Sir Alex Ferguson’s popular saying goes, “I have never played for a draw in my life,” and certainly so did the women from the USWNT and England when they clashed on Saturday night. Even though the match result might sound less intriguing, the performances from both teams certainly did not allow the match to go in one direction. After Emma Hayes, it was a USWNT defender who showed signs of disappointment over the stalemate result at Wembley.

What happens when the world’s top two women’s soccer teams face off in front of a record-breaking crowd of over 75,000? A great match filled with tension, drama, and near misses, but no goals in the end. The USWNT certainly put the home team to the test, with critical moments including Lindsey Horan’s goal early in the second half, which was disallowed for offside, and a potential penalty for handball, which VAR also overturned. All this in the absence of their star-studded Triple Espresso frontline consisting of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson.

Emma Hayes and USWNT defender Emily Fox were disappointed 

The USWNT team ended up losing their nine-game winning streak with a draw in Wembley. Even the coach shared that she was happy with the progress of the team but felt that the team could have been more clinical at the finish. As she summarized post-match, they were the better team. Similarly, their right-back Emily Fox also shared her emotions, which reflect quite the same as what Emma Hayes had to say about the performance against England’s Lionesses.

Speaking to the media after the match, Emily was happy to play in front of a large audience, but she felt a little disappointed: “I felt like we had control most of the game but had a little bit where England was strong and had chances but I think overall it was a good performance but again I think we want to get in the final third, finish our chances, and really punish teams.“

In the end, she even focused on the progress of the USWNT as a whole team: “Yeah I mean compared to when we were last year there’s so much improvement and a lot of positives.” As the USWNT women had 54% possession, with three shorts on target compared to the one shot by the home team, for the team, this match is a learning opportunity with the next match-up against the Netherlands.

Be that as it may, would the result have been different if the gals’ attacking trio were there?

Was missing Triple Espresso the reason for the draw?- Hayes reflects

The USWNT team was missing their well-known Triple Espresso for this game, yet, Hayes picked a 4-2-3-1 configuration with Emma Sears up front against England. Showing trust in her players. Emma Hayes reminisced on how the USA women’s football teams played here two years ago and how they have changed since then, and she is proud of their progress.

Speaking about the highlights, she even stated that the USWNT players handled the pressure without the ball and that it was a difficult challenge because the stadium was packed with home-side supporters. While England celebrated a much-needed clean sheet, the USWNT will take the positives and look forward to the game away from home against the Netherlands on December 4.