toe with the US stars is another.
The key thing for the US is their physicality, how strong and quick they are. I think that will be the biggest test for England, the intensity of the match and how they will cope with the European style compared to the US style. It will be very interesting for the fans."
and...
"When Alex Morgan taunted England fans with her tea drinking celebration at the 2019 World Cup, it signified a feeling of invincibility that ran through the United States' team.
They went on to win the tournament for a second successive time after beating England 2-1 in the semi-finals.
It was a similar feeling of despair for England, who had come close but still could not beat the best team in the world.
Now, as the teams prepare to face off at Wembley for the first time on Friday in a friendly - England as European champions and the USA as world champions - it is not fear that the Lionesses feel but a sense of optimism that they might have finally closed the gap.
England have not faced the USA since 2020 but they are unbeaten in 22 matches under manager Sarina Wiegman and claimed their first major international trophy with victory at Euro 2022.
The USA are still ranked number one in the world but finished third at the Olympic Games last year and are starting to embark on a new era with Carli Lloyd retiring in 2021 and iconic duo Megan Rapinoe, 37, and Morgan, 33, edging towards the ends of their careers.
There was a time when asking whether the USA were the best team in the world led to the simple answer: "Yes".
But Wiegman said she "did not know" when posed the same question this week and she could not hide her excitement at the prospect of England - and others in Europe - potentially proving otherwise."
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