Gotham FC players shine in the USWNT-England draw | OneFootball

On Saturday, the USWNT played their first game of the international break in London against England. Five NJ/NY Gotham FC players featured in the game, with four for the US and one for the Lionesses. Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, and Lynn Williams started for the Stars and Stripes and Yazmeen Ryan came on as substitute at the start of the second half. Jess Carter then represented the home side.

Both national teams put out strong Starting XIs to make fans believe this would be a hard-fought battle. Plus, the USWNT is ranked number one in the world and England is ranked number two. This game held a lot on the line despite the fact it was a friendly.

Alas, neither team could find the back of the net, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw. The Gotham FC ladies had an impact on the game but failed to secure a win. Still, some of the performances were impressive.

Gotham FC contributes to the USWNT's 0-0 draw with England

Rose Lavelle had another superb game, as she tends to do for Gotham and the USWNT. She did well to calm down the possession when the US had the ball. Her ability to maneuver around English players to create passes and maintain possession aided the final third. Still, the players only had ten shots, which is a testament to the Lionesses' defense.

However, the USWNT's defense was even better. They limited England to four shots in the fixture. Plus, the backline's work led Alyssa Naeher to get the clean sheet in her second to last match of her international career. Sonnett, who was a rock for the Gotham FC defense in 2024, was a major part of the brilliant defensive performance for the US. Surprisingly, she started over Tierna Davidson, who was expected to start with Naomi Girma. Perhaps Davidson, who dealt with a knock at the end of the NWSL season, was not 100% fit.

One cannot forget about Carter. She did well to cover the attacking USWNT players, limiting their opportunities towards the goal. The natural center-back, who has predominantly played as a right-back for Gotham FC, often moved to the fullback position. This illuminated her ability to defend all over the backline and increased her coverage of the incoming attack.

Meanwhile, Williams and Ryan created chances in the final third, but Ryan was extremely threatening when she first came on. The winger had a few shots against England, for the home team allowed space for her to run on the right side of the pitch. It was almost like they underestimated the Gotham player until they realized they had to stop her too.

Overall, the 0-0 draw was a fun watch. The USWNT played well despite not scoring a goal, and the Gotham FC ladies had another match where they were important to the national team.